California’s loss is Utah’s gain
The Golden State got its nickname for good reasons. From the gold rush to Hollywood to Silicon Valley’s rise to world prominence, from its climate to its natural wonders, California was a mecca for millions of people.
But in the last several decades, it’s been a giant experiment in so-called progressive government. Name the latest progressive fad and California has adopted it lock, stock, and barrel. As a result, California has:
—One third of all Americans on welfare.
—More illegal immigrants than any other state.
—One-half of the nation’s homeless.
—The highest state income tax rate (13.3 percent).
—Mediocre public schools and chronically underfunded colleges.
—Overcrowded and crumbling roads.
—A recently abandoned high-speed rail boondoggle that wasted billions.
—Rolling electrical blackouts to prevent wildfires.
An NBC Bay Area investigation found “a dangerous concoction of drug needles, garbage and feces lining the streets of downtown San Francisco.” Nobody is singing about what they left in San Francisco these days.
As a result, a net 203,000 people left the state in the last two years; the state will likely lose a House seat in 2020, the first time in its history.
More folks would leave if they could: A University of California at Berkeley poll found that over half the state’s residents were considering leaving, including 43 percent of those who consider themselves “extremely liberal.”
The exodus is likely to accelerate as the full impact of the Republican tax reform hits home. Previously unlimited state and local tax deductions had the effect of lowering the state’s top income tax rate to about 8.3 percent with a similar effect on property taxes.
Progressives are all about redistribution; practicing what they preach, California’s Democrats are sending their wealth and political power to other states.
California escapees are moving in large numbers to nearby western states with Utah attracting many of them.
For those in the workforce, the Wasatch Front’s booming tech industries are a major draw. Most ex-Californians are willing to take a pay cut in exchange for a much lower cost of living coupled with Utah’s abundant outdoor recreation opportunities.
Southern Utah is a magnet for California retirees. Selling a 1,300-square-foot bungalow at California’s stratospheric prices allows many of them to live here in spacious, modern homes they could only dream about before.
For southern Utah’s current residents, the influx is a mixed blessing. Much of our economy is based on retirees. They buy new homes, keeping our construction industry booming. They eat out at local restaurants and shop in local stores.
Retirees are major consumers of medical services, providing a large number of well-paying jobs. Often overlooked, they pay taxes for our local schools but don’t bring students with them, lowering school-related taxes for the rest of us.
We’re less excited about increased traffic on our streets. To Californians, our streets look almost empty, and everywhere they want to go seems nearby. But anyone who’s lived here for more than a few years bemoans proliferating traffic.
Ex-Californians are much more comfortable with the increasing suburban sprawl that the rest of us see encroaching on our outdoor activities and environment. To many of us, it’s changing our lifestyles in ways we’d rather avoid.
California expats, if you’ve come to leave progressive political madness behind, you’ve come to the right place. At the top of my list of things I’d like to see stay in California is its progressive politics.
We have a strong conservative base anchored on a spirit of self-reliance. We have many willing to pitch in voluntarily to help the less fortunate without burdensome government programs.
I love southern Utah. I’ve seen a lot of changes in my 20 plus years here. I welcome my California neighbors. Congratulations for escaping the insane asylum: You’re safe among friends.
The viewpoints expressed above are those of the author and do not necessarily reflect those of The Independent.
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Awesome op-ed! My husband and I escaped the insane asylum almost a year ago.
I moved to Southern Utah 47 years ago and bought my first home for $30,000 dollars.
Today the average price of new construction is $300,000 plus.
I pay the same property tax as another property owner whose property is valued 3 to 4 times mine.
I don’t look at growth for growth’s sake as any blessing.
Just higher water rates and taxes for the same street surface and utilities I’ve had and paid for years ago.