[homebucket]

I think most of the people have hit the nail on the head in this thread. I'm fortunate to have a high enough income and savings to have purchased multiple properties in and around the Bay Area. For folks like me, and there are plenty, the California "dream" is still alive. We live in one of the greatest places on Earth, and are able to afford it comfortably.

The main concern obviously is for the lower, and even middle classes. Our service workers and other working class types. It's increasingly difficult for them to live a sustainable lifestyle here, and eventually it's going to hurt everyone. What will happen when no one is around to prepare our $20 avocado toast and $10 third wave lattes? Or fight our fires, repair down power lines, fix our roads, build our housing, etc. Not everything can be automated and I'd rather not be served my coffee by a robot. And we need more housing, period. I think most Californians are aware of these issues. We just need to figure out the best way to get it done.

Btw, it's a myth that the fires barely affect people. I read that the smoke from the Sonoma County fires that has spread to the central Bay Area causes the equivalent lung damage of smoking a cigarette every day for a whole year. And that's on top of people whose homes aren't lost, or had power cut, resulting in spoiled food, medications, and exacerbated medical conditions.