Prohibitive progressive policies driving residents out of California, warns expert

To anyone who’s been paying attention, the Golden State’s population has been markedly decreasing for a while—the most recent census data revealing that 343,000 people left last year (contributing to an overall CA’n net loss). San Jose was not left untouched: Almost 117,600 abandoned the city in 2021. The American Spectator’s Steven Greenhut attributes this trend to failed Leftist policies that inhibit individuals’ choices on where to live and how to travel, while ignoring key issues like water storage.

Francisco has led California’s recent population losses, but people are fleeing the entire state. The latest census data shows that the Golden State has lost population three years running — an astounding data point given that Californians are accustomed to nearly endless population growth. It’s in our psyche. Californians expect that people will move here and yet we’ve lost population (percentage-wise) as rapidly as Mississippi and Pennsylvania….

The problem, of course, is public policy. Los Angeles County has 10 million people, which would make it the eleventh-largest state in the union. The Bay Area has around 8 million people. Most of California is fairly normal in politics and attitude, but the sheer voting strength in those areas swamps everything else — leaving us with progressive dominance and little political competition.

And, no surprise to American Spectator readers, California’s progressive leadership seems to be at odds with its residents. We continually run out of water because state officials haven’t invested in water infrastructure in decades, leaving us at the mercy of Mother Nature and water-rationing edicts. Our electrical grid is a mess. Our freeways are overburdened because state officials long ago stopped expanding our road capacity.

Instead of tending to the nuts and bolts of governance, California’s Democratic leaders are committed to changing our behavior — pushing us to live in high-density neighborhoods and rely on our lousy public transit. (FYI, I’m fine with allowing higher density, but not mandating it.) They are purposefully driving the oil and gas industry out of the state as they impose bans on internal combustion engines. We all know the details, as California’s government has embraced social engineering at the expense of civil engineering.

This article originally appeared in the American Spectator. Read the whole thing here.

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