Hey Brent! You'd better define just what the hell you mean by "south central California".
This state went to hell in a handbasket when some morons decided to redraw legislative districts based upon freeking population, and then kicked it down a few more levels by being misguided into voting for term limits which are too short.
The Valley and other rural areas used to be on par, power-wise, with the urban centers before population-based districts came into being, and the rural areas kept the perfect balance for the rest of the state. Term limits are not a bad thing, but having too short a term limitation means we now have a bunch of amateurs trying to run the damn place, with lobbyists like Comrade Richie Ross running things. Just about the time a legislator gets enough experience, he/she/it has to move on. I never minded "experts" from either party. As a republican, I'll take an Unruh or a Howard Way any day over these term limited idiots that are afraid to make decisions that keep them from being elected to ever higher offices.
Entrenched power and pork barrel projects are not necessarily bad within a state (federal's another thing). Freeways, dams, canals, UC campuses, etc.--these were things that made us proud!
Screw the damn fairy shrimp!