Friday, February 22, 2008

California exodus turns to stampede

WordNetDaily reports:
California, which once lured Americans from near and far, is now driving out millions of the most productive residents – including high percentages of the most affluent.


"When California faced a Mount Everest-sized $14 billion deficit in 2003, one of the major causes for the red ink was the stampede of millionaire households from the state," says a report called "Rich States, Poor States" by economists Arthur Laffer and Stephen Moore. "Out of the 25,000 or so seven-figure-income families, more than 5,000 left in the early 2000s, and the loss of their tax payments accounted for about half the budget hole."

And it's not just the rich leaving.


Based on data from moving companies, California had the second-highest domestic population out-flow of any state in 2005, according to the report, "despite the beautiful weather, beaches, and mountains."

The bad news for California is that it faces a $14 billion deficit this year, despite boasting one of the highest tax burdens in the nation.

The report, published by the American Legislative Exchange Council shows jobs are not just leaving the country – they are moving from state to state, with the population following.
No word yet from Marxist sociologists on this one.Also,no word yet from Barbara Boxer.