CommentsRANTZ & RAVEZ-The long list of associated problems throughout California are related to the actions or inactions of elected and appointed officials of our city and state.
The fact that California lost one Congressional seat for the first time in state history -- and other states are picking up additional seats -- reflects the fact that businesses and residents are moving away in large numbers. This is due to some logical reasons I will explain in this edition of RantZ & RaveZ.
California spent $182 million on an outreach program encouraging everyone including immigrants to participate in the most recent Census Count. It is estimated that 70% of California’s households participated in the Census. Even with all the effort and funds pushed by officials, the state could not hold onto the 53 congressional seats and associated influence in Congress.
California slipped to 52 seats with the one big loss most likely coming from Los Angeles County. The loss will have an impact on the ability to procure federal dollars that can impact the region in a variety of ways for the next 10 years. Only time will tell how significant the financial loss will be for our once Golden State.
Why are so many people and business operations leaving California and in particular, Los Angeles County? Research shows the cost of housing and shortage of middle-class jobs is a major factor. People can’t afford a traditional house with a yard in a quiet residential neighborhood. Many large California companies are moving their operations and personnel out of California to places where the welcome mat and incentives are being offered to them and their employees.
The following companies are some of those that have left for greener pastures in pro-business states like Texas and Tennessee.
Toyota moved their operations and 3,000 personnel to Texas. Jamba Juice moved their headquarters to Frisco, Texas. CKE Restaurants moved their headquarters to Nashville, Tennessee. Nestle moved 1200 jobs out of California. DOLE moved their headquarters to Charlotte, North Carolina and Mitsubishi motors moved to Tennessee. Charles Schwab and CBRE both moved to Texas. Entertainer Gene Simmons moved his operations to Nevada. Hewlett-Packard moved to Texas along with the Oracle Corp. And the list goes on and on.
Why are they all leaving and taking people, jobs, and profits out of California? High taxes, the cost of living, and heavy regulations are among the leading factors. The quality of life, increasing crime, and an exploding homeless population have also contributed to the exodus.
The one major factor that attracts people to live in California is the weather. The mild climate with the opportunity to drive to the ocean, mountains, and desert in the same day without encountering anything other than traffic is truly a blessing you can’t find in other states across America. Unfortunately, this is not enough to keep business and families here, including many retired residents who are moving to retirement communities in places like Arizona, Nevada, and Idaho where the dollar stretches a long way, taxes are much lower, and the quality of life is better than here in Sunny California.
If things were as good in California as Governor Gavin Newsom tries to convince you, why would over 1.6 million names be verified calling for his Recall from office?
California Secretary of State Shirley Weber has announced that over 1.6 million names passed the threshold to qualify the Recall Election for California Governor Gavin Newsom. While the Governor has stated that this is a Republican-led effort, there are many California voters who signed the petition that do not identify as members of the Republican party. These are people fed up with the Governor and many of the programs he has implemented with the help of many members of the State Senate and Assembly.
I have met the organizers of the Governor’s Recall Campaign and find them to be genuine in their desire to improve the quality of life and improve safety in California. They want to turn the state around from the current tax and spend agenda to one offering an improved quality of life with reduced taxes. We will see how this matter works out. The Recall Election is expected to occur this coming November.
The list of candidates for Governor will grow as months pass. When deciding how you will vote, remember the departure of large and small business operations and the reduction in California’s population. Think about the increasing crime rate in Los Angeles and other regions of California. Consider the eligibility of 76,000 State Prison inmates (including VIOLENT and repeat FELONS) who are being given the opportunity to leave prison early as the state reduces the prison population.
All this has happened under the watch of Governor Gavin Newsom. With this in mind, if you choose to retain him as Governor of California, then you need to wake up to reality.
LAPD Citywide Crime Stats as of April 24, 2021
LAPD Personnel are down to 9574.
Homicides +30.1%
Shots Fired +64.8%
Shooting Victims +73.2%
Keep these crime stats in mind when the Governor begins to release thousands of inmates currently in State prison.
The Recall of LA District Attorney George Gascón
Los Angeles County residents need to be aware of the reality of increasing crime in many of the 88 cities in LA County. The LA County District Attorney is responsible for the prosecution of all felony crimes and many misdemeanor crimes in various cities.
Recall petitions will be issued soon. You can obtain Recall Gascón petitions at RecallGeorgeGascón.com.
Former LA County District Attorney Steve Cooley and I are Co-Chairs of the Gascón Recall Campaign. We invite you to spread the word about the Recall.
Be Safe and remember to Support your Local Police and Fire Department Personnel.
(Dennis P. Zine is a former and retired LAPD Supervisor, former and retired 12-year Los Angeles City Councilman and current General Manager at Bell Canyon in Ventura County.) Photo: Chad Crowe. Prepped for CityWatch by Linda Abrams.
