[fintstone]

I don't understand why people keep posting photos of scenery as if anyone claimed that California did not have beautiful forests or in a few places or some pretty mountains or beaches one could view off in the distance. No one I know of has ever claimed otherwise...or that the climate was not pretty nice in much of the state. That has nothing to do with the current problems of taxes, crime, homelessness or having to give up a lot of the freedoms one might enjoy elsewhere. There was a "free speech" rally in FS just yesterday where the peaceful protestors tried to speak against censorship by twitter) and were attacked and sent to the hospital by a violent mob. The poor black guy who organized the event was attacked and his teeth knocked out. It happens over and over and the police do not protect them. Whether you believe in free speech or not. CA was always seen as a place where you could peacefully express your views. There are blackouts and massive fires. While you can say that some of this same crap happens in other places too...it is just not a reality for most Americans. Maybe you folks that live there are just hardened by it...or are in denial. This is what people from the outside see when they see California. For example, When I lived in CA, I thought SF was pretty cool. this is what SF looks like to me now: