Is California Similar to South Africa? Interesting op-ed.

[WhipperSnapper]

VDare.com has published an op-ed piece that claims similarities between California and South Africa during Apartheid. According to this piece, the government employs whites and pays them well and that is the best opportunity afforded for white people in both places.

Californians, what do you think? Is the author off his rocker or does he have a point? (I don't have much of a view on this but since things have been slow at P&N lately I thought this might be of interest.)

California? South Africa Revisited?

What, besides perfect weather, does modern California have in common with Apartheid-era South Africa? More than meets the eye.


That California is in deep financial trouble is no secret. Also no secret (at least while Lou Dobbs was on the air) is that a major source of the trouble is the swollen population of low-income Hispanics who pay no income taxes while needing more social services than the working-class Americans they displaced.

However, there is more to California’s fiscal nightmare than a mismatch of falling taxes and rising needs. There is also the staggering cost of salaries, benefits, and pensions for California’s unionized public employees, exposed by California journalist Steve Greenhut in a City Journal essay entitled Plundering California [November 23, 2009]and in Plunder

!, the book-length version.

 

[rudder]

Not sure of the ethnic makeup of californias state employees... but if they are mostly white it is likely due to nepotism than the government beating down the brown man.

 

[theevilsharpie]

The city governments and schools I've worked with seemed as diverse as any other employer.

Also, with gems like this...

The white workers who once filled 90% of California’s private-sector jobs have been largely displaced by lower-paid immigrants from Mexico and elsewhere.

...it's hard to take the author seriously.

 

[Craig234]

As a Californian, this sounds like typical right-wing trashy propaganda. They love the gimmick of trying to link left-wing issues like Aparthied to attacks on the left.

 

[Moonbeam]

There is alot in common between swiss cheese and golf courses. They both have holes surrounded by a uniform matrix, one of which is eaten by people another of which is eaten by deer. The matrix is also of uniform color. In reference to each one often hears the word slice.

 

[StageLeft]

I doubt it. South Africa was grossly racist to the core. Heck it still is. California isn't. The public employees' pensions and benefits are of course egregious, which is part of the fun in watching California self-destruct.

 

[Udgnim]

There is also the staggering cost of salaries, benefits, and pensions for California’s unionized public employees

this is part of California's problem but comparing California's current issues to the Apartheid is laughable.

 

[Jaskalas]

Californians, what do you think?

I think I left for a damn good reason. Of course I would think so, but that just means the author reinforces my view.

 

[Mr. Lennon]

"The white workers who once filled 90% of California’s private-sector jobs have been largely displaced by lower-paid immigrants from Mexico and elsewhere."

That right there just ruins the authors entire argument.

The only reason why I am still here is because my line of work revolves around Hollywood.

What I don't understand is why so many poor families stay here when they clearly cannot afford it. They could make their life so much easier by moving to another state with a lower cost of living. The average salary in California is barely enough to get by, if that. To live comfortably in California (with a family) you need to be pulling in at least 200-300k a year. 200-300k a year in most other states grants you almost upper class.

 

[Craig234]

"The white workers who once filled 90% of California?s private-sector jobs have been largely displaced by lower-paid immigrants from Mexico and elsewhere."

That right there just ruins the authors entire argument.

The only reason why I am still here is because my line of work revolves around Hollywood.

What I don't understand is why so many poor families stay here when they clearly cannot afford it. They could make their life so much easier by moving to another state with a lower cost of living. The average salary in California is barely enough to get by, if that. To live comfortably in California (with a family) you need to be pulling in at least 200-300k a year. 200-300k a year in most other states grants you almost upper class.

I think that's a silly number. You don't need nearly that much.

 

[JSt0rm]

There is alot in common between swiss cheese and golf courses. They both have holes surrounded by a uniform matrix, one of which is eaten by people another of which is eaten by deer. The matrix is also of uniform color. In reference to each one often hears the word slice.

lmao.

/thread

 

[DanDaManJC]

I think that's a silly number. You don't need nearly that much.

Not really. $500,000 homes, closer to $1million in a decent neighborhood. Utilities and everything are more expensive... basically to have the "normal", middle class, two story home with a family and a couple cars you'll have to be pulling in at least $100k to more honestly support those loans.

 

[Craig234]

Not really. $500,000 homes, closer to $1million in a decent neighborhood. Utilities and everything are more expensive... basically to have the "normal", middle class, two story home with a family and a couple cars you'll have to be pulling in at least $100k to more honestly support those loans.

This is a few years old, but shows median income for 4-person families, with CA at $70K.

http://www.census.gov/hhes/www/income/4person.html

 

[StageLeft]

This is a few years old, but shows median income for 4-person families, with CA at $70K.

http://www.census.gov/hhes/www/income/4person.html

And how are they living? And if you can please ignore those who already own homes bought back before they cost a million times income. Everyone knows the cost of living in California is ridiculous, it shouldn't really be in dispute.

 

[WhipperSnapper]

What I don't understand is why so many poor families stay here when they clearly cannot afford it. They could make their life so much easier by moving to another state with a lower cost of living. The average salary in California is barely enough to get by, if that. To live comfortably in California (with a family) you need to be pulling in at least 200-300k a year. 200-300k a year in most other states grants you almost upper class.

I have wondered the exact same thing with regards to California, New York City, and other high cost of living places. I'm guessing that people don't want to leave their families or fear being able to find a replacement middle class job and in the case of the permanent underclass, just don't have the intellect and/or pioneer spirit needed to realize that they could make a better life somewhere else.

 

[Jaskalas]

And how are they living? And if you can please ignore those who already own homes bought back before they cost a million times income. Everyone knows the cost of living in California is ridiculous, it shouldn't really be in dispute.

What is rightfully in dispute is the 200-300k claim.

 

[her209]

I have wondered the exact same thing with regards to California, New York City, and other high cost of living places. I'm guessing that people don't want to leave their families or fear being able to find a replacement middle class job and in the case of the permanent underclass, just don't have the intellect and/or pioneer spirit needed to realize that they could make a better life somewhere else.

There's plenty of cheap cities to live in that are located in California.

 

[Painman]

The Whites tend to be documented.

 

[fskimospy]

And how are they living? And if you can please ignore those who already own homes bought back before they cost a million times income. Everyone knows the cost of living in California is ridiculous, it shouldn't really be in dispute.

Having lived in Southern California for about a decade now I can most certainly tell you that you need to make nowhere close to $100,000 a year in order to live comfortably. Maybe in San Francisco, but that's hardly California as a whole.

People making $70k in California are living very comfortably.

 

[Moonbeam]

I guess, though, considering how expensive it is to live in California we can all now understand and sympathize with why people who work for the state make so much in salary and pensions.

 

[Mr. Lennon]

Having lived in Southern California for about a decade now I can most certainly tell you that you need to make nowhere close to $100,000 a year in order to live comfortably. Maybe in San Francisco, but that's hardly California as a whole.

People making $70k in California are living very comfortably.

Your definition of "living comfortably" must be pretty loose. 70k household income will allow you to live comfortably if you are single...definitely no way is that enough to support a family of four unless you don't mind living in some terrible neighborhoods.

 

[Craig234]

What is rightfully in dispute is the 200-300k claim.

January 15, 2010. We agreed.

 

[JSt0rm]

guys it varies wildly based on where you live. Do you live "Beverly adjacent" or Riverside? Both in LA both wildly different in terms of commute, air quality and closeness to fault lines. Do you want to raise a family owning a home in Beverly adjacent? I would think 200k is minimum.

 

[Jaskalas]

I don’t think Beverly Hills is the basic standard for living comfortably in California.

 

[fskimospy]

Your definition of "living comfortably" must be pretty loose. 70k household income will allow you to live comfortably if you are single...definitely no way is that enough to support a family of four unless you don't mind living in some terrible neighborhoods.

Median income for a Californian family of 4 is right around 70k a year. Are you suggesting that half of 4 person Californian families either cannot support themselves or live in terrible neighborhoods?