The kissing cousins of the affordability crises

September 1, 2026

Andy Caldwell

OPINION by ANDY CALDWELL

There is no denying the fact that the affordability crisis is real. Our housing costs are beyond the reach of most citizens, especially young adults, and food, fuel, electricity, and even water, are more expensive than in other states too. However, if capitalism was the cause of the affordability crises, as young people have been led to believe, then why does it cost two to three times more to live in California than the rest of the country?

Things cost more in California because government costs more here, and government costs more in California because government has served to create artificial shortages rather than abundance. This all started in Jerry Brown’s first term when he coined the phrase “less is more.”

The cost of gasoline, for instance, is now nearly double that in other states because our government has made it nearly impossible to drill for oil and produce affordable gasoline. Additionally, of course, we went all in with solar and wind, which costs more and delivers less power per dollar spent. These higher costs for fuel and electricity increase the cost of everything else.

Housing is more expensive here because most land in Santa Barbara County, some 90%, is off limits to development.

That, plus the regulations, especially CEQA and various zoning machinations developers must go through, is extremely expensive and time-consuming and these costs are passed onto home buyers and renters. For instance, the homes in the Richards Ranch project in Orcutt will cost $100,000 more per unit, or more, than originally estimated, because of Machiavellian delays in getting the project approved and contrived water shortages by way of government fiat.

Younger voters, who have never been taught economics, are nonetheless, being led to believe the affordability crises is a function of capitalism. The truth remains, however, that unhindered capitalism, due to competition, ultimately serves to drive prices down, as competing businesses compete for consumer dollars while creating abundance.

Unfortunately, I can hardly remember when our state government wasn’t burdening business owners and entrepreneurs in a myriad of ways.

For instance, most consumers don’t know the significance of the cost of litigation against businesses in this state. That is, California has been ranked as the number one judicial hell hole in America more times than I can count.

What does that mean? Businesses in California have a target on their back, thanks to our legislature and their creation known as PAGA lawsuits, which set up businesses to be sued by predatory lawyers for any number of minor violations of various laws.

Nonetheless, younger voters have been led to believe that socialism will result in a better economy, but little do they know that socialism relies on even more government control of our economy, not less.

Absolute government control of an economy, despite the promises of free stuff, always makes things worse by increasing shortages everywhere it has been tried, as the demand for free stuff always outstrips the supply, while robbing producers of incentives.

That, plus there is no such thing as free stuff or equal outcomes for one and all. Generations X, Y and Z missed that lesson as they were all lining up for their participation trophies. Lost on them is P.J. O’Rourke’s observation, “If you think things are expensive now, wait till they are free.”

Even in countries that embrace a socialist-lite type approach to services, such as Canada’s universal healthcare, the wait to see a general practitioner can range from a few days, if you already have a regular family doctor, to several months or even years if you need a new one. The median wait time for Canadian patients from a general practitioner referral to a specialist is seven months! That long of a wait is a death sentence for some patients under the guise of  “universal health care.”

Of course, we already live with socialist-type policies, even though the Democratic Socialists of America are a somewhat late arrival. That is because woke democrats and members of the DSA are kissing cousins.

For instance, for decades, progressives have sought to undermine the Constitution in any number of ways. The Nick Shirley Act, for example, will punish any member of the press who outs a politician on corruption.

Freedom of the press? Not in California. The DSA, for its part, wants to do away with the Constitution altogether as they have no patience for nibbling around the edges of our unalienable rights.

The progressives have used various greenhouse gas mandates to eliminate industry in our state, while the DSA wants to take over control of industry outright.

The latest example of California’s stupid and expensive policies has to do with car tires.  California is going to eliminate 70% of the tires on the market because they don’t roll “efficiently.”

The DSA, on the other hand, states, “It is time for a new revolution, a revolution against an institution that enslaves Americans — a revolution against cars. Americans have developed Stockholm Syndrome when it comes to cars and turn a blind eye to the pain and suffering they cause. It is time for Americans to mobilize against the car-centric infrastructure and institutions that our society has created.”

Unfortunately, the people complaining the loudest about capitalism will probably never avail themselves of the opportunity to have a talk with any number of people who risked everything to come to America after they escaped the brutal reality of socialism. It has long been said that we don’t need fences to keep people in our country, but other countries certainly do.

Andy Caldwell is the executive director of COLAB in Santa Barbara County and host of The Andy Caldwell Radio Show, weekdays from 3-5 p.m. on  FM 98.5, FM 99.5, AM 1240, AM 1290 and FM 96.9.