Californians are fleeing progressive agendas that lead to economic and social deterioration. Photo: Anadolu Agency/Anadolu
California has the highest rate of net domestic emigration in the United States, with residents fleeing to escape progressive programs leading to economic and social deterioration.
The Telegraph spoke to two Americans living in California who detailed their own experiences of the decline, what impacts and policies they consider most damaging and what needs to change.
Read on to find out what they have to say. I had to say:
«Elected officials are trying to get purely Democratic votes»
Telegraph reader Sherry Johnson lives in Campbell, California. She describes how she has been a Democrat all her life, but recently found herself «starting to lean Republican because of too progressive policies» in California.
«We have a situation where several counties are at the point where when elected officials try to obtain purely democratic votes.»
0807 California
She describes how, over the past eight years, “the pendulum has swung completely in one direction,” resulting in “criminals getting more and more rights.”
“I recently had to go to the Apple store , and I asked the seller, what would happen if someone came here and destroyed you? He said we'll just leave. We tell all clients to stand back and let them do it.”
Sherry states that she would simply like to see criminals prosecuted «properly» to the point where «it would be harmful to commit this crime again.»
Sherry advocates for the need for 'sufficiently funded' police forces. Photo: Kate Birmingham/The Orange County Register
«I understand that prisons are overcrowded, and I understand that it is not so easy to say, 'Arrest this person.' I understand it. But I think we've done things over the years that have gradually escalated the problem to the point where it's unmanageable.”
So what can be done? Sherry argues that a big step in the right direction would be a «more adequately funded police force.»
«We have a lot of people screaming 'defund the police,' when I really think we need more police.» . up. But we need to do it with the right police officers because we have some bad seeds.
“Unfortunately, as a gun-heavy country, we need adequate police forces. And they must be visual so that it is harmful to criminals. They need to know that the police are here or will show up. They must know that they will be arrested and prosecuted. But we don't have that now because we don't have enough police officers.
“I'm very worried because the police are already so stretched. Many of them cannot even begin to investigate petty crimes. There are too many and too few. And petty crimes lead to new crimes.”
“Nobody needs to give five million dollars.”
Another progressive policy that Sherry really fights is the concept of reparations.
She describes how she had to stop reading the San Francisco reparations committee's report because she «almost vomited.»
«There is absolutely no way anyone should be given five million dollars. This is extortion of money. Please set you up for freebies for the rest of your life,” she adds.
The report Sherry is referring to is the San Francisco Reparations Plan 2023, presented by the San Francisco African American Reparations Advisory Committee. The report includes a section called «Economic Empowerment Recommendations» that describes how a «one-time $5 million payment» would be made «immediately available» to those who qualify.
'You can't give a person a ton of money and let everything else fall apart' says Sherry Credit: Eric Risberg/AP
The money, the report states, will “compensate the affected population for decades of harm suffered” and will “replace the economic and opportunity losses that black San Franciscans have collectively suffered.” , both as a result of intentional decisions and unintended harms perpetuated by city policies.»
Sherry, who herself is of African-American descent, said that «even if I checked all the boxes to get that five million dollars and could prove 100 percent that I 'deserve' it, I would never, ever accept it.» »
“Talk about forcing yourself to be so despised and so hated! And you can't hide the fact that you're black. How many people do you think will be happy that they gave me five million dollars?
“This will create a bigger gap rather than fixing anything in the first place. People need opportunities to improve themselves. Nobody needs to give five million dollars.”
She goes on to suggest what should be done instead: “Every bit of reparations should go towards strengthening the black community. Create reparations funds for educational purposes, starting small businesses, giving back to the community, helping families, and building strong African American communities in cities.
“You can't really give a person a ton of money and let everything else fall apart. It doesn't help them progress.
“Giving people the option to go to college when they want to graduate without having to take out student loans would be fantastic. And I don't think there are many people who would be against someone wanting to get a higher education.
“Educate people and they will have the opportunity to succeed.”
“San Francisco is a social tragedy”
Charlie March was born and raised in Menlo Park, about 25 miles south of San Francisco.
“My grandmother was born and raised in San Francisco, in the Haight-Ashbury area, so we often went to San Francisco and I spent a lot of time there as a family. We walked the streets, it was always a wonderful place,” he says.
Recalling some of his favorite places, Charlie says, “Golden Gate Park was absolutely wonderful. Japanese tea gardens are a wonderful place. Ghirardelli Square. It was really cool, there was something to do.”
“Overall everyone kind of left you alone, everything was well organized,” he adds.
Charlie remembers that San Francisco “has always been a great place to vacation.” Photo: Mitchell Funk
Fast forward to present day, Charlie now lives in northwest San Jose with his wife and no longer has «any intentions of going there [San Francisco].»
In fact, he considers San Francisco a «personal and public tragedy.»
Charlie explains that San Francisco has always been a «very liberal place.» This whole Bay Area has always been like this.»
«The last mayor of San Francisco, a Republican and more conservative, was in 1964. All those who followed were Democrats, but they were always something like the Democrats your father or grandfather knew, so they were more liberal, but they believed in a controlled society.»
But according to Charlie, a definite shift occurred in the 1980s and 1990s: “The homeless situation became more and more visible. They were just starting to get more aggressive.»
He adds: «Let's say you're in the city and you pull up to a traffic light. Someone will come and take cups of urine and throw them on your windshield and then say, “Pay me five bucks and I’ll clean your window.” It was about 20 or 30 years ago.”
Decades later, Charlie describes the increasingly worse situation: “Restaurants are closing because of feces on the streets. I was recently told a story about a homeless guy with his pants down in front of people eating at a restaurant.»
«What happens in San Francisco happens in Los Angeles, Portland, Oregon, Seattle»
Charlie points out that the problem isn't just in San Francisco. “Where we live, homeless people live under overpasses like freeways or just find safe places to sleep without being bothered. Downtown San Jose is somewhat the same. San Francisco is just 2.0. You go to the coast of Santa Cruz and find a similar thing there. It's everywhere.»
«What happens in San Francisco happens in Los Angeles, Portland, Oregon, Seattle. My son works as an assistant manager at a supermarket in Seattle, and they have a homeless encampment across the street from the grocery store. This is a really nice area of Seattle and they do drugs.
“You can see them running out of the store and going in when there is no security, when the security goes on break or goes home, they go to the supermarket, take what they want and leave. Employees are instructed not to disturb them. You call the police, but the police won't come because it's so widespread. Thus, stores have to use their own security. How can a business survive this way?
As for the police, Charlie wonders: «With all this unrest going on, there are people in many liberal cities who defend police movements.» He adds: “Part of the madness is that these people think the way to reduce crime is to reduce the number of police. What they really think is that the less police you have, the less crime there will be. This is crazy.»
Crime rates in Texas and California
Charlie goes on to ask «why are the free leaders» not doing anything about it. “They just want to overthrow our society and turn it into something else? None of this makes sense.”
Thinking about whether cities like San Francisco and the surrounding areas can be saved, Charlie becomes despondent.
“The left controls voting booths and unions to ensure their power. All political and conservative uprisings were suppressed, and most of the Republican electorate left the country.
“The civilian leadership is completely insane. Business on the run. Look, Nancy Pelosi, Gavin Newsom and Kamala Harris were born in this area. Do I need to say more?
According to Charlie, this will require a “change in thinking.” He says he and his associates are dealing with those who believe that «with more funding from Washington we could get this done, we could make a difference.»
Charlie disagrees: “We need a change in thinking, people who will come up with new ideas and have the leverage to change things. There are none yet. Everyone you talk to, we just shrug. We create our own little enclaves, like my wife and I do here. Our own little bubble.”
Charlie and his wife would have left California if it weren't for their daughter's family, who live nearby. “All my friends have left,” he says. “If my daughter's family left, we would definitely leave.”
“One more thing,” Charlie adds. “Have you heard that Gavin Newsom is running for president? So if he takes office, the United States will become California.”
Have you noticed the decline in California? Tell us about your experience in the comments section below.
Свежие комментарии