Hello Howard from another Howard; I have vague recollections of Monterey County; I attended the Monterey Institute of International Studies in 1965. I still regard it as one of the most treasurable times of my life.

I believe that it is almost a universal expectation in California to have a dynamite retirement. I have known teachers, (I was one myself) firemen, police officers, MD's that worked for the state, and civil servants whose lives in retirement are no different financially in retirement then in their working years.

I left California (being an outdoorsy sort) to come hike, fish, and photograph in Washington State. I gave up a delicious retirement to live here, and I don't regret it at all. But I believe there are millions of Californians who would be loathe to abandon their lolly farm to strike out elsewhere. I believe that those juicy retirements are part of what is injuring the Golden State financially. And I think the attitude now permeates and percolates down to the local levels of government workers. I think that many Californians are fast finding out that there is no horn of plenty; Poor Arnold has hisa work cut out for him. I wish him luck.