California has a veneer of progressive politics.

The California government does just enough to not upset Californians who are detached from reality and satiate Californians that have money and hate the former.

Tax surplus from weed sales? Refund instead of address homelessness in any meaningful way. Build a homeless shelter? Vocal voters say no, so we won’t. You can’t afford to take your car to a shop? You can’t work on your car in your driveway because we love the GDP environment.