Even with all of the attention given to the impeachment debacle, many remain cognizant and deeply concerned with our own backyard: California. Yes, the state of the state.
A survey done in February 2019 by Edelman Intelligence revealed 53% of Californians want to leave the state.
It’s a safe bet to believe these are workers/taxpayers.
California’s decades-long enviable reputation is a thing of the past. Today that reputation is reduced to the highest state and local taxes on gasoline in the country, highest state income tax, high-priced housing, appalling homeless conditions, continuing flow of businesses exiting, unfettered illegal resident sanctuaries, increasing cap and trade costs, increasing utility costs to consumers, elevated poverty rates and a massive number of outbound U-Hauls.
That is not the entire list but as for the U-Hauls, the cost of renting a U-Haul for a three- to four-bedroom home relocation from Valencia to Dallas is $3,770. The cost of renting the same for relocation in the reverse is $754 — a 500% difference.
Families are fleeing California but they are not alone; businesses are with them. A short list of the exodus is Mitsubishi, Carl’s Jr.’s parent company, Spectrum Solutions, California Dairies, Toyota, Tesla, Harrow Health, Lucid Motors and 30-plus Bay Area companies.
The flight from California is partly due to the cost burdens on citizens arising out of illegal immigration. The Dec. 1, 2017, Washington Examiner reported that illegal immigration costs California $23 billion per year (federal cost is $135 billion).
Without doubt the costs have soared with the rising expenses of resources and the addition of many more migrants in the past two years. That $23 billion broken down to the cost each California taxpayer must pay should be a grave concern of every sane taxpayer and legal voter. Totals will soar now that Gov. Gavin Newsom has mandated free health care to illegal residents. Importantly, do not overlook the fact that increasingly illegal residents are being allowed to vote and, with that, be assured, they will vote in favor of every freebie available.
The United States Interagency Council on Homelessness reported 129,972 homeless people on California as of January 2018… two years ago! There is absolutely no doubt that number is significantly higher now. As a result of incompetent and impotent “leadership,” public and private areas have become open sewers and cesspools of filth, human waste, disease and danger.
Newsom and the Democrats’ supermajority are driving California to depths no one thought possible. At the same time these people brag of a budget surplus in the billions of dollars, there’s the never-ending call for new taxes along with the never-ending lies about how they’ll spend the money.
They’ve proven this all too often, with examples like the backroom deal increase in gas taxes and car registration, with promises to fix roads, that Newsom has redirected to his pet projects.
Any claimed “surplus” is a complete falsehood. This supermajority is ignoring the perilous $1 trillion-plus public pension liability resting on the back of the state’s hard-working taxpayers.
When someone defends the state of the state of California, it’s always a display of the exercise of wearing rose-colored glasses…when their head is out of the sand, that is.
You’ll hear a recitation of the mountains, the oceans, the weather, theme parks and all of the recreational opportunities.
Yes, those are nice things, but they are not everyday living and survival. If one cannot afford to leave the home, if they have one, then using $4 per gallon gas to go to a theme park at an entrance fee of $120 a person, that is not an accolade. Looking at oceans, trees and mountains does not pay the bills, put food on the table or buy your clothes.
It’s far past time to take off the glasses and wise up. This supermajority and this free-for-all, irresponsible governor cannot remain in office for this state to survive.
Wake up. Come into reality and vote smart.
Betty Arenson is a Santa Clarita resident. “Right Here, Right Now” appears Saturdays and rotates among several local Republicans.
