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Comment by someonebaggy | Hacker News Reader

California claims to have those social services. Does it actually, or are they impossible to actually get?

California is teeming with homelessness, whatever they call "cheap housing" isn't helping. They have the highest poverty rate in the nation (or close to it https://www.ktvu.com/news/california-has-highest-poverty-rat...). Nearly half of California's population can't afford even the basic costs of living and millions struggle to afford food (https://www.kcra.com/article/new-hunger-research-shows-milli...) so while the state has done well in some areas (health care coverage for example) you can be sure that there are plenty of very desperate people who might end up resorting to crime in order to meet their basic needs.

It’s functionally a small nation, and frankly many of its “bad numbers” aren’t far off parity with the nation as a whole.

If anywhere near half the people in America can't afford to cover their basic needs now we're in for a very dark future.

I’m assuming you’re referring to the article you linked.

40% is not “near half” - it’s closer to 33% than it is 50% and I think we would both (rightfully) object to me saying “near 1/3rd.” 50% and 40% are very different numbers.

Also, that 40% figure is based on their own definition, not something that is broadly accepted.

We do, but they tend to be clustered around urban areas. There’s vast swaths of CA that lean much more conservative and more economically challenged that are under served.

I think a lot of people don’t realize you can go 2-2.5 hours out side of SF and be in CA MAGA country.

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