> It was only the ones that voted themselves infinite wealth and got it,
It was also the ones who spent generations pressuring their govs for ever restrictive zoning laws, wanting to freeze their neighborhood in time by tanking new builds. This is very much pulling up the ladder behind them.
I've seen your observation be confirmed in other places besides California sometimes, so I think it's 100% a problem, I just don't know much about it or how widespread it is across the country.
There's probably 1000 other cuts that things are dying from which all add up.
If this is the biggest problem holding back the prosperity locally where development was already difficult, there's probably something equivalent in the rural communities where it's not so crowded.
When opportunity all recedes at once nationwide, it's got to be due to the sucking sound coming from Washington more than any one local area I would think :)
I've never seen that in action but it seems as corrupt and unfair as lots of other things that contributed to the snowballing lack of future opportunity in different ways. Very much pulling up the ladder like you have seen first hand, however the well-connected ones could pull it off they were getting it while the getting was good. With very limited oportunities to get on the gravy train as always, the remaining younger boomers never had a chance :(
In places like Texas and Florida it seems like development never stops for anything.
> It was only the ones that voted themselves infinite wealth and got it,
It was also the ones who spent generations pressuring their govs for ever restrictive zoning laws, wanting to freeze their neighborhood in time by tanking new builds. This is very much pulling up the ladder behind them.