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I'm a lifelong Californian, I love California, I can't imagine living in any other state, and I'm continuously baffled by these hand-wringing articles. Why wou

I'm a lifelong Californian, I love California, I can't imagine living in any other state, and I'm continuously baffled by these hand-wringing articles. Why would I be unhappy that people who want to leave California are leaving California? I'll have sympathy for anyone who loves the state and is moving because they can no longer afford it, but if they'd rather live in Nevada or Texas or Washington then then it's a win-win as far as I'm concerned.

chmod600 3y ago
People leaving is a sign that policies aren't working well for everyone. For each person that leaves, typically that means many more whose quality of life has declined and are considering leaving. If California works for you, then great, you have no obligation to be unhappy on behalf of others.
- nineplay 3y ago
  I daresay that there are no policies that work well for everyone.
  - chmod600 3y ago
    To rephrase: policies are playing out badly enough that the equilibrium has shifted to a net outflow. That doesn't mean it's bad for everyone or that it was great for everyone before. But such a shift in actual people movements over (state) borders is one of the most powerful political indicators that exists. Leaders losing followers, companies losing employees, countries losing citizens, and clubs losing members are all pretty negative signs. Not absolutely bad in all cases, but certainly worth concern.
hindsightbias 3y ago
Please stick with the dystopian hellhole memes and let the technolocusts find better fields.
r00fus 3y ago
I am on the fence - love CA jobs, people and weather, but hate prop13 and the incestuous ruling political class that claims to be progressive/left but are just corporatist and protect their own above anything else (not that it's much different in many other states - they're just more overt about it). The challenge is that the time to leave CA was at the beginning of the pandemic or earlier, and now housing prices / rent everywhere else have gone up way more than CA.

chmod600 3y ago

People leaving is a sign that policies aren't working well for everyone. For each person that leaves, typically that means many more whose quality of life has declined and are considering leaving. If California works for you, then great, you have no obligation to be unhappy on behalf of others.

nineplay 3y ago
I daresay that there are no policies that work well for everyone.
- chmod600 3y ago
  To rephrase: policies are playing out badly enough that the equilibrium has shifted to a net outflow. That doesn't mean it's bad for everyone or that it was great for everyone before. But such a shift in actual people movements over (state) borders is one of the most powerful political indicators that exists. Leaders losing followers, companies losing employees, countries losing citizens, and clubs losing members are all pretty negative signs. Not absolutely bad in all cases, but certainly worth concern.

hindsightbias 3y ago

Please stick with the dystopian hellhole memes and let the technolocusts find better fields.

r00fus 3y ago

I am on the fence - love CA jobs, people and weather, but hate prop13 and the incestuous ruling political class that claims to be progressive/left but are just corporatist and protect their own above anything else (not that it's much different in many other states - they're just more overt about it). The challenge is that the time to leave CA was at the beginning of the pandemic or earlier, and now housing prices / rent everywhere else have gone up way more than CA.