Decrepit citizen experience in this poor state. Visited local DMV with my daughter yesterday. Long lines, convoluted processes, web registration access that is outdated at best (and sometimes doesn’t function), filthy bathrooms, crowded and uncomfortable facility. It feels almost inhumane by comparison with much of the rest of life here. Just a few minutes down the road is central San Jose; 10 more and you’re in Palo Alto or Mountain View. These places are home to our tech giants — Google, Intel, FaceBook, Cisco, Oracle and more; as well as numerous smaller tech leaders and innovators. The companies provide pretty cushy settings for those who work there. Why can’t we broker some arrangement for tech leaders (and other wealthy companies) to work with the state: IT plumbing, human services, education. Maybe loans of people, assistance with resources. Ultimately, it will affect how livable the state is for everyone who works for them here, and a certain portion of these companies’ identities is due to their being based here. But unless this changes, California will not be perceived as a tech leader, more like a 2nd-world outpost, less livable than other places here in the US or worldwide.
