California Registration Fee

So you prefer living in a van down by the river to living in California. Go you. I would have responded sooner but a rabid homeless person who was on fire from a wildfire snuck-up on me during a rolling black-out

 

Katy Perry - California Gurls

This is why we love our state!
I am here busy looking at all the gorgeous California Gurls in skimpy outfits all year long.
It’s like an international buffet of eye candy out here.

 

This is the part that made me decide not to go this route. I felt the interpretive nature of the statute left it open for problems. I didn’t want to end up paying back fees if someone decided they just didn’t like what I was doing.

 

Kids. Not my first but California Jam. Ontario Motor Speedway. Just being there got you a contact high.

 

I have a few things I would like to do.
Not have to comply with regulations that make my AR difficult to use and make me worry about it’s legality to the point I rarely use it.
Be able to buy standard capacity magazines
Be able to build a suppressed firearm
Use some tannerite
Be able to plate my desert bike and use it as a dual sport
Be able to ride any of our red sticker vehicles year round
Be able to carry without a permit
Be able to use the many off road trails where stickered vehicles are banned.
Be able to use engine parts that are not CARB compliant.
There are many other things too, but that’s a starter.
I’ll miss the beach and In N Out. The weather is great, but I won’t miss the heavy regulation or taxation. I’d be fine with the taxes if I felt they were used responsibly, but we’re pretty far from that.
Growing up here in the 70s and 80s was the best. I wouldn’t trade it for anything, but I want less population density, less regulation, and less nonsense now.

 

Left out being able to buy a case of ammo.

 

Good job using your words, everyone.

 

I’m glad you mentioned that. I went to Cal Jam 2, it was my first concert and I was 12. I still have the vehicle pass from it, I took it out the other day to make a frame for it.

My Dad was a Program Director for County Health and he could get passes to pretty much anything. Went to both Us Festivals too and had a great time.
I miss Ontario Motor Speedway, I went to lots of races there.
Later that year, we were in SF visiting relatives and I got to see Tom Petty at Winterland. It was a lot of fun, but I didn’t truly appreciate the experience until later in life. For those who are not familiar, anybody who who is anyone in music played the Winterland Ballroom. It closed not long after I got to go.

Like I mentioned above, growing up here in the 70s and 80s was golden.
To quote Eddie Money:
I wanna go back
And do it all over
But I can’t go back
I know

 

I know, I left out lots of things. I would feel differently if the state didn’t seem to hate most of the things I like.

 

Sounds good, thanks. I don't want any of those things.

 

If thats the case, please stay Woke in California, and stay there.

 

And this is just another reason why I am getting the F*^@ out of California and moving to Idaho... Getting ripped off and nobody is doing anything about it. They just keep raising taxes without a peoples vote.

 

Where in Idaho?

 

Middleton just outside of Boise. It's a lot like Livermore was 15 years ago. My registration will only be $36

 

Plan too, thanks. California has been very good to me. I think everyone should live where they want. We have a great Country that way!

Edit: I am considering sharing my time with Hawaii.

 

I think you make a good point and, in fact, hit it on the head. It’s easy to give away what others care about but isn’t of interest to you, right? Interestingly, it’s all fun and games until what’s on the chopping block is something you value; then there’s a problem.
I wasn’t suggesting things you might like or care about, rather, I expressed there were some things I enjoy that CA works hard to suppress, criminalize, and eliminate.
As I’m sure you are aware, CA has lots of diverse interests and issues. A number of those are things I am not interested in either, but I support an individual’s ability or right to enjoy them. I guess I feel it’s important for people to enjoy their hobby, interest, or pursue an area of individual exercise of a right. You might consider it the pursuit of happiness. That used to be important in and of itself.
Who knows, maybe it’s because I’m kind of old school and think our individual differences and interests make us interesting; make us Americans. We do our own thing and reap the rewards and, on occasion, can suffer some consequences.
My point is while this is a beautiful place to live, the governance is suppressive and the demand to conform to a narrow point of view gets old.

 

Yeah I just paddle out and play with the sharks.

 

Good thoughts. I think the “rub” occurs when my vision of what should (and shouldn't) be allowed is different from someone else. For example, I have talked to anarchists that I do not agree with as he is against stop lights at intersections, for example. I am not. I think we should have stop lights at intersections when we drive. His belief is that it infringes on him and he should not have to stop at stop lights. How do we come together on (or address) those instances? Is there a compromise? Should I give in and rally to remove stop lights or should I rally to override his desire? It is a silly example, but made to illustrate what I see as a "rub".

Another thought I have lived by whole life (although lately questioning its value) is that I am personally responsibly for those things around me that affect me. It is my responsibility to be involved in change. To be honest, as I get older, I question this approach more. On the other hand, it has served me well.

 

Idaho is full. Try Montana or Wyoming.

 

I see your point, and agree it is a logical response. I suppose the question can become difficult because there are so many variations and levels of risk that, of course, there is no one response that fits every situation.

Generally speaking, my philosophy is to let others be. If someone wants my input or my help, I'm more than happy to give it and I'll go out of my way to help another. However if someone wants to do something in a way I feel is wrong for whatever reason and that's the way they want it, then that's fine with me. Of course, this isn't an absolute; nothing in life is. If someone was putting themselves in grave danger and didn't seem to understand what they were doing, I would intervene. If they did not want my help and insisted on doing it anyway, well, we all make choices. I don't believe in nanny tactics.

Here is an example. Several times while visiting Mammoth in late Fall I have come upon people venturing out on the ice at Twin Lakes. These people always have been tourists who just hopped off a bus for some reason. That's dangerous and pretty stupid. I called out to a guy that he shouldn't be on the ice, it's thin, the water was over his head, and if he went in, no one would be able to save him. He was less than 50 feet from open water. He didn't care and went on his way. His choice, and not my business. I'm not going to call someone over it nor do I think the lake loop ought to be closed because people make poor decisions.

Another example are the numerous people I have seen in the spillway on top of Vernal Falls in Yosemite. It's posted, and part of it is fenced, yet they come and stand in rushing water on a slick spillway just yards from a 460 foot fall to their death. I have said something in the past, but people rarely ever listen. One person was so close, It made me feel sick because I though I was going to see this person go over. Again, it's their business. The information is there, the conclusions are not hard to draw, they are making a choice. The only time I would think of intervening is with a child or a person I thought was cognitively delayed. Again, that's the nature of nothing being absolute.

The thing is, lots of people today want to impose their will or preferences upon others. This is what I really dislike about politics and governance. There is little respect for minority (not ethnic, but smaller group) opinions and a demand for hive-like compliance to a position. The Constitution was originally written with the idea of giving protection and equality to minority voices. It's one of the reasons we have a bicameral legislature. What we, in fact, have is tribal standoffs and class warfare. I like solutions where we both win. However, what we most often see are drives toward solutions where not only is the win for one side or the other, but each side wants to destroy the other. It's really just a rehash of the oldest method of propaganda; demonize the other side and create the idea we are here to save you. This is done with buzz words, phrases, appeals to ego, and relentless repetition. Everyone does it. It's easy to sell "common sense...", "public safety...", "environmental protection...", or rights, especially to those with no direct stake in something or even a base of working knowledge in that area. "You are with us, or you are against us..." is the point of leverage. Tribalism. Fear-based decision making. If you don't go along there's plenty of public criticism or the threat of being primaried, if you are elected. There is no room for a dissenting voice.

Lots of things I don't care about come up on propositions or in other areas. Smoking or vaping. I don't think there is anything redeeming about either, but I am not going to vote to curtail or tax either. There are already laws in place that regulate the crap out of it. Alcohol, same story. I don't have a dog in this fight and I am not interested in pushing my preferences on others. We are all adults and we make informed decisions. If you like smoking, smoke up. We all know the possible consequences. I like rock climbing, I understand I could fall. I believe in personal responsibility. If I want to do something, I learn about it, get training if necessary, and work to become proficient and safe at it. I don't want my interests superseded by someone (and almost assuredly someone who doesn't know anything about it but just doesn't like the look of it), who is going to make a decision for me because they are convinced they know better.
When I ride my streetbike to work, I can almost guarantee some hand-wringing ninny will comment, "Those are so dangerous, you shouldn't ride it, and I just wish "they" would make them illegal. I just ask them to mind their own business. I understand the risks and I have ridden for 47 years, held a license for 40, and have raced motocross, desert, sport bikes, and a little drag racing. Yet, someone always wants to butt in because they think its too dangerous, or I don't understand what could happen.

Guns was one of the areas I mentioned that I wish California would stay out of, which is not an interest to you. I have a colleague who has "opinions" on firearms and thought, at one time, he knew all there was on the subject. As it turned out, he really knew nothing. He thought the gun culture was the wild west, automatic weapons were everywhere, and there were virtually no laws. Well, at least that's what he was told by others who had no skin in the game or any practical experience. He thinks they should all be illegal for the average person because we aren't smart enough, can't properly handle such things, guns cause people to kill each other, there are accidents because they can just go off, and there really isn't a "right" in this area like people think. I'm being a little hyperbolic here, but just a little. As it turns out, my colleague understood almost nothing about the vast sea of regulations for firearms, how they actually operate, the history of ownership, the Constitutional right factor, or anything else. He simply repeated what other, equally uninformed people who just don't like firearms told him. I took him to a range to shoot once. while guns still make him a bit nervous, they aren't what he thought. I hope he thinks a bit more critically on this issues now.

You can claim just about anything is a public safety, crime, or common sense issue. Buzzwords. in the end, it will all be okay if we just give up a little freedom, just a smidge of rights, something we love or have a deep history with, you know, for the common good. "They" would never ask us to give up the whole thing. Just give a little. Incrementally, we find our freedoms disappear. Bit by bit we have to be evermore careful of what we say, do, own, post, or go. Be on the lookout for that group or this, they are insurrectionist, or anarchists, authoritarians, or from some "hate" group. A world based on fear. Decisions made because we're afraid and not giving careful and deeper though to the matter.

I read somewhere you can put black ants and red ants in a jar and they will coexist. However, if you shake up the jar and dump them on the ground, they will fight to the death. Who is shaking up our jar and why?