San Diego County....

[leodem]

As my goal of moving is just about here, I've been looking at a few areas. San Diego was one. I was just wondering to if the conservatism of the county is socially or is it just the amount of wealthy people looking to get the tax cuts?

[Joanne98]

1. I grew up in Imperial Beach

San Diego is socially liberal. I don't know how it turned into a "red state". It must be all the people who want to live off their property values.:)

[Florida_Geek]

2. CHEAP San Diego

During the recent fires, 11 people died that should not have died because of lack of fire fighting equipment and men. LA spends around twice San Diego spends per person on their Fire Department. The cheap labor Repugs in SD expect the State and Feds to provide for them, just not tax them.

[leodem]

3. LOL....

I'm going into Law Enforcement to become a Police Officer and I remember a month ago reading on the Libertarian site that they were pissed the cops were getting a shit load of overtime money and felt they were overpaid. My take on it is rich people feel they don't need a big overpaid police force because they live in a nice area where crime doesn't happen.

As a bisexual cop I can deal with cheapness, just the social conservatism is what I look out for.

Allthought looking at the salaries for a cop in that area, it is still pretty decent compared to the cost of living.

[HawkerHurricane]

4. San Diego Police...

have advantages and disadvantages...

Like the standing commission looking into police shootings: since it was founded in the mid 1980's, they have NEVER said that a single police shooting (police shooting suspect) was unjustified... They always find the police 'doing thier duty', no matter the circumstances.
So, you don't have to worry about shooting anyone; the commission will clear you.

[leodem]

5. I was actually looking into San Diego Sheriff's Department

I'm currently in the process with Broward County, FL and Coral Gables PD. I'm doing very well with Coral Gables PD. My goal was to get out to CA but travelling from coast to coast a few times for the testing is expensive so I thought of trying to go to FL for a couple years and then make my way out there.

I was looking into LA too, Oceanside PD was another department that seemed good also. They all pay great in Southern Cal.. it's just a matter of time before I can get out there.

[Quahog]

6. I lived there for over 25 years

It's nice if you can afford it, and if you are not offended by the kind of homogenous suburban sprawl that SoCal does like no place else in the country, except maybe south Florida. If you're the kind of person who gets their bearings via landmarks, you could easily get lost and confused, as one peach-and-pink-stucco planned community of McMansions and strip malls looks pretty much like the next, and they all have names like "Rancho De La Vista De Las Montanas Bonitas."

Housing prices are among the highest in the country. Heck, everything is expensive there, and pay rates in general do not reflect that proportionally (they call it the "sunshine tax" or "paradise tax," you're supposedly willing to get paid a bit less for the privilege of living in such a nice place). We finally left because my wife and I were both working so hard to make the bills that we spent our lives watching the beautiful weather through our office windows (or our car windows during the torturous commutes on dead-stopped rush hour freeways). Also, the sameness of the weather was actually wearing on us. We wanted snow at Christmas rather than "late night and early morning overcast and fog, burning off late morning, with highs in the upper seventies" (this is the weather report every single freakin day, all year long).

If you have money, there are few nicer places in the country to spend it. The only thing that's a bargain is the abundant, wonderful Mexican food. Go into any taco shop run by illegals, and feast for a pittance. They are in EVERY strip mall. Learn to speak a little Spanish, and they'll cook you stuff that's not on the menu. I really, really miss that.

Politically, it's pretty middle-of-the-road. Because there is a lot of wealth concentrated there (just like Orange County), you're gonna find BFEE-lovin' freeper nut cases, especially if you're hanging with the rich! But there are lots of immigrants, lots of middle class folks working for the rich and hating it, lots of college students (SDSU, UCSD, USD, etc.), lots of beach-dwelling free spirits... it's a pretty good mix.

It depends a lot on where you live, and it's a HUGE county. People in the East County where I grew up (El Cajon, Lakeside, Alpine) think they're living in Oklahoma or something, buncha redneck, Skoal-chewin', Bud-swillin', NASCAR-lovin' rethugs in big-ass pickups with "Jane Fonda: Commie Traitor Bitch" bumper stickers. Go up to North County beach areas like Leucadia, you can hang with millionaire dotcommers and organic neo-hippies, they seem to all wear baggy shorts and sandals and get along OK (hard to tell them apart until you see what they're driving). Go down to Ocean Beach, and spend the rest of your life reliving 1969. Go to San Ysidro, and try to find any evidence that you are not in Tijuana. Go up to Oceanside, be a Marine. Visit Del Mar and hang with Hollywood celebrities (BRING CASH). Visit La Jolla and hang with Middle Eastern oil billionaires (BRING LOTS AND LOTS OF CASH). Buy a half acre out in Dulzura, park a trailer on it, dig a pit toilet, and live like Cousin Eddie in the "Vacation" movies. There are many options.

Just stay the hell out of National City. Trust me.

[KansDem]

7. Thanks for the memories!

I lived in Southern California for 25 years (1954-1979) mostly in the Long Beach area but spent the last seven years in San Diego ('72-'79: SDSU graduate). Thanks for that nostalgic trip! I especially like this comment of yours: "late night and early morning overcast and fog, burning off late morning, with highs in the upper seventies" Many, many days growing up I experienced a sense of melancholy when the overcast and fog would (finally) burn off, and I would think it was late morning. It was depressing to look at the clock at see that it was really 1:30 or 2pm. I felt like half the day disappeared and I had nothing (or done nothing) to show for it.

As for the "legendary" Southern California smog, I've told the following story to some of my Kansas friends and they cannot believe it: During the mid-1960s I often rode around my neighborhood on my bike, on hot summer afternoons particularly, only to be struck with stinging eyes. The smog was terrible then! My eyes would sting so much, that I would have to stop my bike and lie down on someone's front lawn, close my eyes and rub them until the stinging stopped. Then I'd get back on my bike and continue on my way. Say what one will about California, but it has done much to improve this condition since the mid-60s!

As for San Diego, your descriptions are very accurate. Having lived in San Diego (Kensington area), La Mesa, and El Cajon, I saw (experienced) many of the residents you described. :hi: