In California wine country, wildfire-fatigued
residents weigh the unthinkable: Moving out
USA Today,
by
Jorge L. Ortiz
Original Article
Posted By: NorthernDog,
9/30/2020 4:52:56 PM
SANTA ROSA, Calif. – Robert Hayden and his wife, Alla, have lived in the Spring Lake Village retirement community of Santa Rosa for 10 years and love its beautiful grounds almost as much as the plethora of interesting people they’ve met there – retired doctors, musicians, pilots, writers and executives. (Snip)The thought of leaving the picturesque wine country, with its abundant top-notch restaurants and pleasant weather, is not typically tempting for those who can afford to live in the area. But the notion may become inevitable for many if the quick-striking wildfires continue to ignite regularly in a region that
Reply 1 - Posted by:
earlybird 9/30/2020 5:22:55 PM (No. 557677)
The climate is largely Mediterranean. That is what makes this state so beautiful in so many ways. As my cousin once said, “Plant it, water it, it will flourish.” Most of us have great soil.
We get through fires, earthquakes and anything else that is thrown at us. Unfortunately, the fires are too often manmade. Arsonists. Or sloppy power main line maintenance. But this time it’s arsonists. We go through dry spells without fires when the arsonists and the other manmade stuff stay away.
If they move, I doubt that they’ll go far. There is no other place quite like this state, and their part is a very beautiful one.
Those in other states really don’t know us. The visitors who come on vacation don’t know us. Those who come here from elsewhere and are used to everything being less expensive (but their heating and disastrous weather event cleanups) just have no idea what and who we are. While friendly Californians pray with them through their disasters, they in turn mock California, call it by rude obscenities and root for us to burn up, fall into the ocean, whatever.
So we will always stay here. It’s really kinder as well as more beautiful...
9 people like this.
Reply 2 - Posted by:
Axeman 9/30/2020 5:30:10 PM (No. 557682)
The fires aren't much of a problem in areas that are logged and cut regularly, or in areas that burn regularly. I've seen this up close as a fire that raged through the canopy of parkland forest turned into a ground brush and low branch fire when it moved into the more developed regions. It could still burn houses down but the fire was able to be fought successfully.
One doesn't need to fear repeated wildfires, one needs to defend against them. I have just removed a large grove of oaks that overhung my roof. I'm still able to climb and limb. We have fire resistant siding and roofing, and a fire resistant deck. No plants growing against the sides of the house and now no trees that can drop burning debris on it. They'll never get me to evacuate again.
On a side note, I saw a jeep that was parked near a house that burned to a husk while the house was barely scorched. Oil and grease were ignited by grass burning beneath the jeep. Something else to think about.
3 people like this.
Reply 3 - Posted by:
obdurate 9/30/2020 5:33:57 PM (No. 557687)
Move if you must, but not to a red state.
13 people like this.
Reply 4 - Posted by:
spacer 9/30/2020 5:35:53 PM (No. 557689)
If you're going to live there, manage the eco system. If you're going to live there, quit letting the eco terrorist make policy. And oh yeah, if you're going to live there quit voting democrat.
14 people like this.
Reply 5 - Posted by:
earlybird 9/30/2020 5:39:51 PM (No. 557698)
Re #3, is that a blanket “you’re not welcome” in all red states (you are their president?)…You seem to disregard the approximately 5 million registered Republicans and 5 million undecideds. Something to think about before you cut out California: If we were an independent country, you’d have huge expenses as your country would lose three major ports. Considering the huge percentages of foodstuffs that are produced in California, the costs and tariffs would be huge.
Those who meanspiritedly toss this stuff off - the drivebys - are too often fact-challenged.
3 people like this.
Reply 6 - Posted by:
Vesicant 9/30/2020 5:53:00 PM (No. 557709)
"It's a Mediterranean climate." Yeah, that's what the Lebanese say about Beirut. Nobody doubts California's meteorological climate; it's the moral climate that matters. And I say that as a California native, born and bred. Remember the old saying that all the fruits and nuts roll into California? Well, they're in charge now.
13 people like this.
Reply 7 - Posted by:
DVC 9/30/2020 6:00:49 PM (No. 557716)
#5, yes you are absolutely right. Out of 40 million Californians, 5 million are registered Republican.
Certainly a bunch of them are the kind of Republicans who LOVE Romney, because it is California, IMO, they shouldn't count. But, even if we assume that 100% of all California Republicans are strong Trump voters, which seems quite a stretch. Let's guess that 50% of the population is registered to vote, so that there are 20 million voters. That means that 3 out of 4 Californian voters that move to a conservative state will be bringing their crazy leftist Dem voting patterns with them. That is a real good bet that California folks will be most of the time voting Dem, even when they move to a different state. I have nothing against Californians, especially Cali Republicans, but I can tell you that a college room mate who was a pretty solid conservative in college, and has lived in San Diego since college, which is a more conservative portion of southern California, is a LOT more liberal now than he was when he was in college. Perhaps some is his wife, raised in SanFran, whatever it is, conservatives swim in leftism in Cali, I I guess it is difficult not to pick up some of it.
I have seen lots of Cali folks ruin Colorado in the last 25 years or so, and the Californicated Seattle so that it is a hell hole of lunatic leftists, too. I don't know about Portland, whether the leftism is home grown or spread from Cali or Seattle, or maybe both. Lots of Calif aerospace workers moved to Lockheed's missile division bought out SD's Convair (space rockets)....not good for Colorado.
10 people like this.
Reply 8 - Posted by:
earlybird 9/30/2020 6:01:06 PM (No. 557717)
When blanket denigration of the morals of a fair percentage of 39 million Americans takes place, really really smart people know that smoke is being blown...
4 people like this.
Reply 9 - Posted by:
coldborezero 9/30/2020 6:36:35 PM (No. 557746)
FTA: "residents weigh the unthinkable". Aye caramba! If they are "weighing" it, wouldn't it stand to reason they are thinking about it?! I know; I'm a grammar Soviet. I believe the word "unthinkable" should be stricken from the English language. End of Rant.
2 people like this.
Reply 10 - Posted by:
JL80863 9/30/2020 6:36:49 PM (No. 557747)
That's fine #1. Please stay where you are.
7 people like this.
Reply 11 - Posted by:
DVC 9/30/2020 6:39:56 PM (No. 557749)
Morals? No, not at all, but voting patterns, yes. And not all folks, just the 3 of 4 who vote Democrat.
Certainly at least 5 million Californians nice folks, probably many more, and their families are likely to be so, too.
3 people like this.
Reply 12 - Posted by:
bad-hair 9/30/2020 6:41:36 PM (No. 557751)
High CO2 levels. The vines will love it.
0 people like this.
Reply 13 - Posted by:
earlybird 9/30/2020 6:50:59 PM (No. 557763)
Re #7, rather than guess, how about working with facts. Also consider the likelihood that those who would really get fed up and leave California would be more apt to be in the minority - the Republicans - so the notion that they’d be contaminating other pure states doesn’t hold water. I can’t speak for Colorado, but I do know that in 1960 Seattle was a raving lunatic Democrat-corrupted cesspool. It was said then to be historically Democrat. We lived there. It is not usually a destination for Californians. It is more apt to attract those from states where there are extreme weather conditions, yet the residents want to live where the seasons change.
Now some facts for you to work with:
2016 Presidential Election Results:
Nominee Hillary Clinton Donald Trump
Party Democratic Republican
Home state New York New York
Running mate Tim Kaine Mike Pence
Electoral vote 55 0
Popular vote 8,753,788 4,483,810
Percentage 61.73% 31.62%
Voter registrations - here is the source. Lots of information. (the 60 day numbers for the 11/3 election have not yet been posted)
https://elections.cdn.sos.ca.gov/ror/123day-gen-2020/historical-reg-stats.pdf
You seemed too classy to do the Californicated thing, but i’ve been wrong before so...
1 person likes this.
Reply 14 - Posted by:
plaids 9/30/2020 6:59:56 PM (No. 557769)
Well since Joe says it's ALL Trumps fault because he doesn't adhere to climate change. Climate change knows borders, very smart!! Usually not so bad in Oregon, not so bad in Washington and somehow ignores British Columbia. Amazing how that works.
5 people like this.
Reply 15 - Posted by:
Vesicant 9/30/2020 7:07:41 PM (No. 557773)
Odd, I thought the smoke blowing around California was from all the wildfires. And that smoke, of course, is degrading the quality of life not just in California but in surrounding states.
2 people like this.
Reply 16 - Posted by:
worried 9/30/2020 8:18:23 PM (No. 557824)
#13, I think you left out some data probably not reflecting the number of illegal voters, and just plain illegals who vote. As we have seen, republicans running for office there are subject to any number of cheating acts. What the public sees is widespread corruption in state government, and we have no desire to have those people move to our states. (Which, by the way, have climates as good as yours but with a decided lack of earthquakes!) We don't want any Californians bringing their high tax attitudes and their phony environmental rules here. We have enough trouble with northerners moving here and trying to change us to accepting their failed ways. You once had a great state, but much of it has fallen into the gutters in the last few years, and the blame for that rests squarely on the voters.
6 people like this.
Reply 17 - Posted by:
DVC 9/30/2020 10:13:50 PM (No. 557877)
OK, 6 out of 10 vote Dem, not 3 out of 4. Thanks for the clarification.
And you may well have a point for those who leave Cali by choice. I know several of these and they chose Arkansas and are very conservative.
And Sierra Bullets moved from the Golden State to Sedalia, MO, about an hour east of here....but they are in a firearms related business, oppressed in California.
I'll certainly listen to your experience in Seattle, I had been told that the computer industry moving to Redmond from California started the leftist move in Seattle area. I guess that was not accurate.
Still, lots of people move from leftist states to western conservative states and continue to vote Dem, and ruin their new home. Come as a friend, be welcome. Come as a foe, and not so much.
3 people like this.
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People love the semi-arid climate but refuse to recognize that is why there are fires. It rains just enough in the winter to spur vegetation growth, and then is bone dry for 6 months. Bingo - you are surrounded by kindling.