California has a lot of taxes and there will be more to come! the governor wants to put taxes onto services too. So, if you see lawyer you get taxed for that, if you get your haircut, a massage therapist, all adult movie downloads (That you pay for), etc.
LA is pretty bad when it comes to roads. Not as bad as New York! But still, if you were to head down south to San Diego, I think you would find things are a bit better. Las Vegas should be pretty bad too, especially right in the down-town area.
Shay, you are currently experiencing some of the weirdest weather you will ever see in Southern California. Although, if you are from anywhere else, it might seem mild. Yesterday there were flash floods, tornadoes (VERY rare here!!!), snow, sun, hail and rain all within about 100 miles.