How to retain CA’ns: A perspective

The OC Register’s Steven Greenhut covers California’s far-reaching depopulation problem, still exacerbated during the COVID-19 pandemic. He offers insight into why so many longtime residents are leaving: high taxes/regulations, crime, and homelessness; corrupt unions calling the shots; and “shoddy” public schools.

The news about California is alarming. Our nation’s population growth has increased post-COVID, but the distribution has been uneven. Texas gained an astounding 471,000 people last year and Florida gained 417,000, while California lost 114,000. This is the third year in a row that California – with its can’t quite reach 40-million population – has lost people. This isn’t slowing growth, but actual losses (although the loss rate slowed this year).

Those Census net-domestic-migration numbers show that 343,000 Californians left for other states. Immigration and births made up most of the losses. People always are going to have babies and flee impoverished nations, but the true indicator of success or failure involves people voting with their feet – or their U-Hauls. Californians aren’t fleeing our weather or economy, but our bad public policy.

Let’s quickly recap the many ways California’s progressive-dominated government is failing California residents: endless regulations, punitive tax rates, untouchable public-sector unions that are ransacking budgets and opposing reforms, shoddy school systems and decrepit (but pricey) public services, traffic congestion, absurd housing prices, growing crime rates, failing efforts to provide basic infrastructure and a sprawling homelessness crisis.

This article originally appeared in the OC Register. Read the whole thing here.

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