12/26/2023
I was born in Van Nuys in 1970 and lived in Sylmar until 1993. I have been back to SoCal several times over the years and it has only gotten dirtier, more violent , more crowded, less business friendly, and the worst ROI of any state today with the exception of lower NY. I was that Blonde hair white boy from the Val that would ditch school and hit Zuma, or Malibu, or SM and go surfing. Would spend Sat afternoon at the Mall then hit the clubs or Movies. Hang out at Tommie's or In&Out with friends, not anymore. Every sidewalk (in the Valley, not just Skid row or Hollywood) has Tents, tarps, and or broken down mobile homes blocking every under or over pass of the 405, 5, 118, 210, 101, 170. I went in July of 2020 and the sidewalk along foothill blvd I use to walk to work in the late 80s I could not walk it now because every inch is blocked with shanties, trash, junk, and people. In 2012 I took my then 8 yr old daughter to LA on a business trip and while I walked her along Hollywood Blvd to see the stars, it was pungent in Urine, Crap, and W**d, Drug stuff like needles and tin foil and Bic lighters were all over the ground, and my child was exposed to a woman who lifted her skirt, squat and defected and urinated right at the corner of Gower and Hollywood in the middle of a Sat. Afternoon . I have not see San Fran since I was 10 in 1980 but I have heard from ppl it is worse. I am so glad that I left LA after the 92 Riots. My life is far better than it would have ever been if I had stayed. In Ca today you get .15 cents back for every $1 you put in.