June  2022

The California Dream    -  Alive and Well?

Governor Newsom recently spoke in Monterey and stated that “the California dream is still alive and well”  and the state “continues to dominate in every category.”  However, at the same time the Public Policy Institute of California was releasing a new survey of the attitudes of Californians about the state’s – and their own – economic well-being. The report was not upbeat. Fewer than half of the surveyed expected good economic times in the next 12 months.  Majorities across income groups were pessimistic about the economy.  Another problem area  was the availability of well-paying jobs.   22% of those surveyed felt this was a big problem. 

Respondents believed that the yawning gap between haves and have-nots is getting wider. The positive data that Newsom reported is not inaccurate but it applies primarily to the state’s overclass.  These people escaped most of the negative effects of the pandemic-induced recession and benefited from steep increases in the stock market along with other assets. 

In typical political fashion, Governor Newsom cherry-picked the data to reinforce his claim of economic dominance.  He did not mention that California’s unemployment rate of 7.5% is the highest in the country.  He also omitted the fact that that the poverty rate in California is 17.2 % as calculated by the Census Bureau.  This rate is the worst in the nation. 

Things are not golden in the Golden State.  Maybe citizens need to pay attention and Vote.

All Animals Are Equal But Some Animals Are More Equal Than Others.      George Orwell