California: When You've Lost Gene Simmons...

Powerline Blog ^ | 10/24/2020 | Steven Hayward

[SeekAndFind]

After a certain point it becomes wanton cruelty to keep dunking on California’s slow motion suicide, but some stories are too good to pass unremarked. Today’s Wall Street Journal reports that rocker Gene Simmons is KISS-ing California goodbye and moving to no-income tax Washington state, and in high KISS-my-ass style:

[Simmons] is now putting the property, which they later redeveloped into a sprawling European-style mansion, on the market for $22 million. The reason: They are moving to a 24-acre estate in Washington, near Mount Rainier, to escape the tax burden of living in California, Mr. Simmons said.

“California and Beverly Hills have been treating folks that create jobs badly and the tax rates are unacceptable,” he said. “I work hard and pay my taxes and I don’t want to cry the Beverly Hills blues but enough is enough.”

But California won’t be the same without him. How can such a person be replaced:

Incidentally, if Joe Biden wins and his tax plans are enacted, California’s combined state-federal marginal income tax rate will be 62 percent for high earners—a higher rate than in the days before the Reagan tax cuts of 1981. Back to the future indeed!

[zek157]

I’m not sure which will be worse. Rainer, or Cascadia subduction zone, which according to the geological records (and Japanese tsunami records going back same time frame) has slipped every 2-300 years for the last 2500 years.. Last time was Jan 1700. Rainer has been relatively stable for +2000 yrs.

The left coast will be in serious trouble when Cascadia goes as it will be a +8-9. subduction earthquake that will trap millions in their suburban neighborhoods. Quick sleep under a lahar would be preferred in my guesstimation.

[ridesthemiles]

Gene is alot smarter than many give him credit for.

I salute him for this move.

[SamAdams76]

I've lived in most parts of the country and learned to like each area, regardless of the overall politics. Red areas are not necessarily paradises and blue areas are not necessarily hellholes. Every area of our great nation has its pros and cons and conservatives can pretty much be happy wherever they plant their flag - as we tend to make our own happiness wherever we go.

Over the years, I've lived in Alabama, California (San Diego area and then the Mojave Desert), Iowa, New Hampshire, Massachusetts, Connecticut, South Carolina and Florida.

I plan to retire in the Carolinas or the Southwest but for now I make my home in Southern Connecticut.

[Georgia Girl 2]

I’m pretty sure Simmons is Jewish. He has family in Israel.

[Inspectorette]

I grew up in New England: hot, humid, buggy summers, and cold, wet, looong miserable winters. The spectacular Central Oregon Coast has been my home for 15 years, and I can’t imagine living anywhere else.

[perfect_rovian_storm]

I love it down there as well. I’ve never noticed it being especially buggy. Certainly nothing like upstate NY was when I lived there. You would literally be swarmed the moment you went outside there. Here, there’s an occasional mosquito. I’m in upstate SC, but I’m down in HH fairly often and haven’t really noticed much of a difference in terms of bugs. It’s hotter down there though.

[tbw2]

Democrats have proposed a wealth tax that would stretch out for ten years. That’s reason enough to change official residency before they could pass it.

[tbw2]

It is enough to escape the California wealth tax proposal ... and their proposals to tax you for ten years after you leave.

California Legislators Propose 0.4% Wealth Tax, Plus 16.8% Income Tax Rate
https://www.forbes.com/sites/robertwood/2020/08/17/california-proposes-168-income-tax-rate-plus-4-wealth-tax/

[perfect_rovian_storm]

If you say so. We ski a couple times a year in NC, about 2 hours from me. We spend a lot of time outdoors, boating, hiking, etc. I never noticed anything missing. My wife is from SoCal and she feels that SC has nearly all of the benefits that CA has with NONE of the drawbacks.

As for CA, The redwoods of Sonoma County are absolutely breathtaking. Something everyone should see at least once. Napa and all that is too snooty for my taste, so I wouldn’t miss it.

As for getting back to conservative roots, I think the ship sailed on that some time ago. The roots were poisoned. The tree is dying.