Question about moving to PRK

[Art Eatman]

Looking strictly at the money for the moment: The only way a big pay raise is a good thing depends on whether at the end of a year, you have more left in your pocket than before. A $30,000/yr pay raise isn't helpful if the overhead (basic cost of living plus taxes) goes up by $35,000.

The new job's offerings of learning and quality experience count for a lot. In California, a "sundowner" at Cliff House or at Top of the Mark might be important, or a drive down Big Sur or wandering off to Muir Woods or Point Reyes. There's racing at Sears Point and Willow Springs and lots of other venues...Heck, you can explore the California Water System from Oroville Dam to the Tehachapi Pump Station, learning that, "Rain falls upon us, free; water comes expensively."

To some extent, when the political folks have the bits in their teeth and are in "runaway mode", about all one can do is hide and watch. As I've said elsewhere, self defense is a lot more than guns and martial arts. Since this is true anywhere, California can be a pretty good place. (About the only part of California I've not visited is the area around Susanville. Almost went out there with the idea of buying a gunshop, some 25 years back. )

Art

 

[jimpeel]

The rise in CoL and other expenses is not the only consideration. If the raise takes him from one tax bracket to the next, he could be in for a rude surprise come tax time.

Also, if he moves, and finds that he doesn't like the job, he will have to writre the moving expenses back into the next year's tax return if he does not stay in that job for a specified period of time.

Moving expenses may me deducted from your taxes even if you do not itemize.

 

[jnojr]

Last night the wife and I went on a date night. We decided to drive down the coast to Laguna and watch the sun slowly set over the Pacific. We had dinner at a world class sidewalk cafe. We look through the art galleries and shops. As we drove home to our house a block from the beach we could see the sweep of lights up and down the coast.

I forget. Why is it I have a crummy quality of life?

Ask yourself, "Where will I be in twenty years"? That "sweep of lights" up and down the coast will be doubled in size. Millions more people cramming into a limited amount of space that can never support all of them. Already, SoCal cities have an enormous population of homeless, drug addicts, and other criminals that the system cannot support and so has discarded. Their answer is to stick a gun or knife in your face and take what's yours. And our society is increasingly intolerant of your doing anything about it... we're being progressively disarmed while our police are hunkering down due to massively increasing lawsuits.

California cities are going to be pretty ????ty places to live soon. Look at LA. Me, I'll hang out for a while, build up equity, pump up my IRA and savings. There will come a day when I'll sell my condo, practically buy a house somewhere else with cash, and live with a little bit of space between me and my neighbors.

Like I said before, there are a lot of benefits to living here... but those benefits are slowly dwindling in favor of negatives. The tipping point is at different places for different people. I'm not near mine yet. But I believe I will be in a few years, unless there's a massive change in how Californians govern themselves.

 

[jimpeel]

And don't forget that the push is on to condemn Camp Pendelton and that is the only thing in the way of San Diego and Los Angeles hooking up through Orange County. The I-15 corridor is filling up fast as that was the only direction to build. With Pendelton out of the way, Oceanside will build North and San Clemente will build South.

You think the commute is bad now?????

 

[Gewehr98]

I escaped the PRK in '99, after 10 years there.

So El Rojo knows better than to tell me to shut my mouth. I got a CCW there, and I lived in Sacramento. It was only due to a certain Chief of Police in Isleton that some Sacramento County residents got their CCW's, otherwise, you're just plain screwed. So yes, it is a bit disingenuous that he throws that CCW in there, don't automatically expect to get one if you move to the PRK.

Roberti-Roos stank on ice. Then that ill wind called SB23 made me so glad to leave there, especially when the majority of my firearms would have to be registered with the DOJ out there. I'd either end up with a neutered abortioin of a gun like El Rojo's FAB-10, or do like untold numbers have done out there, and gone underground with their non-approved firearms.

I volunteered some duty time to tutor and mentor at local grade schools. Since my second language is German, it didn't help me much when the teachers chided me for not speaking Spanish. I bit my tongue, and said nothing about English being the official language of These United States. And kids who don't want to learn English in grade schools don't have to? Way to go, PRK!

I do miss the Yuba City/Oroville/Grass Valley area, Lake Tahoe, and riding motorcycles on the twisties around Lake Beryessa. Wife #1 was from Roseville. Wife #2 is from Irvine. We're having constant battles about my retiring and relocating back there in her former stomping grounds. I make it a point to remind her that Wife #3 won't have the audacity to suggest such silliness.

I'm glad Ned thinks nobody else contributes if they don't live in the seething mass of humanity that is SoCal. Competition against fellow human beings for advancement and the art of self-promotion is a wonderful thing. I've seen it a lot in used-car salesmen, too. I'm glad to be done with the jockeying and elbowing after 20 years in the military. BTW, If forced to live in close proximity to a population center, you'll know where I am. I'll be the one super-gluing quarters to the sidewalk in front of my place, watching kids break their fingernails.

But there's a certain 20+ acres of standing forest in the Pacific Northwest calling me right now...

 

[The_Antibubba]

Look, it took moving to the PRK to awaken my sense of duty, to actively work for RKBA. For 30K to live in SoCal, your friend should take a pass, though. See if he can negotiate more perks-like an adjustable housing allowance, so he won't have to live in a crack neighborhood on his "raise". It isn't nearly enough money to make the move work.

I do have to disagree with Ned, though. Sorry, Ned, but I've been to LaLa Land, and it is a nice place to visit, but you couldn't pay me enough to live there. I live in Sacramento, a dimension away from LA. I'm close enough to visit San Fran, another city with world-class attractions, and the beach, and just as close to Tahoe and skiiing and gold panning. NorCal really is a different state than SoCal (I hope we can make it legal one day!!).

Have your friend get the real facts about the costs-monetary and otherwise-of California livin'. It truly is a different place to be, and a worthwhile experience-that is if he doesn't get trampled in the process. And 30K more to live in LA-safely and securely-won't do it.

 

[carp killer]

It's not worth it. Houses in SoCal are going up in cost that much or more in one year. And they have been doing that for more than five years in a row.

 

[killermarmot]

I think the only thing he could do is have somone hold on to em and move here and get an FFL then bring em in. Otherwise he could only have them here for competitions

 

[freedomlover]

Thanks again to all for the replies...here's the latest: my friend realized that he would indeed be taking a PAY CUT with his $30K raise and turned the offer down. Says he's still willing to make the move if the $$ is right, though.

This discussion has raised some valid points about the need for good people out there, and believe me I've given the matter considerable thought, especially since I married a California girl.

I've never lived in the PRK but have visited several times, the wife's family lives in the LA area; they think I'm crazy for my unwillingness to even DISCUSS relocating there. "You can make lots more money here!" they say. Gewher98, the story about your conversation with wife #2 hit close to home; had a similar conversation w/my wife and she...well, let's say she "came to an understanding." I made it abundantly clear that a move to the PRK would absolutely not happen.

Seen a good part of the state and yes it's beautiful, yes the weather's great, and yes good liberty-minded people are needed out there to change the current state of affairs; having said all that, you won't find me volunteering for the job. Attempting change in a place that (politically speaking) has already gone to the dogs seems a futile effort. Call me a defeatist all you want, just trying to be realistic.

I hope I'm wrong, but I think the PRK is the sickest patient in the cancer ward. Beyond redemption, IMHO. You PRK residents please go right ahead and prove me wrong; you have my prayers and best wishes, but I think you're fighting a losing battle. I won't be joining you out there, and I won't be encouraging anybody else to, either.

 

[El Rojo]

Oh, and El Rojo... constantly pointing out that you have a CCW is meaningless.

Not entirely. Often people claim that we have the worst gun laws in the country. Not true. There are places here where your common joe can apply for a CCW and receive one. True, not in any of the big time liberal counties, but many of the other counties and cities. So if one were to harp on California about its lack of 2nd Amendment rights, I offer a point that all is not lost. A lot, but not all. So until we know where they are moving, it is hard to make the decision because we don't know the local laws they face or the cost of living.

I re-read the entire thread and noticed most of the critisms came from people who had lived here. Again, I never said they shouldn't make their points made. I think their opinions are the extremely important to any discussion about whether to move to California or not. They have lived here and they now live somewhere else. They can tell you what is worth it and what is not.

I just tire of people making comments about California and all they say is what they have "heard". Most of the time that information is wrong. I understand some might think we are fighting a losing battle here. That is fine, I just hope such a thing doesn't happen. When you have 2 senators and 55 Congressmen/women coming out of this liberal state and they think they know what is best for the rest of the country, that should concern you guys and gals. They think California is the leader in innovation and should be a test-bed for their quacky ideas to make the rest of this country as "great" as we are. If you want to ignore their influence and write those 57 Members of Congress off, that is your right. I just hope ignoring their influence doesn't come back to bite you. I know Feinstein and Boxer had nothing to do with introducing the new AWB in the Senate and killing the lawsuit protection bill. And we know the California economy probably has no effect on the rest of the nation, so who cares if it all falls apart right?

The more good people that leave this state and the less that come in, the more likely Feinstein will never leave office till she dies or runs for Governor. So it isn't all bad here. There are some good places. There are some bad places.

I over-reacted based on this thread. Most people lived here once and there wasn't too many baseless comments. I guess you know I am sensitive when it comes to people just trying to write us off here. I get the feeling that many of our Second Amendment siblings write us off because we live here. Should I just write off the rest of the country because whatever happens out there in the free world won't effect me because I am already in a restrictive state? I don't think so. So don't write us off because we are not a lost cause. We still have conservative areas, we have conservative respresntatives. There are still votes and people you want here to represent you in the federal government. I guess I just ask for a little support and understanding that we are trying our hardest against a stacked deck here. That is all.

 

[Quartus]

I just tire of people making comments about California and all they say is what they have "heard".

Yup.




Oh. For the record, I've got 40 years in the place. More than enough for me.

I think, in general, you find more chances for success here in the LA area than in other places.

Depends how you define success, Ned. Some of us have found the corporate scramble to be less than fulfilling. I'm glad you have a job that affords you the good life in Southern California. It IS nice, and it is there for those who have The Bucks. Live on the coast and you have almost no smog, sounds like your commute is short enough. Not bad at all.

For we commoners, life is different. Try an 85 mile commute (2-3 hours ONE WAY) just so you can afford a house. Or living in the San Berdoo area where people who move in from out of state can go months before they find out there are mountains right there next to them. One day the wind blows or the rain falls enough to clear out the smog, and BANG! "Where did those mountains come from?!?!?!?" It would be funny if it weren't so sad.

Or you could live in some of the better parts of Santa Ana and watch the drive-bys for entertainment.

 

[artherd]

CA is a fantastic and wonderful place. The scenery is breathtaking, the weather idealic, and the economic and social oppertunities are out there in droves.

In many ways, it is the edge of the world.

It is not withought it's downfalls. Too many people, pollution, liberals. But don't all major cities have these problems? Show me how Chicago, Detroit, New York, Reno, etc. are any better? (and they're in ????ty areas. Yes, I've been there.)


No, you can't bring the bushy. It sucks and SB23 needs to be abolished.
But you can't put a Flash Hider on the bushy *anywhere*.
You can bring the Mini-14 with nose-job <sigh>.
And you can have an M1a.
You can even have a .50BMG semi-auto Browning M2HB ! (nope, not an 'assault weapon' per the CA DOJ.)
There is also legal provision for MACHINE GUN ownership in CA. In theroey at least, through a state permit process much like CCW, you can own an M-16 (just don't convert it to semi or you're braking the law )

I hope your friend comes here, gets pissed, and votes for some change. I hope he brings 5,000,000 of his friends.

 

[El Rojo]

This is way off topic.

This is way off topic, but my losing $61 in my 401k today because of the war and interest rates, why not.

Subject: We Must Pull Out - Please read the entire document.

It's time to re-evaluate our involvement!
Every day there are news reports about more deaths. Every night on TV
there are photos of death and destruction.
Why are we still there?
We occupied this land, which we had to take by force, but it causes us
nothing but trouble.
Why are we still there?
Many of our children go there and never come back.
Why are we still there?
Their government is unstable, and they have loopy leadership.
Why are we still there?
Many of their people are uncivilized.
Why are we still there?
The place is subject to natural disasters, of which we are supposed to
bail them out.
Why are we still there?
There are more than 1000 religious sects, which we do not understand.
Why are we still there?
Their folkways, foods and fads are unfathomable to ordinary Americans.
Why are we still there?
We can't even secure the borders.
Why are we still there?
They are billions of dollars in debt and it will cost billions more to
rebuild, which we can't afford.
Why are we still there?
It is becoming clear...






WE MUST PULL OUT OF CALIFORNIA!!

And you really thought I was being off topic.