I guess all those companies just couldn’t “hack it” so they left.

A few factors explain that much-misunderstood statistic. On the revenue side, many big corporations have headquarters in CA and NY (although that is changing), plus our progressive income tax structure takes more from high earners in the bigger states with higher costs of living.
On the expenditure side, the rural states have more military bases, interstate highways, and farm subsidies (which go mainly to the wealthy in those states.

I vote for Secession, I Vote for California to secede.

[quote=Allan from Fallbrook][quote=EconProf]A few factors explain that much-misunderstood statistic. On the revenue side, many big corporations have headquarters in CA and NY (although that is changing), plus our progressive income tax structure takes more from high earners in the bigger states with higher costs of living.
On the expenditure side, the rural states have more military bases, interstate highways, and farm subsidies (which go mainly to the wealthy in those states.[/quote]

EconProf: But, you’re forgetting one key thing: Never, ever let the facts get in the way of a good story![/quote]

Especially facts that have no attributed source, or don’t even make sense!

Sure the tax system takes more from high earners in states with higher costs of living. But if costs are higher in CA, shouldn’t the state also receive more federal dollars to make up for the relative cost differences? If it costs more to live here, it probably costs more to build a road here.

Military bases in CA:

http://www.nps.gov/nagpra/documents/basesmilitarymap.htm

Not many interstate highways in CA? … do we really even need to think about that one?

Farm subsidies? CA is fairly high on the list of total dollars received but, despite CA’s massive agricultural industry, the money received per capita is on the low end of the farm-subsidy scale.

The farm subsidies for TX are more than twice that of CA:

http://farm.ewg.org/

Sorry folks, Red State Socialism is a very real phenomenon.

http://www.politifact.com/truth-o-meter/statements/2012/jan/26/blog-posting/red-state-socialism-graphic-says-gop-leaning-state/

[quote=spdrun]

As long as we can move the capitol from Sacra-ghetto, I’m all for it!

Why? It keeps all of the politicians from polluting more pristine places. Kind of like how DC was built on a malarial swamp :)[/quote]

That comment of mine was actually tongue planted firmly in cheek.

As a native Californian, I’m all for keeping the state gubment exactly where it is.

I remember a class field trip to Sacto during grade school. Senator Hayakawa was visiting and sitting in on some committee or other and dozing (loudly) throughout. One of my teachers smiled and said, “See, democracy in action!”

Clearly, not much has changed.

[quote=spdrun]

That comment of mine was actually tongue planted firmly in cheek.

So was mine :)[/quote]

I figured as much. Although, all things equal, the capitol for a proposed People’s Republic of California should ideally be sited in San Francisco.

[quote=Allan from Fallbrook][quote=spdrun]

That comment of mine was actually tongue planted firmly in cheek.

So was mine :)[/quote]

I figured as much. Although, all things equal, the capitol for a proposed People’s Republic of California should ideally be sited in San Francisco.[/quote]

I don’t think NorCal would want to do anything with SoCal. If there’s any secession, it would be NorCal breaking away from the rest of CA…I think they wouldn’t mind leaving the “lazy, bump, fake booby, bimbo, shallow, BMW-galore,mexico border humping” SoCal to fend for itself… Not to mention it could make a pretty sum of money charging SoCal for water, considering NorCal actually gets rain, and we’re a desert down here…