Leaving California…

In college I dated a girl named Jennifer who introduced me more fully to Led Zeppelin.  To this day I will turn up the volume when one of the familiar rifts starts.  One of my favorites is the melody and picking in “Going to California”.  The American West has an allure to it and California for the longest time epitomized opportunity and a promise of a better life.  In 1994, my sister, who was born in California and had graduated college from Loyola Marymount, drove out from Lexington, Kentucky to Los Angeles, California to start a new life.  This month she is leaving the state for good and ironically headed to Idaho.

This past Thursday night we headed out for a long overdue vacation to see family in Kansas.  We chose the northern route from Idaho, Utah, Wyoming, Nebraska and finally down into Kansas.  In order to limit contact and practice social distancing, we are pulling our camper.  During the drive we noticed one out of state license plate showing up more than others. 

Idaho residents have been complaining about the influx of Californians to their state for the past several years.  Undoubtedly, there are a lot more California license plates driving around the state with many of them not transferring their tags and registration within the 30 day to 90 day window which is dependent on work status.  Often their argument is the cost which is solely based on their perception from their former state. Idaho vehicle registration is one of the lowest I have ever experienced in the many states I have lived and certainly far less than the Golden State.  There is a general real concern that these new residents will bring the same voting habits and mindset to Idaho.  If the aggressive driving habits or failure to comply with simple vehicle registration laws by many Californians seen in the Treasure Valley is any indication, there is cause for concern. Many Idahoans are starting to lose their patience which is being popularized by a window sticker.

My sister’s journey is like many others who lived in or currently live in California.  The progressive policies over years of political dominance by one party have made the choice for her.  The state’s COVID 19 response was the nail in the coffin.  She has been self-employed for several years as a dog trainer and due to the shutdown, could no longer operate her business.  As just reward, the State’s unemployment payments are funding her departure.  My sister is stopping off in Idaho for a brief train up on shooting, hunting and hopefully healing before heading out on her next journey of living off-grid in an RV.

In an earlier post, I mentioned judging a tree by its fruits which is a biblical reference. Often failures of progressive policies are blamed on conservatives or systemic biases such as racism that prevented the policy from succeeding.  Most of the policies find their roots in socialism which has failed to work in every country that has tried it.  Yes, even so called Democratic Socialism. 

The idea behind Socialism is attractive on a theoretical basis.  The problem with it however is how readily it ignores human nature.  If you watch the news at all and glean through the propaganda you can see we have enough of an issue with elitest power hungry politicians now with our Republic and that holds true no matter which side the isle you’re on.  Once you go to Socialism, even if you vote it in, you will eventually lose your rights to the State.  They will invariably value their power over your rights, think Venezuela. Our Republic at least gives us the chance to change course with every election cycle. 

United Van Lines compiled data from inbound and outbound moves in 2019 based on their bookings. While Californians don’t lead the pack, they aren’t the only ones either.  Many are leaving states with similar policies like New York, New Jersey, Illinois to name a few.  Almost all of the top states have Democrat Governor’s. Progressive socialist policies in these states have taken hold and several of our fellow US citizens are making the life altering choice of uprooting their families, jobs, and home life by moving.  Many Californians have woken up to the very fact their vote no longer has an impact while costs are spiraling out of control and they are leaving.  You can’t blame conservative opposition in this case because they haven’t had a voice in the State’s government for generations.  Even CEO Elon Musk has signaled he has had enough. 

All of this is happening as a backdrop behind today’s current social unrest.  Many of the cities hardest hit by protests and riots are like California politically.  Those who live in those cities talk about systemic issues.  I actually agree to a point.  Socialism promises a better life but never delivers and that is systemic.  Socialism keeps control of those it rules by convincing them their lives will be better under government rule with continued calls for its citizens to give up their freedoms.  But delivering on those promises isn’t the ruling class’s goal.  Their goal is to remain in power even to the point of letting bad actors run unchecked committing crimes and property damage as a way of looking compassionate to the “marginalized plight” but only if so doing advances their hold. There are several instances in recent events where some social gatherings were okay while others get condemned. Apparently if you protest against police brutality COVID leaves you alone but don’t go to a Trump rally or Church.

Progressive socialists will blame anything but their policies for the problems faced by their citizens, due little to actually improve things and continue to promise better lives while pushing more policy and asking for more money.  Joe Biden recently proclaimed you aren’t black if you don’t vote for him. This exemplifies their attitude. Biden basically laid claim to racial identity being tied to him and his party as if to say black men and women are not allowed to make up their own minds and chose for themselves. His statement signifies that the progressives believe they own an entire race’s identity. Again, you judge a tree by its fruits. Take Chicago for instance, how many of the socio-economic conditions have improved since 1945 when Democrats took control?

The alternative is to use your God given freedom and endowed rights to take control of your own destiny by facing adversity, adapting and overcoming.  Though it is the most empowering choice, it is the harder of the two choices because it requires hard work, determination, and learning from failure while putting the responsibility squarely on your shoulders.  

My sister has chosen the later and her new journey, like so many others, is soon to begin.  Though she worked hard, California policies and taxes, kept her below poverty levels and COVID 19 put her in debt.  She isn’t leaving with privilege.  She was enslaved by a system meant to keep its citizens suppressed despite her best efforts to fight against it. Now in her early 50’s, she is leaving with what little she has left to start again.   I am looking forward to helping her on that journey by imparting some of my knowledge to her, as much as possible, in the time frame she has before moving eastward.

This Independence Day I will be celebrating not only the liberation from tyranny in our nation’s history but also liberation for my sister and all of those making the hard choice toward personal freedom.  God bless America and Happy Fourth of July.

-L. Yarbrough, Bucks & Beers