Yea. Free shit attracts a lot of people. Texas is a very well-run state. 2018 is going to be a nice year of oil and gas in Texas. $$$$
I'll take those 3 year old stats and trump them with this: Also, @dachsie comments about no income tax, pro business, lower cost of living are true. All Texas has to do now is legalize it and it will be the best state to live but the worst state to visit.
https://californiapolicycenter.org/californias-total-state-local-debt-totals-1-3-trillion/ "Combining California’s debt with publicly held federal debt, we estimate a total debt-to-GDP ratio of 125% (or 153% using the broader definition of federal debt). This level places California distressingly close to peripheral Eurozone countries that faced financial crises in 2011 and 2012. Portugal’s 2015 debt-to-GDP ratio was 129% and Italy’s was 133%."
140% of state GDP and 175% including Fed debt of GDP is my guess over a couple of years and getting worse all the time.
I lived in Southern California for 15 years. It really is paradise. There's no better place to live IMO if you are either childless, or have a lot of money. The traffic, taxes, high cost of living, and general ridiculousness of the government - all of that stuff is real. But the weather....the beach....the babes....the weed....the mountains....the weather....the endless things to do....the weather -- it's worth it. I'm not anyone's idea of a liberal, but I really prefer to live in liberal areas. I find the "live and let live" vibe where nobody cares much about your religion, race, sexuality, or what you do with your free time really suits me. I grew up in a place where folks were pretty conservative, clean cut, buttoned up and cared way too much about their lawns. I miss it. I left after kid 2 was born and the cost kind of overwhelmed me.
Paradise....ha, total bullshit. CA sucks, in so many ways. Education- "The law, which took effect in January, requires the curriculum to include discussions of sexual orientation, gender identity and sex trafficking, as well as information about contraception and HIV treatment.....It’s 2016. The law reflects some awareness as to lifestyles and additional tolerance where it’s needed." However, "According to WalletHub’s analysis, California has the 9th worst school system in the nation, thanks in part to low reading and math test results, a high dropout rate and an abysmal score (worst in the nation) for the high number of pupils per teachers in our classrooms" We pay up the nose for taxes....for everything but we are in the bottom half of states for spending on students. If your child needs dental treatment, parents have to sign a consent, but "A minor may consent to an abortion without parental consent and without court permission." You pretty much can't smoke cigarettes anywhere cause well, the state says it's not good for you. But now we have laws allowing pot growing and smoking because people said they wanted the right to live the way they choose. Hypocrites. Average gas price in CA right now is almost $3.20/gallon. The only state higher is Hawaii. In SoCal, they have instituted toll roads for freeways that were built decades ago. One section of free way connecting the South Bay to Los Angeles (about 6 miles worth) is $15 at peak hours. W...T...F. The cost of illegal immigrants is over $30B/year, almost 20% of the state budget. Those fuckers are the first to line up for free shit, get free shit at school, get free food, get free clothes, get rent subsidies, don't pay income taxes. But after they break the law by being here illegally, the continue their illegal behavior at the consequence of CA residents. Mountains? Sure, great. I skied as a kid all the way through my 30's. It was affordable. Today, lift tickets, gas to get there, cabin rentals, etc are so expensive that it's a very small segment that can participate. Beaches? Sure, great. Many are now "parks" that require ridiculous amounts to park or for facility use. During the water shortage, they turned off the toilets and showers. That was nice. Raw sewage spills continue to increase beach closures. And the 909'ers come spilling in during the summer with their mariachi crap blasting, throwing trash all over the place, and inevitably they need rescuing from the water because well, they are stupid. People in CA are rude. Seriously rude. You can't keep adding to the population, increasing the urban sprawl, increasing the cost of everything, and expect people to be nice. This is the most self-centered state of people. Everyone looks out for themselves, not other people. Cars speeding down the freeway with no consideration for other drivers or their safety. People cut in line for everything, folks don't say, 'hello', 'good morning', 'thank you'. Kids from certain areas and homes are also self-centered, spoiled, entitled, and cry at the slightest glitch in their life. Snowflake city even when it's 95 fucking degrees in winter. Oh, and the drugs. Not pot. The really bad addictive opiates. We have a serious problem here. It's fueled by homelessness, the lack of veteran care, and the phony rehab industry that attracts people from all over the country but ultimately fails to deliver any reasonable care. Now we have massive amounts of people who are homeless, don't care to get help, commit crimes to get money for more drugs, and now are causing HepA health outbreaks in big cities. Along the Santa Ana riverbed, in the shadow of the Big A, there has been a massive camp of homeless. It's actually a designated park where overnight camping isn't allowed but the police never did anything when it started. It quickly grew out of control. Idiot homeless advocates brought in toilets, showers, tents, medical care, even veterinarians and now they get even more government funding. It's disgusting, dangerous, unhealthy, and they don't want help to get in to a home or get a job. California sucks. Lots of the people here are phony as fuck. The more I travel, the more I realize how shitty this state has become.
