On Thursday, the Dallas Morning News ran a story about the thousands of Californians who are fleeing to Texas to escape the draconian taxes and regulations burdening them.
Texas Governor Greg Abbott, responding to the article, issued a welcome that he said was targeted at those Californians already on their way, but it was also a sly wink to those Californians still remaining in that Democrat-dominated state: “To the Californians moving to Texas: Remember those high taxes, burdensome regulations, & socialistic agenda advanced in CA? We don’t believe in that. We believe in less government & more individual freedom. If you agree with that you’ll fit right in.”
To the Californians moving to Texas:
Remember those high taxes, burdensome regulations, & socialistic agenda advanced in CA?
We don't believe in that.
We believe in less government & more individual freedom.
If you agree with that you'll fit right in.https://t.co/Qv5nKaD315
— Greg Abbott (@GregAbbott_TX) January 23, 2020
The Dallas Morning News article stated that the number of California residents headed to Texas jumped more than one-third in the latest migration count, with over 86,000 Californians emigrating to the Lone Star State. Cindi Bulla, 2020 chairman of Texas Realtors, asserted, “For the sixth year in a row, more than half a million people chose Texas as their new home. And why not? In addition to its business-friendly environment with no state income tax and abundance of jobs, land and opportunity, Texas is known for its diverse, friendly spirit and culture.
The Morning News added, “Thousands of new residents are flocking to North Texas for the jobs and lower costs of living.”
California, despite its governor Gavin Newsom’s protestations of success, is a mess. Last October, the chief executive officers of Pacific Gas & Electric Corp. (PG&E) said the utility might impose blackouts over the next 10 years. As The Daily Wire noted, NPR reported that CEO Bill Johnson told energy regulators at California’s Public Utilities Commission (PUC) the company needed more time to trim trees and update its technology to prevent future forest fires. In the meantime, Johnson said, the company would have to impose blackouts.
The month before that, The Daily Wire noted the environmental problems in the state: According to a new study, 7.5 million Californians may be using water contaminated with PFAs, chemicals that never break down and have been associated with cancer. Although the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) advises a cap of 70 parts per trillion (ppt) PFAS in drinking water, the survey found that over 40% of the 74 water systems that were studied had at least one sample with a level of total PFAS over 70 ppt.
In April 2019, Fox News reported, “Overall, the California Tax Foundation has added up more than $6.2 billion worth of tax increase proposals pending in the state legislature, with that number expected to rise as bills are amended … One of the most controversial proposals to come out of Sacramento this year is a proposal from Democratic Gov. Gavin Newsom to tax drinking water in order to clean up contaminated water in the state’s low-income and rural areas.
The same month, The Los Angeles Times reported, “Polls show that California voters already think they’re overtaxed. No surprise there. When voters were asked recently by the Public Policy Institute of California whether they paid more or less state and local taxes than they should, the answers were: more 63%, the right amount 32%, less 4%.”