This Is So True

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There's So Much Truth In This Picture

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California Real Estate Well Explained

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This Is Unfortunately True

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Did You Know - Long Beach, CA Edition

Ten Things You May Not Know About Long Beach

It Was The Starting Point For Social Security In The U.S.

In 1933, an American physician (and Long Beach resident) named Francis Townsend penned a lengthy "Letter to the Editor" to address poverty among the elderly. That article was published in the Long Beach Press-Telegram. It struck a chord with readers and led directly to a formalized plan (developed by Townsend himself) to enact a sales tax to give everyone over 60 a pension of $200 a month. As noted in the L.A. Times, the plan "drew millions of adherents, a nationwide flood of publicity and the nervous concern of politicians in Washington."

Ultimately, President Franklin D. Roosevelt would flout Townsend's idea and develop his own social security system, which was decidedly less generous (it maxed out at $41.20 a month). But it's undoubtable that Townsend had forced the issue for the U.S. government, and had popularized the idea of social security (and thus easing its passage). As cited at the Social Security Administration's website (which offers a bizarrely thorough takedown of Townsend's 80 year-old plan), Roosevelt was quoted as saying that "Congress can't stand the pressure of the Townsend Plan" unless it had "a solid plan which will give some assurance to old people of systematic assistance upon retirement."

It's Got A Japanese Garden That You Probably Don't Know About

Certainly, the Japanese Garden at the Huntington Library has long been hailed as one of the most picturesque gardens in the L.A. area. Fewer Angelenos are aware that, at another corner of the county, there's another Japanese garden that's similarly lush and heart-achingly beautiful.

The Earl Burns Miller Japanese Garden, nestled inside the campus of Cal State Long Beach, is 1.3 acres of meticulous landscaping. Introduced in 1981 after more than three years of planning (which saw its principal architect—Edward Lovell—taking repeated trips to Japan for research) the garden contains such botanical wonders as laceleaf Japanese maples and pink cloud cherries. The spread is anchored by a sprawling pond filled with koi fish.

The garden is also spun as an educational tool; there's a volunteer docent program, and organizers host events such as classes on tree pruning. The space has long been popular with CSULB students and (ugh) wedding photographers—it's certainly worth your while if you're looking for a tranquil space to reflect on all your life decisions.
Complete list (LAist.com)

Another Reason Why It's Expensive To Live & Visit California

California enacts $52 billion fuel tax hike for road, bridge repairs 

EV owners will pay a $100 annual fee in lieu of gas taxes.

LOS ANGELES, April 28 (Reuters) - California Governor Jerry Brown signed into law on Friday a bill to raise gasoline taxes and other transportation-related fees for the first time in decades in an ambitious $52 billion plan to repair the state's long-neglected roads and bridges. The measure will increase excise taxes on gasoline by 12 cents per gallon, from the current rate of 28 cents, and on diesel fuel by 20 cents per gallon over the next 10 years. It will go into effect in November.

The bill cleared the state legislature three weeks ago, on the strength of a two-thirds super-majority the Democrats wield in both houses that allows them to pass new taxes with little or no Republican support.

Republicans condemned the increases, saying the state's transportation taxes and fees are already among the highest in the nation. They call the measure the largest gasoline tax in California's history.

"Californians got a lemon of a gas and car tax hike today," Senate Republican leader Patricia Bates said.

The average motorist in California, a state renowned for its car culture, will see transportation costs rise by about $10 a month, the bill's supporters say. The governor insisted the pain of higher taxes would be more than offset by economic benefits.

(AutoBlog.com) 

Those Chose That Of All Things?

The Best Damn Thing in Every State

California: The Pacific Coast Highway

• Look, California's big. Really big. From San Diego to Shasta, there's so, so much to see. Luckily, the Cali-spanning PCH happens to be the most scenic stretch of road in the country, and has become the essential road trip if you want to throw the top down and see everything from Malibu to Big Sur, the Redwoods, and beyond. No other stretch of road combines such scenic beauty and pants-shittingly twisty driving with such invigorating delight. It's been immortalized in song, film, TV, books, and everything in between largely because it shows you everything great about the Golden State. Yes, even In-N-Out Burger, which tastes as good among the SoCal bohemians as it does in Steinbeck country.

Complete list (Thrillist.com)

Looks Are Deceiving In Silicon Valley

High Paid Tech Workers Explain How They Can't Afford Rent in Silicon Valley 

An intriguing article in The Guardian reveals the plight of software engineers and marketing executives who can’t afford to pay rent and raise families near their workplaces. One Twitter employee who makes $160,000 a year says he’s had to “borrow money to make it through the month,” while raising a family in a two bedroom San Francisco home. 

Another claims he lived in a two-bedroom Bay Area apartment with 12 other software engineers while paying “$1,100 for a fucking bunk bed and five people in the same room.” And perhaps most perversely, a 41-year-old named Michael, employed by a Silicon Valley networking firm making $700,000 a year, left the area so he and his family could own a home.

 

Stories like these might seem gravely ironic, but the San Francisco Bay Area maintains some of the highest rents in the country. By some metrics -- like Nested’s 2017 affordability index cited by The Guardian -- San Francisco is the most expensive city in America. According to one study compiled with data from the American Realtors Association, it costs over $1 million on average just to buy a house in San Francisco. 

Of course, there’s more than a sad tinge to this, given the Bay Area’s problem with homelessness. San Francisco maintains 795 homeless people per 100,000 residents, second in the country only to New York, according to the city’s 2016 survey. The surging rents fostered by the tech industry are not helping. As Michael told The Guardian: “You are literally stepping over people to get to your job to make hundreds of thousands of dollars...How do you go about your daily life as if it doesn’t matter?”

(Thrillist.com)

A Supreme Housing Fail, Hidden In Plain Site

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Surprisingly, California Is Not #1

The Most Expensive States to Own a Car

3. California

• Annual cost: $3,216
• Why it's so bad: While average fuel economy in California isn't horrible, especially considering its legendary traffic problems, it's not great, either. Combine that with some of the most expensive gas prices in the nation and above-average insurance, and California's third step on the podium of shame seems kinda obvious.  

(Thrillist.com)

The Cali Car Culture Has It's Own Skeletons

The Dark, Stupid Side Of California

Here in the Golden State we’ve got some of the best driving roads in the world, plenty of race tracks to use, and a climate that allows us to enjoy the automotive hobby all year round. And that same mild climate means that cars last a lot longer here than they do in other parts of the United States.

The events? The builders? The cool cars? Yeah, we’ve got them. But the Golden State is by no means a heaven for car lovers. In fact, some might even say it’s hell. Because for as important as the automobile has been to the state, California is a notoriously unfriendly place for car lovers when it comes to legislation and emissions laws.

There are any number of complaints you could raise about how CARB, the Bureau of Automotive Repairs, and the Department of Motor Vehicles operate, but my biggest beef is with the state’s difficult and rigid emissions laws. If you didn’t know, every 1976 and newer vehicle in the state is subject to a biannual smog check that not only monitors the emissions from the tail pipe, but also any modifications or alterations made to the engine, regardless of whether they actually increase emissions or not. Fail the test and you simply can’t register your car.

(SpeedHunters.com)

The Californian's Polled Are Stupid If They Aren't Worried About Their Finances

Every State Ranked by Financial Well-Being

25. California

• Despite (or perhaps because of) some of the most expensive real estate in the country, Californians are not feeling financially well, but they’re not terribly worried, either. Maybe put it this way: They might (barely) be able to afford the $450,000, 290-square-foot studio in San Francisco, but that doesn’t mean they’re happy about it. (Would you be?)

Complete list (Yahoo.com)