Then I thought about how the Bay area has been collecting compost for years, but New Jersey does not. Nor does New York State, except for New York City. Also, you are more likely to see "Black Lives Matter" signs in California than in New York.
What can you surmise from these observations? That California is home to more Latinos? (It is. Latinos represent 40 percent of the state's population, as opposed to half that percentage in New York.) That California is more socially liberal? (Some indicators say so, such as the liberal values of Hollywood and Silicon Valley compared to Wall Street.) That California is ecologically aware than New York? (Not so. New York has reduced fossil fuel emissions and manages energy more efficiently.) That California is more confrontational toward the federal government? (That's a toss up, as both ends of the country proactively legislate against the federal government on issues such as immigration, education, justice, and environment.) That California's priorities are simply different? (Yes. California has more farm workers, hence its quest to protect them; the financial sector driving New York looks more toward efficiencies and profit.) Say what you want, but you've got to admit: California and New York, liberal though both be, are vastly different.
