"Hi, Billy Mays here for Oxi-fornia..."
Posted on 02/21/2008 4:07:43 AM PST by Man50D
WASHINGTON – California, which once lured Americans from near and far, is now driving out millions of the most productive residents – including high percentages of the most affluent.
"When California faced a Mount Everest-sized $14 billion deficit in 2003, one of the major causes for the red ink was the stampede of millionaire households from the state," says a report called "Rich States, Poor States" by economists Arthur Laffer and Stephen Moore. "Out of the 25,000 or so seven-figure-income families, more than 5,000 left in the early 2000s, and the loss of their tax payments accounted for about half the budget hole."
And it's not just the rich leaving.
Based on data from moving companies, California had the second-highest domestic population out-flow of any state in 2005, according to the report, "despite the beautiful weather, beaches, and mountains."
The bad news for California is that it faces $14 billion deficit this year, despite boasting one of the highest tax burdens in the nation.
The report, published by the American Legislative Exchange Council shows jobs are not just leaving the country – they are moving from state to state, with the population following.
"States are in direct competition with each other for human capital and business investment. State governments that think they can attract jobs and people, and grow their economies, by taxing their citizens at a higher rate than their neighbors are sadly mistaken," said Democratic Arkansas state Sen. Steve Faris, ALEC's 2008 national chairman. "Legislators should take a close look at where their state ranks in this book and use it as a tool to help them improve."
(Excerpt) Read more at worldnetdaily.com ...
There was an editorial in the WSJ called "Hail to the Taxers" about the $1.48 BILLION tax increase in Michigan. They called it "Michigan's worst defeat since Appalachian State" -- too funny.
When will the rats lean that you cannot tax yourself into prosperity?
Then move from California and start the process all over again.
Yes, California's loss is Idaho's loss as well. They are moving into our little rural town and about the first thing out of their mouths is, "gee, that's not the way we did it in California". They even complaign about people giving them the finger just because they have Ca plates on their Volvos...imagine!
The ALEC report is cyclical thing. The economy expands and tax reciepts grow. Then a conversation begins about what the state will do with the surplus. But before long the economy contracts and surplus dis-appears.
The ALEC reports was released at the top of the cycle.
I think that Texas handled their surplus better than another state, but that doesn't mean that I think they handled it in the best way.
I haven't heard much about it lately, but when I retired from the Navy out of San Diego in 1990 there was some worry on my part about California's effort to charge a "Source Tax" on a portion of any retirement income that was earned while living in their state.
I'm surprised that the 5000 folks with seven figure incomes weren't nailed with this one. I escaped it because all of my time in California was either actually living on a Federal reservation (Navy Base) or because I was using a California mailing address (Fleet Post Office) while stationed in Japan and Viet Nam. I'm glad I never registered a car there or paid rent on civilian housing.
BTW for all of you California folks out there....West Virginia is not beautiful, the folks here are not friendly, the weather is not like Northern California, and the housing is not cheap.
You forgot to mention the drought and how often we have red flag days. After all, we have fires which burn hundreds of acres too and damage/destroy homes and businesses.
Oh, and in my little neck of the woods, we have a rather large oil company actually drilling oil wells in town! Oh the horror!
Don't forget guns either! You might think you're looking at a card carrying liberal who's carrying around a cup of designer coffee, has a diamond post in his ear and works for the county government but just wait until he opens his mouth and starts talking. Then you'll hear he's been married to the same woman for 20+ years, has guns (yep, plural) and is as conservative as they come.
No, we don’t need anyone else here from CA. However, when you can buy a 2200 SF, 3 year old home, 4 bedrooms, 2.5 baths, backing onto a neighborhood lake, in a planned unit development with a water park for $140,000? And be in a 30 minute commute to work...or less? Where you can start your own business with a minimum of government interference?
That’s why people from CA are moving here. Can’t afford to live there anymore.
As a native Virginian ... may I suggest a mirror?
;)
The bad news for the rest of us is that these stinking liberals that have wrecked their own state now leave it to wreck another state. We need a fence to corral these idiots in flight. They will do the same thing again with their moronic attitudes and lack of logical thought.
Liberalism IS a mental disease.
“The flight from California is not good news for the rest of the nation. The refugees bring California with them wherever they go. “Colorado is nice but it needs more land use ordinances.” Idaho is nice but it needs more regulation of(fill in the blank).” That leads to the (excuse me)Californication of the rest of the West”
And this is one of the core reasons the country is “moving left”, and why conservatism, per se, is in danger of becoming a shrinking force within American politics.
As the blue state refugees flock to the red states, we are seeing the once “solid red” states change to purple. Eventually, the purple may fade to blue.
Unfortunately, there seems to be no way to halt these changing colors, at least in some of the “border states” like Nevada.
I was one of the first to predict this migration, posting a series of articles in the old, long-gone “Issues” forum of America Online in 1993. Back then, I called my theory “The Coming Cultural White Flight”. And it has become exactly that.
- John
California Law should stay IN California.
Keep California mistakes in California.
Precisely. Thank God we have nothing but flat and cold. Lots of cold. I reckon they just wouldn't like North Dakota...
The State thought they had a good thing going with all the Prop. 13 homes selling at userous prices. Little did they know, that people were just waiting for a chance to leave this burdensome state.
Taxed at every turn, manipulated every day, overburdened with paper work and nanny laws, they are leaving.
I hope those leaving do not take their California cash and attitudes with them. Please, blend with those that admit you. Don’t spread this arrogant lifestyle to the rest of the country.
Someday, maybe Sacramento will learn that we need less governing and more faith and wisdom in our leaders.
Gee, sounds like New York.
I had never heard of Lovera’s and had no idea where Krebs, Ok was located. It’s a short road trip away using Hwy. 7. I may even have passed through it at one time or another when going over to Paul’s Valley and exploring that area.
Seems, I remember a bumper sticker from many moons ago that read:
“Keep Oregon Green, bring money. Then go home.”
Don’t think it worked.
“If the Left were consistent, they would forbid people from leaving the People’s Republic of Kali. This is the logic they force on the rest of us when we want to leave their government-imposed monopoly of “public” schools. Then the argument is that those leaving will be “taking resources” from those who don’t leave.”
Hush your mouth!
Just wait. It hasn’t gotten quite that bad yet. But, the time is coming....
Especially with an Obama presidency....
- John
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