One year ago, Congress defunded public media. Now that we're 100% community funded, please become a sustaining member or increase your existing membership today.
This is an archival story that predates current editorial management.
This archival content was written, edited, and published prior to LAist's acquisition by its current owner, Southern California Public Radio ("SCPR"). Content, such as language choice and subject matter, in archival articles therefore may not align with SCPR's current editorial standards. To learn more about those standards and why we make this distinction, please click here.
Life in California is Kinda Meh, According to Poll
A Nov. 2010 street art take on the California state flag (Photo by Lord Jim via the LAist Featured Photos pool on Flickr)
We're broke at home and in the government's coffers, and we're either on fire or sliding down our muddy hillsides. Surf's up...and so is immigration. All in all, life in California is...kinda so-so. Only 39 per cent of people say that the great state of California is still pretty great, and rank it "one of the best places to live," reports the San Francisco Chronicle. The figure comes from a joint UC Berkeley and Field Poll that aims to explore the perceived "Quality of Life" in the Golden State.
The poll, which was conducted via a "a telephone survey of 898 registered voters in February," shows that the golden days of the Golden State are over for now. In fact, those surveyed ranked life in Cali "at its lowest mark in almost 20 years." (That apex came in 1985, when, in the midst of the bountiful "me" decade, 78 per cent of Californians surveyed, were--like, ohmigod, okay!--totally enthused about living here.
Experts analyzing the poll results say that our economic downturn plays a large part in determining how we feel about living here. They also cite the myth-reality tension between perception and actuality when it comes to life in the state.
Other feedback from the poll includes whether immigration had an impact on residents' quality of life. 47 per cent said "immigration had no real impact [...] 39 percent said it lowered their quality of life, while 10 percent said immigration made life here better."
One year ago, Congress voted to defund public media, eliminating a critical $1.7 million from our budget every year going forward. But they couldn’t silence us, and we’re not going anywhere. LAist is now 100% community funded and that means we’re taking our future into our own hands and turning to you to keep local reporting strong.
You come to LAist because you want independent reporting and trustworthy local information. Our nonprofit newsroom doesn’t answer to shareholders looking to turn a profit. Instead, we answer to you and our communities. We are free to follow facts wherever they lead and to hold power to account without fear or favor. Our only loyalty is to our readers and listeners and our mission: to inform, engage, and strengthen Southern California’s communities.
If this story helped you, please become a monthly member today to help sustain this mission. It just takes 1 minute to donate below.
You come to LAist because you want independent reporting and trustworthy local information. Our nonprofit newsroom doesn’t answer to shareholders looking to turn a profit. Instead, we answer to you and our communities. We are free to follow facts wherever they lead and to hold power to account without fear or favor. Our only loyalty is to our readers and listeners and our mission: to inform, engage, and strengthen Southern California’s communities.
If this story helped you, please become a monthly member today to help sustain this mission. It just takes 1 minute to donate below.
Senior Vice President News, Editor in Chief
