Posted on 02/27/2006 11:02:52 PM PST by presidio9
It takes hard work to drive anyone away from California's sunshine and scenic vistas, but politicians in Sacramento have been up to the task.
The latest Census Bureau data indicate that, in 2005, 239,416 more native-born Americans left the state than moved in. California is also on pace to lose domestic population (not counting immigrants) this year. The outmigration is such that the cost to rent a U-Haul trailer to move from Los Angeles to Boise, Idaho, is $2,090 -- or some eight times more than the cost of moving in the opposite direction.
What's gone wrong? A big part of the story is a tax and regulatory culture that treats the most productive businesses and workers as if they were ATM machines. The cost to businesses of complying with California's rules, regulations and paperwork is more than twice as high as in other Western states.
But the worst growth killer may well be California's tax system. The business tax rate of 8.8% is the highest in the West, and its steeply "progressive" personal income tax has an effective top marginal rate of 10.3%, or second highest in the nation. CalTax, the state's taxpayer advocacy group, reports that the richest 10% of earners pay almost 75% of the entire income-tax revenue in the state, and most of these are small business owners, i.e., the people who create jobs.
And things may soon get worse, thanks to Rob Reiner, who played the liberal "Meathead" on the "All in the Family" sitcom in the 1970s and now plays the same part in real life. He and his rich Hollywood friends have put an initiative on the state's June ballot that would add a 1.7-percentage-point income-tax surcharge on "millionaires" with income over $400,000, with the proceeds earmarked for universal pre-school.
(Excerpt) Read more at online.wsj.com ...
STIFLE!
Well, if Bustamonte had gotten his way, there would be even higher tax rates than these.
"Tough love," doncha know.
(Snort!!)
Except for Ohio, those are all blue states.
Watch all the REGISTERED residence go to Neveda.
He's the first sign of a 'Mexican' government in America; where the economy works like magic, and can do anything one wishes.
And aren't they all richer than average?
In your heart, didn't you know Archie was right all along?
(Even though Norman Lear thought the liberal foil of Mike Stivic was the one who the audience would identify with?)
Thanks to Carroll O'Connor for creating a more believable character than Rob Reiner, and to Norman Lear for being such a fudge-brained Lib that he would wind up HELPING the Conservative cause.
Some people worry that if they sell their house in California, they won't ever be able to afford to return. Who would want to return? It's the best decision I've made in the last 10 years.
Some of that behavior already happened to Washington state. It is happening around Boise, ID too. That's why I moved to Pocatello in the southeast corner. Too much traffic and lefties in the Boise area.
Thought it was...Harry (you will hire my relative) Reid.
Easy, I don't think its fair to reference his ethnicity- he'd be for higher taxes and more regulation if his name was, oh, Davis.
I make that point (to not single out a Mexican-American liberal) because I think the critical issue is avoided by the article's discussing the population loss of "native born citizens". California's population is growing, but the growth is among illegal aliens (and their American born children).
Controlling that flow of illegal aliens is critical to getting California's health, education and infrastructure spending in line (and reducing the insatiable demand for higher taxes). However, any steps in this direction has to be done in a way Mexican-Americans understand is not motivated by ethnic bias.
(Denny Crane: "I Don't Want To Socialize With A Pinko Liberal Democrat Commie. Say What You Like About Republicans. We Stick To Our Convictions. Even When We Know We're Dead Wrong.")
I heard that Meathead was implicated in huge alleged misspending/malfeasance of money from the cigarette tax he advocated to the voters some years ago. The money may have gone to campaigning for his pre-school initiative. This does not bode well for him and his possible run for governor. I am a PROUD native born Californian living out of the state because, in part, California is just not what it can be.
Some of the state's residents are just slower than others...wait 'til the next census numbers come in. The 239,000 plus exodus will be peanuts in comparison to the future departures.
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