California
First, let’s get it out of the way and say that yes, I am incredibly pissed off by prop 8.
That said, this post has nothing to do with prop 8.
California is in trouble. Big trouble. I’m going to go out on a limb here and say that I expect California to be shedding population by this time next year. There are several reasons for this:
1.) The foreclosure crisis. Google ‘tent cities’ or ‘car sleepers’ and see how many people out there are living in tents and cars. Eventually some of them are going to figure out that the cost of living is lower in other parts of the country and get together the funds to leave.
2.) The rest of the economic mess. California’s budget crisis is deepening, and there are almost certainly going to be massive spending cuts in the months to come. Bankruptcy is a possibility, as is tax increases. Also, job losses are going to throw a lot of people out of work.
3.) Last, and most important, word has come down that water deliveries to just 15% of the amount requested. That’s an 85% cut. In one year. (http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20081031/ap_on_re_us/california_water#full) This could cause rationing and shortfalls in cities and on farms. Let me rephrase that: it almost certainly will cause rationing and shortfalls, with the current drought and population levels.
How many people are going to stand for this? And for how long? It is eventually going to occur to at least some of them that others places are NOT a desert and might be better places to live.
As for the rest…eventually they’ll have to get used to living in a desert, with the attendant water problems.
Labels: drought, economy, population, sustainability, water
posted by RAS at 8:24 AM
2 Comments:
I wonder how many Americans will be for attacking or annexing Canada if we do not choose to open our water lines to the US to the same extent as our oil lines.
Great post Ras. This is going to very soon be a massive issue, not just in California.
I live in Los Angeles as you know.
No one here is the slightest bit worried about any of this.
I have become something of a persona non-grata..no one want's to even CONSIDER any of the notions that we are aware of.
What is more than certain, in my estimation, that Californians, and American's in general, will not connect the dots until the situation is catastrophic and dire. The psychological of denial is too powerful, and the political machine moves too slowly to confront reality other than in reactive modes.
Then they will stand around and try to blame people for not being pro-active.
I'm looking to be gone by mid-2009
Post a Comment
<< Home