Because of taxation and over-regulation...
The GDP of California still remains high. It is still ranked fifth on the planet for GNP behind the full United States, China, Germany, Great Britain, and one other I can’t remember right now.
It would be even better if we turned it back to sound principles.
California’s biggest problem, is it’s pension systems that seem ready to go ballistic.
That doesn’t mean that as a tax base it hasn’t been contributing vast amounts to the federal tax coffers.
It has.
BINGO!