California ... a failed state

Well, it kind of is about him at the moment, but in the long run, yeah, it’s a wack system. One of the many things that contributed to California’s slow-motion implosion.

I still don’t see an implosion where I am. Many of the problems noted in this thread are associated with local conditions controlled at a local level. There may be net migration out of CA at present, but everyone I know who has left has left because they wanted to cash in on high home prices compared to where they were moving. Not to say it is a perfect state by any means, but hardly a failed one. Post secondary education is a problem. Costs are high even in state (the UCs run around $35k all in for infatuated students, and acceptance rates for CA students are abysmal), but they are also some of the highest rated colleges in the country. Most other states have much cheaper public university options.

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Back when I was in the UC system, tuition and fees were around a thousand a year.

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For UC Berkeley

Tuition and Fees $14k
Room and Board $18,456 on campus
Student Health Insurance Plan about $3800
Total Direct Undergraduate Costs **$36,470

That’s just insane. Minus Pell grants, etc. I probably paid around $2,000 total for four years at Cal. A state university education shouldn’t be that expensive.

Exit poll

image

Establishment wins again?

Party time again at the French Laundry.

Yeah, after Pell grants and merit, I was making more than tuition and fees at my college way back when.

That would be “voters”.

Biafra is a total jerk now.

The establishment has won over the voters again_

Uh, California also has cheaper public university options… ;D

If you count Berkeley Art Institute a cheaper university option…

Was around that area (a really good sauna there, on the opposite way from UC Berkeley), and there are a LOT of “Berkeley” schools there.

If you can get into UC Berkeley, paying for it is the least of your problem… schools like that they’ll help you pay for it.

California has the Cal State system, which is cheaper than the UC system.

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They are, but still not cheap. The estimated cost of attendance at Cal Poly SLO is $29k for people not living at home.

Plus real estate prices in most California cities are through the roof, even outside of the SF Bay area. So unless you live at home you can’t realistically afford to live anywhere close to the college you attend. Not without either a very good scholarship, job, or rich parents.

In this age of secure, instant mass communications elections should be held online and politicians should serve only as long as their approval rating remains at 50% or above. Once it falls below 50% an online election spanning 48 hours would be held and the winner would replace the loser the following day.

The ruling class and its minions will fight such a system tooth and nail though because they won’t be able to game such a system and lull the people into believing they’re really calling the shots.

Yes not cheap. But the prices I listed above do include food and housing.

That would require an awful of vigilence from the masses and introduce a lot of ineffiencies through constant changes in direction, especially in areas with even distribution of parties. And would further disenfranchise people with inadequate connectivity. The referendum situation is bad enough, with special interests routinely driving the narrative.

You can only vote over a 12 hour period now and you have to go to a polling station. If the majority of people were voting online and you had 48 hours instead to go to a polling station and vote using a terminal there voting would be easier than it is now for everyone.