Exactly Perma, to make a deal it takes two parties acting in good faith. As soon as one party starts acting in bad faith, there is no bargain. We’re a nation rife with knaves to whom a contract, let alone a handshake or one’s word, is meaningless.
Funny thing is I live in Jacksonville now. For a pittance I have an elegant penthouse condo on the river just steps from the Club Continental. I miss my California friends, but I’ll be back after the economic collapse.