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California poverty capital of America


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2018 Jan 15, 10:05am   11,017 views  46 comments

by Patrick   ➕follow (55)   💰tip   ignore  

Self-interest in the social-services community may be at fault. As economist William A. Niskanen explained back in 1971, public agencies seek to maximize their budgets, through which they acquire increased power, status, comfort and security. To keep growing its budget, and hence its power, a welfare bureaucracy has an incentive to expand its “customer” base. With 883,000 full-time-equivalent state and local employees in 2014, California has an enormous bureaucracy. Many work in social services, and many would lose their jobs if the typical welfare client were to move off the welfare rolls.

Further contributing to the poverty problem is California’s housing crisis. More than four in 10 households spent more than 30% of their income on housing in 2015. A shortage of available units has driven prices ever higher, far above income increases. And that shortage is a direct outgrowth of misguided policies.

“Counties and local governments have imposed restrictive land-use regulations that drove up the price of land and dwellings,” explains analyst Wendell Cox. “Middle-income households have been forced to accept lower standards of living while the less fortunate have been driven into poverty by the high cost of housing.”


http://www.latimes.com/opinion/op-ed/la-oe-jackson-california-poverty-20180114-story.html

I looked up that "supplemental poverty rate" and it does seem to be a thing:

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1   anonymous   2018 Jan 15, 10:19am  

Welfare recipients flock to California for it's easy handouts. It's the only reason why we are the poverty capital of the USA.
2   HappyGilmore   2018 Jan 15, 10:20am  

anon_fd7ee says
Welfare recipients flock to California for it's easy handouts. It's the only reason why we are the poverty capital of the USA.


The weather probably doesn't hurt either. If I was going to be homeless, living somewhere where it's 70 every day sounds pretty appealing.
3   Tenpoundbass   2018 Jan 15, 10:38am  

It's the NAR's fault.

That and the Liberal pols they keep bribing, buying and paying off, to gentrify cities all over America driving families out, razing affordable neighborhoods, while restricting new development. A single room efficiency starts at $700 in most towns in America.
Rumor has it, housing will be Trump's 2nd term issues. While Liberals will be running on their "Fuck Trump!" platform that has worked for us, the last 2 years.
4   Onvacation   2018 Jan 15, 10:40am  

I was raised on welfare. My mother had mental issues and my father was never around.

Welfare is mostly there to keep the welfare administrators employed. They make it almost impossible to get off the system.

Who ever thought it was a good idea to give money to poor people? Give them food. Give them shelter. Give them a chance to become productive citizens.
The welfare system perpetuates the system and has no incentive to really help the people it claims to help.
5   HappyGilmore   2018 Jan 15, 10:40am  

Tenpoundbass says
Rumor has it, housing will be Trump's 2nd term issues. While Liberals will be running on their "Fuck Trump!" platform that has worked for us, the last 2 years.


If only Trump were as good as the "rumors" make him out to be.
6   anonymous   2018 Jan 15, 10:54am  

Too many rats here not doing a damn thing to contribute simply reproducing like insects leeching off of the system.
7   HappyGilmore   2018 Jan 15, 11:03am  

anon_fad35 says
Too many rats here not doing a damn thing to contribute simply reproducing like insects leeching off of the system.


In fairness, there's not very much to do in Rural America so they reproduce.
8   Shaman   2018 Jan 15, 11:28am  

HappyGilmore says
The weather probably doesn't hurt either. If I was going to be homeless, living somewhere where it's 70 every day sounds pretty appealing.


Nights get a bit chilly in the winter. Homeless guy on the sidewalk next to the donut shop I visited this morning. Pretty bundled up. Most of the homeless around here seem to do it as a lifestyle. I guess it must be easy?
9   zzyzzx   2018 Jan 15, 11:30am  

#fuckcalifornia
10   FortWayne   2018 Jan 15, 11:30am  

Government agencies first seek power, they are not in business of eliminating poverty.
11   zzyzzx   2018 Jan 15, 11:31am  

HappyGilmore says
The weather probably doesn't hurt either. If I was going to be homeless, living somewhere where it's 70 every day sounds pretty appealing.


I think that one needs an actual address to collect welfare.
12   anonymous   2018 Jan 15, 1:58pm  

Patrick says
With 883,000 full-time-equivalent state and local employees in 2014, California has an enormous bureaucracy.


This is all government employees in the state. Cops, all other first responders, teachers, yes social workers, everything. For a state that's bigger than most countries.

I'm not suggesting that there aren't inefficiencies. But it seems like they are implying that these are all bureaucrats related to welfare admin.

Onvacation says
Give them food.


I believe that's what "supplemental poverty rate" refers to. It's people that work, but don't make enough, so they get food stamps and I guess housing vouchers in some cases.
13   just_passing_through   2018 Jan 15, 4:50pm  

Fat fingered my up-vote and down-voted the thread instead. Can't change it!
14   just_passing_through   2018 Jan 15, 4:57pm  

zzyzzx says
I think that one needs an actual address to collect welfare.


I don't know about that here. Used to work out on the port of Redwood City next to a pond we called, 'Cosmic Yelling Pond', because of the homeless vietnam vet that lived on it's shore and yelled out unintelligible military type commands across it day and night. Well dressed, clean cloths, manicured patch of grass around his tent with a little American flag. Cops told us he was making ~1600/month from the govt. That was the late 90s... Maybe it was only 1400? I was only making 30K/year back then and remember thinking it was a lot. More than enough to pay my 1K rent.

He used to jump out of the bushes and pretend to shoot at my jeep with pistol fingers. I'd often see him pushing a shopping cart full of folded cloths back to his digs.

The owner of the quarry / junkyard there let him stay because he scared away all of the other transients.

I bet he had a post office box or something...
15   Ceffer   2018 Jan 15, 6:48pm  

Homeless in Santa Cruz are becoming epidemic, aided and abetted by the usual self expanding social service co-dependance bureaucracy services and amnesty stuff, which allows the place to be an open air drug super market.

If you had gps tags to track the history of these homeless, I would bet most of these trolls are from other parts of the country by way of the California cities. Hobos have always spread the word about the tea and sympathy ports of call, so they are coming to Santa Cruz in droves. Their encampments are now on streets that were clear just a year ago. Santa Cruz not a big enough place to accommodate these fleets.

They have always been there, but now, they are actually overwhelming the place and are responsible for all manner of random crime and vandalism. Santa Cruz has worse property crime than Compton, supposedly the heart of the violent ghetto in LA. It is not uncommon for police to pick up the same crazy vagrants two and three times a day, release them, only to have them walk out and commit the same acts again and again the same day.

Of course, the local papers are dominated by real estate ad money and chamber of commerce, who want the rubes to keep coming in, so 95 percent of what happens is just ignored by the standard press outlets.

I suppose when the limousine liberals finally have the homeless banking up into their suburbs and hanging out around their schoolyards, somebody might do something about it.

Thanks, liberal delusionists.

"Serial Recidivist Leads SCPD On All Night Chase Through Santa Cruz

What began around midnight finally ended around 8:30 on Thursday morning, as a serial recidivist bum who is well known to SCPD and our local courts led police on an all night chase and manhunt around west Santa Cruz. It started after a report of vandalism at the Taqueria Santa Cruz on 2215 Mission Street. Witnesses described seeing a 43 year old transient disturbing customers before being asked to leave. As he was leaving, the man threw a metal chair through a glass door of the business and claimed to have a gun before being chased away. Later around 1AM, officers returned after receiving calls that the suspect had come back to the area. SCPD spotted the suspect inside a car near Pendegast and Ranking, where the suspect attempted to flee. During the pursuit, the suspect rammed an SCPD officer's car. The suspect evaded authorities across the Westside to downtown for hours. His slow speed pursuit by SCPD went the wrong way on Pacific and Riverside avenues, 2nd Street and Mission Boulevard, and made multiple passes on West Cliff Drive. Spike strips were used in attempts to stop him. The suspect eventually drove his car into San Lorenzo Park, where he ditched the car and ran into Camp Coonerty, where he successfully evaded police.

Later that morning around 7:30AM, officers responded to the 800 block of Riverside Avenue after reports of a disturbance. When officers arrived, they found the suspect, who ran into the San Lorenzo River. The suspect stood in waist deep water as SCPD spent almost an hour negotiating his surrender. He was eventually arrested and booked into the Santa Cruz County Jail for felony eluding, felony assault on a police officer, and resisting arrest. Keeping it Weird! I can't even fathom how many thousands of dollars were wasted on this one particular service call. And how many times has he done this? He's a recidivist. He does it regularly."

Camp Coonerty is the public park of San Lorenzo that has been used to warehouse the homeless who were tented up all over downtown. So, no more public park, just a shooting gallery/ asylum/homeless encampments now.

http://www.santamierda.com/2018/01/12/the-weekly-dump-1-12-18/
16   Y   2018 Jan 15, 7:02pm  

California, the local reference shithole from which all other foreign shitholes are rated...
17   Ceffer   2018 Jan 15, 7:16pm  

BlueSardine says
California, the local reference shithole from which all other foreign shitholes are rated...


Yes, but it is the shithole to the Stars!
18   anonymous   2018 Jan 15, 7:45pm  

Ceffer says
Thanks, liberal delusionists.


Pattern:

1) Identify problem

2) Blame liberals

Silly in this case, becasue obviously liberals would like there to be affordable housing, more jobs for those with low skills, and social programs that offer homeless better temporary/transitional housing. Not to mention the fact that before Reagan, there were far more public institutions for those with severe emotional or intellectual challenges.

How one gets to blaming "teh libruls" on this one is rather amazing.
19   Ceffer   2018 Jan 15, 7:58pm  

Liberals are responsible for the amnesty policies that create the drug pipeline that is responsible for 90 percent of the homeless problem.

Saying they are just unlucky souls who need more free shit is exactly what fuels the fire.
20   Patrick   2018 Jan 15, 8:11pm  

anon_08dee says
This is all government employees in the state. Cops, all other first responders, teachers, yes social workers, everything. For a state that's bigger than most countries.


It would be interesting to see where the highest total % of government employees are, by state. Hell, I can look that up:

http://www.governing.com/gov-data/public-workforce-salaries/states-most-government-workers-public-employees-by-job-type.html
California seems to be in the middle of the pack.
21   Strategist   2018 Jan 15, 8:31pm  

Patrick says
It would be interesting to see where the highest total % of government employees are, by state. Hell, I can look that up:

http://www.governing.com/gov-data/public-workforce-salaries/states-most-government-workers-public-employees-by-job-type.html
California seems to be in the middle of the pack.


I'm really surprised. Alaska and other sparsely populated states I can understand. But the corrupt, inefficient, high taxed California? Wow. Thank God for the few republicans in Sacramento.
22   FuckTheMainstreamMedia   2018 Jan 15, 8:36pm  

anon_08dee says
Ceffer says
Thanks, liberal delusionists.


Pattern:

1) Identify problem

2) Blame liberals

Silly in this case, becasue obviously liberals would like there to be affordable housing, more jobs for those with low skills, and social programs that offer homeless better temporary/transitional housing. Not to mention the fact that before Reagan, there were far more public institutions for those with severe emotional or intellectual challenges.

How one gets to blaming "teh libruls" on this one is rather amazing.


About the Reagan thing...I have no idea how that half truth gets repeated over and over without including info on the court rulings that forced the situation.
23   anonymous   2018 Jan 15, 8:48pm  

anon_08dee says
Ceffer says
Thanks, liberal delusionists.


Pattern:

1) Identify problem

2) Blame liberals

Silly in this case, becasue obviously liberals would like there to be affordable housing, more jobs for those with low skills, and social programs that offer homeless better temporary/transitional housing. Not to mention the fact that before Reagan, there were far more public institutions for those with severe emotional or intellectual challenges.

How one gets to blaming "teh libruls" on this one is rather amazing.


Is there anything they don’t blame on the liberals?

These type people would benefit by asking themselves for what shall we blame the Conservatives?

Maybe make a list. Start with an honest appraisal of Reality where the list should probably have Liberals on one side with for everything to blame. On the other, Conservatives with a halo around their head. Then in effort to do something crazy, see if they can’t find five things to blame on Conservatives, and make a new list
24   Strategist   2018 Jan 15, 8:52pm  

errc says
Is there anything they don’t blame on the liberals?


Religious stupidity?
25   anonymous   2018 Jan 15, 8:54pm  

Ceffer says
Liberals are responsible for the amnesty policies that create the drug pipeline that is responsible for 90 percent of the homeless problem.

Saying they are just unlucky souls who need more free shit is exactly what fuels the fire.


People say some crazy shit, just for effect.

Amnesty policies create the drug pipeline that is responsible for 90% of the homeless problem

I’m starting to wonder that some people actually believe something so silly.
26   Y   2018 Jan 15, 8:56pm  

Politics is all about playing the blame game. That's how elections are won and lost. What else would a political thread be other than an election cycle simulation...
errc says
where the list should probably have Liberals on one side with for everything to blame
27   anonymous   2018 Jan 15, 9:39pm  

The problem is Mexico rats multiplying too much. They came over working for white business owners most of whom support trump and donated to trump heavily to get the sweet LLC tax cuts they received.
28   zzyzzx   2018 Jan 16, 7:35am  

anon_08dee says
liberals would like there to be affordable housing, more jobs for those with low skills, and social programs that offer homeless better temporary/transitional housing.


Trumps trade policies will provide for more jobs in the US, drastically reducing the demand for social programs
29   HappyGilmore   2018 Jan 16, 7:37am  

zzyzzx says
Trumps trade policies will provide for more jobs in the US, drastically reducing the demand for social programs


And will we ever get to see any of Trump's trade policies?
30   anonymous   2018 Jan 16, 8:10am  

CovfefeButDeadly says

How one gets to blaming "teh libruls" on this one is rather amazing.


About the Reagan thing...I have no idea how that half truth gets repeated over and over without including info on the court rulings that forced the situation.


I'll look in to that. But still you must admit how bizarre it is that right wing media has trained the base to make these asinine claims about the liberals.

Our homeless problem is very real and seems to grow. The only blame I can see to put on the liberals is that we don't have nearly enough real liberals.
31   RWSGFY   2018 Jan 16, 1:46pm  

"55% of immigrant families in the state get some kind of means-tested benefits, compared with just 30% of natives."

Yay! MOAR DREAMERz!!!!
32   Goran_K   2018 Jan 16, 1:47pm  

Pension debt is going to crush the state budget in the coming years. Then the cannibal anarchy will be really good in California.
33   NuttBoxer   2018 Jan 16, 2:02pm  

My wife's last job in social services was for an office so poorly managed she never had time to answer her phone, ever. I'm not exaggerating. And since it was a private company, they had to enter data twice. Once in their system, and once in the state's. And who did said minimum wage data entry? The case workers, some of the highest paid employees in the office. She had almost zero chance to actually help anyone as she was perpetually buried under mounds of meaningless paperwork.
34   MisdemeanorRebel   2018 Jan 16, 4:13pm  

Sure, it's tax system rewards property owners and severely damages commerce, enterprise, and earned income. Of course it's very unequal; it's both sides (dirt poor and stupendously wealthy) against the middle
35   Shaman   2018 Jan 16, 4:24pm  

I’d move except for three things.
1) I work outdoors and California has the best weather anywhere.
2) I’ve got fifteen years until I can retire on a fully funded pension. Be a shame to have to work another ten after that someplace else.
3)the wife has a decent job here.
Hopefully the place can hold together until then!
37   Goran_K   2018 Jan 17, 8:56am  

errc says
Is there anything they don’t blame on the liberals?


In California, there really is no one else to blame seeing as the Democrats have held a majority in the state's government for the past 30+ years.
38   anonymous   2018 Jan 17, 9:13am  

Goran_K says
errc says
Is there anything they don’t blame on the liberals?


In California, there really is no one else to blame seeing as the Democrats have held a majority in the state's government for the past 30+ years.


Oh i see, the problem is people don’t know what they’re talking about. Democrats are not necessarily liberals. Corporate Socialist Democrats are more Conservatives than they are Liberals.
39   RWSGFY   2018 Jan 17, 9:49am  

errc says
Democrats are not necessarily liberals.


Is that you, Dan?
40   anonymous   2018 Jan 17, 10:14am  

Except it is not the government employees and "welfare state" that's pushing low income earners into poverty; it's the rents/housing costs imposed by tech workers who can afford to fork over several thousand a months for housing.

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