Victor Davis Hanson, who lives in California, wrote about the problems with that state in his most recent book The Dying Citizen. He said (and I paraphrase):
Twenty-first century California has a disappearing middle class. Soon it will be two classes: rich and poor. California is an icon of post modernism, where citizenship is extinguishing. It is a Progressive dream. The state is the leader in "awful things": it leads in high taxes, poverty, welfare, homelessness, gas taxes/prices, electricity, illegals/migrants, worst schools, worst roads, and highest ratio of inequality.
Its green policies are expensive, unaffordable, and unreliable. One fifth of Californians live below poverty. Green power is the least of their concern. Regarding the state's excessive wildfires, it is known that controlled burns are discouraged, as well as removing dry brush and dead trees, grazing, logging, and the timber industry, whose policies are actually instrumental in controlling wildfires. The fires cause air pollution every year.
The state has wasted billions on high speed rail to nowhere instead of fixing or repairing already troubled road projects. Open borders and hundreds of sanctuary cities throughout the state have permitted millions of abject poor with few skills to enter the U.S. They account for twenty-five percent of the state's population.
Unfortunately, few of these problems affect the wealthy who politically support these policies and laws. The state's wealthy oppose charter schools while they send their children to expensive private schools for the rich. Meanwhile public schools are full of impoverished students, mainly immigrants from Central America and Mexico.
Much of the middle class say nothing -- they leave the state.
San Francisco has the highest economic inequality: the top one percent made thirty-six million, while the bottom ninety-nine percent made eighty-one thousand. The state's income tax was the highest at 13.3% until New York decided to top it. One hundred fifty thousand households pay half the total annual state income tax, while forty percent pay zero state income tax.
What do the middle class get for the income tax they pay? Poor schools, crumbling infrastructure, high crime, high fuel and food prices, some of the most expensive housing prices in the nation, high business regulations and taxes.
Small businesses are leaving California for Texas, where the business environment if friendly, and retirees are leaving, as well. Mostly conservatives are leaving, enshrining the state in its destructive policies and creating a permanent monopoly. California can only become poorer.
During the scamdemic, California was the first to lock down and the last to open up. (I would argue, it's still not fully opened. The governor has his finger on the button, ready for the next hit -- his hit. You should see what they are doing to young people!) Oh, but it paid out generous subsidies and fell short $60 to 100 billion. Now it is looking at an estate tax.
California, the trendsetter, where bad ideas originate (see, I'm not the only one saying it), is transforming its middle class into a modern traditional peasantry. It rates at the bottom for education and infrastructure, suffers high crime rates for many of its cities, hasn't updated its freeways or dams since the 1980s. Dams would help the thirty million who live in the state's desert climate. Can you believe...the state restricts water to its Central Valley for agriculture? (BTW, I witnessed this on a drive through the CV to San Francisco about ten years ago, where farmers posted signs begging voters to tell Congress to send water!)
The state is dividing its people into Haves and Have Nots. Half of the nation's homeless live in sunny California. (It is a great place if you live outdoors most of the time because it never rains.) One third of Americans on public assistance live in California. One fifth (mostly immigrants) live below poverty, and one third of residents are on Medical. Medical paid for half of all births in the state; thirty percent of undocumented moms come without English or skills. Twenty-seven percent residence in California were not born in the United States. And this I do not get: 5.5 million California immigrants were eligible to vote in 2020!!
What is California's rationale? To tax the middle class to death and give, in return, poor state service? Why do citizens make poor choices in self-government? The wealthy are not harmed by these policies because they have ways out, loop holes, and influence. Meanwhile, the poor pay little to no taxes and receive generous entitlements. The middle class are left holding the bag.
Now there is only a single party rule. The Democrats have supermajorities in both houses of government. California is the model for the wealthy medieval keep of the coastal elite. It's a filthy rich state, though their farms are vanishing. It's like a tale of two worlds: a highly sophisticated, regulated uniform costal gentry vs. an impoverished interior of immigrants, with little ability or desire to adhere to rules, living on welfare, healthcare, food, housing, transportation, and legal assistance, with little education. And they know all the programs. They're free!
It's a scary thought, but it could happen if California is the model for the nation: a one party governance, drive out the middle class, import poor from abroad, enable staggering levels of global wealth concentrated in the hands of a few and one power source forever. And if California is the model, well, you can see for yourself what the end result will be.
Let's just say: you better hope you are part of the wealthy elite.
UPDATE: Another op ed by Victor Davis Hanson re. California: The Selfish Californian
UPDATE, UPDATE: Another op ed by Hanson including more supporting evidence for a reckless California: The Sovietization of America
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