On the Other Hand . . .

Once upon a time there was a golden land called California. This place was a fairy tale of natural beauty and great bounty and boundless optimism. And then came riot, earthquake and many fires, then drought broken only by floods, then a deep, demoralizing recession. Then came, finally, pessimists to spread gloom across the landscape like so many weeds.

Today, even as the broken cities rebuild and as most economic indicators point upward, polls find that a general gloom prevails in California. Once established, pessimism is tough to root out. What follows is an attempt to suggest another outlook. The premise is that, in almost all of California’s much-lamented difficulties, reasons for optimism can be found. It’s simply a matter of wanting to see them.

Consider:

* Public schools. Yes, in almost every category--from spending to reading scores--California ranks among the lowest of the nation’s low. What these numbers do not reflect is the extraordinary demands placed on the K-12 schools. They have become in some cases surrogate families, in others assimilation factories. The miracle is the amount of learning that does get done. One thing pessimists rarely mention is the comparatively high percentage of California students who qualify for college. Somebody’s doing something right.

* Immigrants. Haven’t they brought us to the brink? Well, the other day a prominent CEO was making the case, quite persuasively, to California business leaders that the immigrant surge is perhaps the most fortuitous “plague” ever. Immigrants fill jobs in agriculture, tourism, the service industry--the leaders of the new California economic parade. They also give California a leg up as the fancy talk about the shrinking globe and emerging Pacific Rim becomes more and more real.

* Ah, but the backlash. Prop. 187. The border militarization. Well, this is only a hunch, but it seems possible that, when the long history is written, the most significant outcome of the otherwise shameful crusade against undocumented workers will be its impact on labor conditions in farms and factories. By closing the border, California has cracked open the door for the UFW, for textile workers, janitors and others interested in reorganizing economic life from the bottom up. Anything wrong with that?

* Outward migration. The alarming reports come every year, as reliably as feature stories on San Juan Capistrano swallows: More “Americans” are moving out of California than moving in. Gasp. So what? Prior to this “exodus,” everybody agreed that California’s most pressing problem was what? The population boom. One sure way to correct overpopulation is to depopulate a bit. Enough Californians depart for Utah, freeway commuting becomes almost bearable.

* Water. It’s true: Despite proclamations of peace in the water wars, farmers, environmentalists and cities remain locked in combat. All they can agree on is that there never will be enough water to go around. And yet, over the last decade, the state survived the longest siege of drought since records were kept. No one died of thirst. No town dried to dust and blew away. If the past drought didn’t kill California, no drought will.

* Earthquakes: Rebuilding. Many economists maintain that the reconstruction necessitated by the Northridge quake is what finally set the Southern California economy back on its feet.

* Military cutbacks. Alas, bases have closed, and there’s not as much work for missile-makers. This, remember, is because America won the Cold War. Does peace run counter to the long-term interest of Californians? If so, as the preachers say, God help us.

* Real estate. Prices remain stagnant, especially in Los Angeles. No longer do dinner party guests prattle on about how much the value of their house has increased. On the other hand, no longer do dinner party guests prattle on about how much the value of their houses has increased. Some actually now regard their homes, not as an investment, but as places to live. Who knows what good might come of such radical thinking?

* Racial tension. Since the riot, folks just haven’t been getting along. Californians are engaged in hard, heated and vital discussions about a delicate issue more easily ignored. The sooner it gets hashed out, the better. Why not start now?

* Crime. Statistics indicate it’s down. The fear level suggests it’s rampant--either that, or people are watching too much television news. There are signs, at least, that many Californians finally have come to recognize this is a demon that won’t be outrun, that must be fought. The debate now is over methodology, not need. Again, a positive development, for those inclined toward optimism.

As for the pessimists, they no doubt can draw up lists of their own. To these people, there are no happy endings. A frog will always be but a frog, not worth risking a kiss on. May they live grumpily ever after.