A new poll by Strategies 360, a consortium of the Los Angeles Times and several non-profits, should concern Gov. Gavin Newsom and the leftist politicians running the Golden State into the ground: four in 10 residents are actively considering leaving California for greener pastures.
That’s hardly a surprise considering that homelessness, crime, an anti-business environment, insane woke laws, and sky-high taxes—which create an unattainable cost of living—have all made life in paradise not quite so idyllic as it once was. (Understatement of the year.)
Leave it to the hard-left Los Angeles Times, of course, to try to paint a bright picture:
With its unmatched natural splendor and cultural attractions, California is a beacon that attracts people from around the world who put down roots and call it home. [Um, once, LA Times. Not so much these days.]
About 70% of residents said they are happy living here, a new statewide poll shows, crediting the state’s diversity, economic opportunities and an enjoyable lifestyle as reasons to stick around.
If 70 percent of residents say “they are happy living here”—then why are four in 10 thinking about getting out of Dodge?
I’m no mathematician, but to me, that means a shocking 40 percent are not quite as happy as they’re saying. Again, check my math, but if there are 39 million people in Cali, my calculator tells me that approximately 15,600,000 are thinking about another home.
L.A. Times: 4 in 10 California residents are considering packing up and leaving, new poll finds https://t.co/5aSv9lBqhO
— Bill Melugin (@BillMelugin_) June 23, 2023
One of those people is RedState writer Jennifer Oliver O’Connell, who described in a moving piece why it was time to go:
Whether it be for economic freedom, vocational freedom, protection of family, or better quality of life, the trend that started just before the pandemic is now a massive wave…
We are not stupid, and we are simply tired of a government that wants to treat us as such.
She said that the decision was not easy—but it was necessary:
The state where my husband was born and raised has essentially bled us dry and left us with nothing to show for our decades of hard work. Between financial crises, illnesses, the fallout from AB5, the government’s manipulation of housing, and the rampant homelessness of which we have no desire to be a part, you can stick a fork in us. We have fought hard, but our fight is now done.
While minorities overwhelmingly appreciated the state’s diversity, with over two-thirds of black residents saying they feel “comfortable,” it would appear that “comfort” alone will not keep them there—being able to afford to raise their families plays an even more important role:
More than 40% of residents say they’re contemplating moving out of California, with nearly half of them saying they’re considering that “very seriously.” About 61% pointed to the high cost of living here as the reason they’d go. People of color are far more likely to say that the expense of living in California is the reason they might leave. About 71% of residents who are either Black or Asian/Pacific Islander and considering relocating cited the cost of living. [Bolding mine.]
Meanwhile, conservatives and Republicans certainly don’t feel they’re included in the state’s “diversity” efforts:
Self-identified Republicans were three times as likely as Democrats to say that the state’s politics were why they wanted to go.
All in all, the poll paints a damning picture of the state, which often leads the nation in imposing leftist policies on its populace. Unfortunately, as I often point out, those who think they can ignore the Left Coast do so at their own peril: many of these ideas spread like a virus into neighboring states and then the country as a whole.
And don’t forget—Joe Biden and his entire administration is also watching closely, waiting to see what perverse madness the California legislature comes up with so they can copy it on a national scale.
So to all those who say, “Heh, shut up Californians, you Communists, you deserve it,” I say—be forewarned because they’re coming for your state, too.
See also:
Debate Takeaway: CA Gov. Newsom Is a Slick Used Car Salesman, but You’ll Drive Away in a Lemon
Join the conversation as a VIP Member