San Francisco Bay Area Trip Report I

Flying over Yosemite from Las Vegas…

… we landed in Concord, California, rode on “Transforce” tires, were admonished to “Coexist” with people of different religions, and arrived at a Thai restaurant with an all-gender restroom:

The next day it was time to visit Berkeley, California. A house in my hostess’s neighborhood celebrates RBG, who refused to hire Black law clerks, and Black Lives Matter:

Although everyone I talked to in Berkeley agrees that taxation in California should be higher, there is no “Repeal Proposition 13” sign on the fence of this house worth $2.4 million and taxed at $1.3 million (referenced to its 2006 purchase price). Nor are any of the Californians who said they wanted higher taxes and that they hate generational wealth (unearned!) working to implement a 16 percent state death tax in California to match estate tax rates in Maskachusetts, New York, and other progressive states.

Two yards over, “Free Palestine” (this was a day before Donald Trump attacked the peaceful Iranians so the signs in support of the Islamic Republic hadn’t gone up yet):

Outdoor masking is common and so is wearing an “I’m gay” t-shirt, but it was relatively rare to find an intersection:

Californians love to brag about being rich and also say that housing is a human right, yet are happy to walk by neighbors who live in tents:

Californians also love to brag about their commitment to environmentalism, yet driving old cars that spew pollution is common. (Note that the owner of the 40-year-old Mazda 323, ChatGPT-estimated value of $1,000, was concerned about theft.)

Gasoline is $5/gallon:

Those who’ve converted to electric install tripping hazards on the public sidewalks:

To be continued…