When I was growing up here on the East Coast, California had this other-worldly, progressive reputation. Political and social trends always seemed to start there and work its way back east. However, at some point in the late 1990s that started to change. That doesn’t mean California isn’t still a magnificently beautiful state, but it seems to me the Golden State has lost some of its luster.
In 1995 California was the first state to enact a statewide smoking ban. Much of the rest of the nation followed; it took Massachusetts nearly a decade to catch up (banning smoking in 2004). In 1996 California again made news when it legalized marijuana for “medicinal purposes”. Depending on your opinion – this was either a sensible progressive policy or not, but since then it seems as if California has been behind the curve rarely leading the nation.
Health & Nutrition: NYC Mayor Bloomberg’s attempts to limit the size of large sugary drinks seems more like something health conscious California would conceive. Also, Massachusetts universal healthcare law in 2006 which became the blueprint for Obama’s national healthcare legislation also seems like something Californians would have implemented. There have been attempts like the failed Prop 37 initiative in 2012 to label genetically modified foods, but like other efforts in the state in recent years, it fell short.
Civil Rights: California has the largest gay population of any state yet, they were unable to legalize / recognize same sex marriage and suffered a humiliating defeat in 2008 with Proposition 8. By contrast Massachusetts became the first state to recognize same sex marriage in 2004 (despite a hostile Governor – Mitt Romney who vowed to retain “traditional marriage”). Since 2004 eight other states and Washington D.C. have all legalized same sex marriage.
Cities: Perhaps the greatest change I’ve noticed since the mid to late 1990s between California and other parts of the country is how dirty the larger cities (in particular L.A. and S.F.) have become. Once upon a time, it was the older cities like NYC, Boston, Chicago, etc… that seemed to have a permanent smell of urine and litter on every corner, but that has changed. My post from last year San Francisco’s dirty secret sort of says it all.
California is still an amazing state blessed with some of the most beautiful coastline and spectacular towns and cities, but I can’t help but feel like the state has lost it’s mojo. What do you think?
BosGuy 