I hate California!

I’ve been to California plenty. Stationed there for awhile, been there on training many times. It was pretty decent back in the late 1990’s but by even the early 2000’s it had changed, and not for the better.

The place is a dumpster fire now, I feel sorry for the normal folks who live there, but evidently there aren’t enough of you to save the place from stupidity and totalitarian nonsense.

Get out while you still can. Too bad the non SoCal and Bay Area parts can’t leave and form their own state.

 

The place my wife works has offices in California. The people in those offices make a shitload more than the ones in Texas do. From what she says it’s pretty much a wash.

 

Disneyland is expensive too, but it's a fun place to spend some time.

Yes, it's expensive to live here... I consider it the price of admission. They pay my wife and I enough that we can afford to live here, and I like it here. (Been here my whole life so I don't have a lot to compare it to, but I like it here)

Beach, mountains, desert, all within an hour or two away.

Weather about as perfect as it gets year round. I guess I could save money living in some God forsaken shithole where it's 115º in the summer or -20º in the winter, but why?

As an avid surfer for most of my life, I'm somewhat limited on where I could move to... Thinking about Costa Rica when we retire.

Yes my registration is expensive... but summer's coming and the water is warming, and all the beautiful fit surfer girls are going from wetsuits to unbelievably tiny little bikinis, so I'll get over it.

Yeah, California sucks.

 

Did you say/type something?

 

I grew up in SD, my wife grew up in SD. Family is still there. Beautiful weather, great place. Very expensive. I liked living in Yuma, close enough to SD to visit often, same distance to Phoenix. Taxes cheap, registration cheap, river and dunes close by. VA is as expensive as SD. Worst thing about VA is no good Mexican food.

 

Honestly can't recall... but I think I'll go for a surf after work.

I went out to dinner in Maryland on a DC vacation once to a super fancy expensive Mexican where we almost couldn't even get a reservation it was so popular.

Blegghh!! I dunno' what they were serving but it damn sure wasn't Mexican food! Mainland Mexican cuisine, like Mexico City and stuff is so drastically different from what I know and love.

Gimme' some Baja street tacos baby!

 

Exactly. The closest I’ve found is a place called El Vaquero west.
Amazing with the extremely high Latin population here. Most are from further south than Mexico.

 

Baja mex food is way different from Tex mex food.

Wait, isn’t this a tax/registration thread? Sorry.

 

Ugh... Tex Mex.

 

There's only two places I'd move to if I moved out of state. Utah (preferably southern) and Yuma, AZ. Imperial sand dunes and glamis are not far from there. Yeah Yuma is HOT, but it's not far from anything in Southern Cali.

 

This is true. I believe this was mentioned in a teacher thread somewhere here.

 

this is true. I don't remember where exactly I read it, but I remember it being well sourced, that Californians end up with more in their pockets compared to almost every other state, once everything is said and done. The government is going to theirs, no matter where you live.

If I catch a few minutes before work is over, I'll try to dig it up.

 

Pics from my two most recent trips to California...I could make it work.

Bodega Head May 2024



Palm Springs February 2022

 

If I wasn't a surfer (I get pretty grumpy if I go more than a few weeks without saltwater therapy) I could probably live in Utah. That is some SERIOUSLY pretty country!






Oh man, I miss my Glamis... Decided ripping around the dunes on an ATC350X 3-wheeler in my mid 50's was probably pushing my luck. Need to get something with a cage and get back in the big bowls.

 

Born in LA Co. and raised in Orange Co.

Moved away in '91. Been back 1/2 dozen times in last 30+ yrs. Too many peeps for me.

Lots of beautiful places in this country to live.

11yrs in Utah so far.

Likely retire to NW Spain if I get my way.

The coming decades will be interesting in the USA and abroad, likely.

How much tax burden can you levy against your populace before they've had enough? Voting with your feet seems to be a thing.

 

I had a vacation place in Utah in Solitude for 15 years. Kids got bored of it and I sold it during Covid. Doubled what I paid for, couldn't say no Market was absolutely insane. I wish I had 2 to sale
Coming decades? I would say 5-10 years the world we live in now will look so different. Is around the corner and the new world order is not looking good for USA which was the big boy keeping the world in check and in peace.
I have a place in Europe already as I was born there, my Plan B. Spain is decent but I think Portugal is better?
I also have a place in Malaysia in Langkawi island, which is Plan C, wife is from Asia, kids confused?
I really liked a place in Mexico, La Paz in the Baja area but my wife is to scared (drugs and violence?) to buy something there. Is absolutely a gem if you ask me.

 

You and I should talk lol. I actually have tri-citizenship (Brazil & Chile).

Don't wanna throw this thread off topic.

 

Nice, I used to have 4 passports. I decided not to keep the Hong Kong UK one after the Chinese CCP commies took over in 1997, let it expired. My wife and kids still hold the UK citizenship and passports as before 1997 rules. Too much paper work for me to get the UK one back and I already have 2 European passports that give me full access to Schengen and EU.

Is OK to talk smack on a California thread Those hippies don't mind our flower power LOL

 

I loved California last time I was there - 1962. Maybe I'll go back and visit again someday, maybe.

 

I miss the old Cali. even the pre Covid Cali. was not as bad as Today,my wifes aunt /uncle left SD 4 Texas before covid,I think they miss the SoCal WX the most

 

Portugal would be my go to outside the US, otherwise....Alaska. So great. It's like living in a calender pic. I used to wake up in the morning, look outside, am I really here and getting paid?. A stunning place. No passport needed. Bucket list.

 

After 12 years of living in San Diego I moved back to my home state of Colorado. The thing I miss most about SD is the Baja style Mexican food. Even living in a town full of Mexicans we can't get good Mexican food. Fuck your tax problem, y'all have it good when it comes to surfing in bathing suits and crushing tacos. And this doesn't even cover the surf chicks in bikinis.

 

Some friends of ours built a beautiful place and semi retired in La Paz a few years ago. They're like 40 and both work remotely a couple days a week... fuckers got it figured out.
We went and stayed with them for a week last year, and we felt completely safe. I'm pretty comfortable in Baja to begin with, but La Paz felt much safer to me than Baja Norte.

 

Dang, that ain't cheap. I mean, VA isn't what I'd call 'cheap' either, but then again I just moved here last year from MO. Taxes for the year for both our vehicles ('20 Tundra and '22 4Runner) are $2K; and real estate tax is $2K. Not 'great' but not terrible by a long shot.

 

Moved to Oregon 11 yrs ago from bay area
Born& raised in the bay

Jan 2022 I got my gen3 tundra
4 years of registration was $240
Sales tax was also around $250

I'm roughly guessing my California counterpart gen3 tundra buyer would have paid $1k per year in registration & $5k in sales tax

So $1k for registration in Oregon for 4 yrs
Vs
$4k for registration in california for 4 yrs
&
$250 sales tax in Oregon
Vs
$5k sales tax in california

California used to be so much better financially
Damn greedy politicians can't keep their hands outta the 40 million peoples pockets

Soon california will be the next michigan/Detroit....mass exodus, no youth to support the elderly, mass poverty, crime galore, corruption of the state govt, illegal immigrants hot spot, & no jobs

Golden state
Or golden turd?
F garbage nuisance aka Gavin the dictator Newsom