Los Angeles in Decline? City commission seems to think so

[LA21st]

I know several Chicagoans who are considering moving to a warmer place after the last winter. I personally couldn't stand the cold in Chicago for 10 years. It really does wear on you.

The weather thing isn't old at all.

[Leo the Dog]

Originally Posted by sopas ej

Torrance may have lost Toyota, but Long Beach is gaining a new Mercedes-Benz campus.


Regarding Texas, I honestly don't see how allowing large profit-making corporations not to pay their fair share in taxes, benefits a state.

Torrance lost at least 3000 jobs. I'm confused by the article, but it only mentions 200 jobs for Long Beach Mercedes operation. It also knocked Tesla out of the equation at this particular location.

Looks like California is providing incentives to corporations to KEEP jobs from fleeing CA. TX is providing incentives to bring ADDITIONAL jobs into their state.

[Leo the Dog]

Originally Posted by LA21st

I know several Chicagoans who are considering moving to a warmer place after the last winter. I personally couldn't stand the cold in Chicago for 10 years. It really does wear on you.

The weather thing isn't old at all.

Weather is a "pull factor" for sure for CA.

[Eightball]

Originally Posted by Leo the Dog

Torrance lost at least 3000 jobs. I'm confused by the article, but it only mentions 200 jobs for Long Beach Mercedes operation. It also knocked Tesla out of the equation at this particular location.

Looks like California is providing incentives to corporations to KEEP jobs from fleeing CA. TX is providing incentives to bring ADDITIONAL jobs into their state.

Texas also spends 10x the amount on corporate welfare/relocations that CA does. And its not clear they are getting much for their money. Even Republicans in TX are heavily questioning these massive giveaways.

In addition:

Far from being an economy in decline, California is actually a leader in economic growth. In 2012, the most recent data available, the state posted the sixth-fastest pace of output growth in the nation. In 2013 it posted the eighth-fastest pace of employment growth, which translates in absolute terms to 320,000 payroll jobs – as many as were added in Texas. None of these statistics were included in the stories about Toyota’s planned departure, nor was the fact that the 2,500 jobs Toyota will be taking represent one-twentieth of 1 percent of all jobs in the Los Angeles County economy. This represents a tiny portion of the 80,000 jobs added over the last year in the county. While there should be concern about the workers who may end up displaced, in this context, the changes seem quite small. Also, the job losses will be made up for in other corners of the economy over the numerous years in which the transfers will take place.

The rapid rate of job gains in the state over the past several years means that California has already erased the job gap that developed during the recent recession, at least as measured by the payroll data. And this success is not short-term. Over the past two decades California has been in the top 20 states in terms of job growth, and in the top 10 for output growth. And these aren’t all “bad” jobs being added. The average California worker earned $54,000 last year – 13.6 percent more than the overall U.S. average. This wage gap is larger today than in 2003, when it was 12 percent. If this seems to fly in the face of all these business climate indexes that consistently rank California near dead last – you’re right, it does.

These indexes, despite their great media attention, have little to no correlation to actual economic outcomes. For example, some anti-tax groups have claimed that California’s highest-income individuals are fleeing because the state has the highest marginal income tax in the nation. In reality, over the past five years, California has had more high-income workers ($100,000-plus per year) move into the state than move out. The vast bulk of residents who have moved out of the state earn less than $50,000 per year. This isn’t a surprising result; the vast majority of available literature suggests that people move due to quality of life and housing costs, not taxes.

http://www.sacbee.com/2014/05/18/640...elocation.html

[Leo the Dog]

In 2013 it (CA) posted the eighth-fastest pace of employment growth, which translates in absolute terms to 320,000 payroll jobs – as many as were added in Texas.

Texas has a much lower population than CA...so I'm not sure why this is such a great stat

[the urban politician]

Originally Posted by LA21st

I know several Chicagoans who are considering moving to a warmer place after the last winter. I personally couldn't stand the cold in Chicago for 10 years. It really does wear on you.

The weather thing isn't old at all.

Hate to say it, but I agree.

Obviously I love Chicago and I always will, but there is no doubt that when I'm older I'll be living somewhere warmer. I may keep a condo in Chicago or simply visit from time to time to get my "Chicago fix", but hell no I won't be doing these winters when I'm in my 70's or 80's (assuming I live to that age).

Weather is the one thing Southern Cali will always* have

* "always" being an expression of speech, of course, referring to human timespans. For all we know Southern Cali could be a frozen tundra, a tropical rainforest, or even under water in a few million years.

[Leo the Dog]

Originally Posted by the urban politician

Weather is the one thing Southern Cali will always* have

* "always" being an expression of speech, of course, referring to human timespans. For all we know Southern Cali could be a frozen tundra, a tropical rainforest, or even under water in a few million years.

In a few million years Southern California will be in Northern California! LA will be apart of the Bay Area!

[Altauria]

Originally Posted by Centropolis

you're forgetting about the killer midwestern heatwaves.

Oh I certainly remember those! In fact, the first time I visited St. Louis was during one of their worst heatwaves ever. What was it, 1991ish?

...sorry about the OT.

[New Brisavoine]

Originally Posted by dennis1

The Los Angeles 2020 Commission, convened by City Council President Herb Wesson to examine the city's economic woes, offered a harsh assessment of civic decision-making, warning that Los Angeles is heading to a future where local government can no longer afford to provide public services.

Merge the City of LA with LA County. Problem solved.

Ideally, Orange County should also be merged with LA County.

[fflint]

Originally Posted by New Brisavoine

Merge the City of LA with LA County. Problem solved.

Ideally, Orange County should also be merged with LA County.

You keep making these kinds of dumb statements about places six thousand miles away, and American people here keep informing you why your idea to merge cities with all their suburbs is objectively a bad one--but it never seems to get through your thick skull.

[New Brisavoine]

Originally Posted by fflint

You keep making these kinds of dumb statements about places six thousand miles away, and American people here keep informing you why your idea to merge cities with all their suburbs is objectively a bad one--but it never seems to get through your thick skull.

Uh, I lived in LA dude! I think I know a thing or two about the place.

Besides, you must be confusing me with someone else, because I don't recall I have ever advocated merging US cities with all their suburbs. But LA is a specific cases, with lots of independent holes in the middle of the city map which make no sense whatsoever (not to mention non-incorporated neighborhoods right in the middle of the city).

[Crawford]

Originally Posted by New Brisavoine

Merge the City of LA with LA County. Problem solved.

Ideally, Orange County should also be merged with LA County.

This idea has zero chance of ever occurring.

It makes as much sense as saying "Merge France with Germany, problem solved". It's a political and logistic impossibility; a complete non-starter for all parties involved.

[Leo the Dog]

Originally Posted by New Brisavoine

Uh, I lived in LA dude! I think I know a thing or two about the place.

Besides, you must be confusing me with someone else, because I don't recall I have ever advocated merging US cities with all their suburbs. But LA is a specific cases, with lots of independent holes in the middle of the city map which make no sense whatsoever (not to mention non-incorporated neighborhoods right in the middle of the city).

It's difficult enough trying to convince Angelenos that San Pedro and the Valley are the same city.

[New Brisavoine]

Originally Posted by Crawford

This idea has zero chance of ever occurring.

It makes as much sense as saying "Merge France with Germany, problem solved". It's a political and logistic impossibility; a complete non-starter for all parties involved.

Canada did it. For example in Toronto. And comparing municipal/county mergers with nation-state mergers is ridiculous.

[ardecila]

So did Indianapolis and Louisville, so there is precedent.

[Buckeye Native 001]

But Indianapolis/Marion County and Louisville/Jefferson County dont have populations of 3.9 million city/10 million county. Point being the populations are simply too big in the city and county of L.A., with too many cities/regions/economic disparities to believe that a merger is a good idea.

And that's not even taking into consideration the lawsuits that would ensue from other municipalities within L.A. County.

[Crawford]

Originally Posted by New Brisavoine

Canada did it. For example in Toronto. And comparing municipal/county mergers with nation-state mergers is ridiculous.

Why would Canadian annexation laws have any relevance to prospects for U.S. annexation?

If you really lived in Orange County area, you would know that merging with LA is about as realistic as merging with Pluto.

[Altauria]

L.A. merged with The Valley (well, annexed...). I'm not so sure that's evidence of success.

[fflint]

Originally Posted by New Brisavoine

Uh, I lived in LA dude! I think I know a thing or two about the place.

And? Are you claiming special knowledge of the Los Angeles area that somehow supports your conclusion we should merge LA city with LA and Orange counties--special knowledge which you arrived at merely by living there?

Newsflash: I too lived in LA. My partner was born and raised there. I have tons of family there and visit several times a year. What "thing or two" do you "think you know" about the place that makes the dissolution of the city of Los Angeles and the merging of LA and Orange counties--a single political entity with some 14,000,000 people in over 5,000 square miles--even remotely reasonable?

Your idea is bad, and you should feel bad.

[dennis1]

LA's mayor is rather cool