I think it all boils down to the massive / alarming increase in the transfer of wealth from the private sector to the public sector. One example is property tax. Although it comes out to approximately 1.25% of 80% of the assessed value when you include assessments and voter approved bonds, the average property tax in San Diego, CA. is approximately $600.00 per month. On Average, if a person is paying $2,000.00 in rent, at least $500.00 of that rent is property tax baked into the rent. Now do you think for a minute that the government is going to lower the property tax percentage to lets say 1/2% of 80% of the assessed value to make housing more affordable? Not on your life! The government in CA is absolutely bent on doing whatever it can to add on new taxes and increase existing taxes. The transfer of wealth from the private sector to the public sector is what’s making people flee CA. The only reason that I am still in CA, is because my wife has a job that she can’t seem to get away from.