Have you noticed lately that there is a short supply of available housing inventory and a large number of homeless people?
If interest rates were to increase to the level of inflation, say six percent, you’d see a severe drop in the price of housing. This would drop property taxes, and most of the time those future tax dollars have already been spent by the municipality.
In California now, I would guess that the average 4-person home now has 8 people living in it. Basically, when you double the price of housing, over a large area, you double the occupancy rate. The first time we saw that effect was in the 1960’s, it went unnoticed. Dad worked and mom took care of the kids. Later women went to work and the kids took care of themselves. At that point we had two wage earners financing a home. Now in today’s world, we have mom and dad working, and now the kids living at home as adults working to make ends meet.
Politicians don’t really reflect upon the laws passed and see how ineffiective they are. The free needle program might have stopped some disease, but now the casual stroller can be stabbed by a discarded needle while walking. People are “starving” and need to be fed. Human waste on the sidewalks is a big step above dog crap. Now we have hepatitis to worry about also.
At some point California needs to address the problem. Our national parks have a solution; they put up signs that say “Do not feed the wild animals.” We need to move the homeless into a controlled area for about 10 days that restricts their access to drugs and booze with no ability to pan handle for money. The people that just want to get high, would leave the area, confinement is a threat to their way of life. Those left would be the ones for rehabilitation.
California wants to make small homes for the homeless. A noble idea, but why? I pay taxes and expect fire and police protection. Why do these people that contribute nothing to the tax base, get a free home because they are homeless?
The real story about California is the number of people living in each home. Some streets are so packed with cars at night that they look like used car lots and remember each home has a driveway and a two-car garage (in the front of the house no less). So that’s parking for 4 cars.
So, the question in the title “What Happens When Natural Laws of Expectations are Turned Upside Down?” You learn to expect less and pay a lot more for it. And when you run out of money paying taxes, you’ll be entitled to a Gov. Jerry Brown "Free Shopping Cart," and will be inducted into the "Fraternal order of the Homeless." The only bad thing as far as liberals are concerned, is that there are no graduation ceremonies---go figure.
6 comments:
Hi Jim,
This is one of your best posts in my humble opinion. You are right about everything you say, except you leave out something very important.
You forget the level of security you enjoy in your everyday life living in the great usa!!!!!! By subsidizing our "irresponsible" citizens, our government makes sure or tries to, make sure the next time you are at the gas station getting gas, there is less of a chance that a desperate person, one that has been pushed so far in life, that he or she doesn't care, doesn't walk up t you and stab you for $20.
The U.S. is a wealthy country, no matter how you look at it, and please don't bring up the national debt and other distractions, and thus, it chooses to spread some chowder around so people like you and I, don't have to be worried about getting stabbed for a 20 dollar hit of crack. I'm not saying there aren't evil and sick idiots that will shoot someone for their next high, of course, there are, but I bet you don't worry on a daily basis about someone walking up to you and slashing your neck for your 6 pack of beer.
I hear you, but the way I look at the handouts is the following; it's "fire suppression", as a government we pay some dough to keep the most of the suffering population placid and not aggressive. Of course, like all governmental entities, we pay too much and it's not an efficient process.
However, it does feel good to go to Ralph's grocery store and not have to think I am going to be shanked bc our streets are full of desperate people.
We all have a breaking point, all of us, do you really want, what you are asking for?
It's a friendly question and point of discussion.
cheers
I had an aunt who lived in California - a pretty Art Deco part of LA, specifically. Her father had been a Hollywood actor.
When I visited decades ago it was obvious that California - or at least much of it - was a wonderful place to live. The speed with which is has been mucked up is breathtaking. Some twenty years later we visited friends - much older than us - who lived in Orange County. They were fed up with the changes they were witnessing. They were full of questions - should they emigrate? Where to? (Their favourite candidates were NZ, Australia, or the south coast of England.) Of course they stayed; they were old and their children and grandchildren were all there.
It was rather revealing; they had originally wanted to live in California so badly that when he was a junior executive he had managed to persuade his employer to set up a subsidiary there. And now they both wanted to flee.
Recently an acquaintance and his wife threw their cards in and moved to Seattle. Rainy Seattle. I told them they should have moved to Edinburgh - it's drier, more beautiful, and more interesting. They couldn't decide whether I was kidding.
dear,
thank you for sharing your story, it is always important to learn as much as we can.
I hear these stories all the time but the truth is that illegal immigration isn't specific to California. Seatle has the same issues and so does every other state. Of course, its a bigger deal in california, arizona, texas bc of the border but the entire country has this issue.
But Jim's point was about government handouts and all I was trying to say was that i fully agree but the real world is different than our wishful thinking.
I have learned that the only fair thing in the world has pigs and cotton candy.
Of course, as a hard-working, tax-paying citizen, I wish things were different. And as a spoiled Californian, I complain when it rains and also complain when we have droughts, why? bc we have it so good, that we are spoiled.
There is a reason everyone in the wolrd wants to emigrate to the u.s. and especially states like california. And while there is much room for imporvement, damn we have it good. I always tell people, anytime you get tired of the u.s., please travel and experience the rest of the world, and you'll be good. The best therapy for those that do;t see how good we have it, is not a couch, but experiencing how the rest of the world lives.
Monday morning quarterbacking is human nature but appreciating what we have is more difficult.
to each their own.
Hi Anon 2:30
In an idealistic sense, I agree with you whole heartedly. In a realistic environment, it doesn't work that way. The homeless tend to setup camp in one location. From there they acquire more and more items they deem necessary for everyday life. Trash disposal is not an issue of their concern. leave it where it was discarded. Human waste, dirty needles, broken glass and empty plastic containers are everywhere. Regular people will try to avoid the area, and then you have the flight of business from the area.
The liberals think that feeding and offering services to these poor souls will solve the problem. IMHO you are validating a way of life that works for them already, and now makes their life more comfortable. The weather is great and the homeless will flock here just for the benefits.
A more structured form of relief through a church or drug rehab program might be a better way to go for at least half of the homeless. If homes are a half million apiece, the city runs the risk of homeowners selling to leave. The city would then see the value of the homes drop considerably while their cost of providing services would increase.
Over a twenty year span, the area would be in steady decline. You as a taxpayer will pay more and get less for it.
The number of homeless may increase quite a lot in the near future, the baby boomers that lived from paycheck to pay check woke up only to find they reached retirement with no savings.
Hi dearieme
People don't realize how much their everyday life changes as they get older a day at a time. Old age creeps up on us and changes things a bit.
That's what is happening in California. The people that have been here 20 years or more are beginning to feel the changes. A two bedroom, two baths, is now renting for about $2,800 per month. We bought a half million dollar home two years ago here, in Escondido, and our monthly house payment is 2,850.
My wife and I go out on Saturdays garage "sale"ing looking for bargains. In some areas, we are dumfounded by the number of cars in the driveway and on the street around each home --8 to 12 cars per house. The kids get married and have a couple of kids and find out that day care is $1,600 for two per month. Grand parents have their married kids living at home with their kids. I know of one case where the retired couple is selling the home to get rid of their three grown kids with families in the home.
It is rather confusing to sort it out. It looks like San Diego is too expensive for young people, but a real deal for tent dwellers. I love to camp out, but I would ever pitch a tent on a concrete sidewalk. That's too different an experience to be a real adventure.
England could have been a better choice for your aunt, but home is where your kids are.
Take care
Hi Darvinian
Welcome
I have been to other countries and as you suggest things are a lot rougher. In Viet Nam where I lived for a year garbage collection was once every two months. The trash pile in the middle of the intersection got about 20 feet high and the smell of it was everywhere.
The tent cities in San Francisco and San Diego, kind of remind me of the low income ghettos in South American countries. They were created out of poverty conditions. I kind of wonder if this is a little like the Great Depression of the 1930's, it didn't hit everyone, but the poor got more than their fair share. Google "Hooverville" kind of sound like where we are at now. I haven't tossed in the towel on "The Great Depression of 2006"-- we are still in it, in a very peculiar way. The politicians have ameliorated the condition, which means that they haven't fixed it.
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