Opinion Forum

Why I Left California

November 8th, 2010

After living in California for 33 years, I finally decided to leave. I sold my business and my home and relocated to South Carolina.

I moved to California when I was 17. Like most of my fellow residents, I was busy living my life. I gave very little thought to politics, assuming that politicians knew best how to run the state. I wasn’t even aware of the difference between Republicans and Democrats. I would always vote, but with 20/20 hindsight, I see how my votes were manipulated and influenced by the overwhelmingly liberal media.

Until age 36, I pretty much followed the party line, believing what I saw on the news and read in the papers. I figured the “experts” knew better than I, and was relieved not to have to form my own opinions. I relied on group thought, which is, or was, extremely pervasive in the Los Angeles area.

I remember hearing a talk show host describe how a school board in Torrance was successful in defeating a Christian candidate and remember feeling glad that there were others out there working to keep radical influences away from our children. I never questioned the premise that Christians were considered radical.

I adopted as fact the headlines I saw on the news. I was busy living my life. It wasn’t until 1992 that I became aware that I had only been exposed to one side of the story. I was not even aware that there was a conservative point of view.

In 1992, Ross Perot was on TV holding up a toilet seat. Perot said the Air Force had paid something like $700.00 for that toilet seat. He then said the 5 words that changed my life forever. “And this is public knowledge.”

Huh? I decided to check out his claim. And I found that, yes, that information was public knowledge. Only problem was, the media in Los Angeles had never reported it. Just as they never reported any other than the liberal point of view.

After some searching, I latched onto National Review Magazine and the Washington Times. What I found when reading those publications made my blood boil. There was a whole school of thought out there that I had never been exposed to. The conservative point of view. And I found I agreed with their premises.

No matter how thin the pancake, there are always two sides. For 22 years, I had only been exposed to one side of the story. And I came to find that side I had been exposed to was far different from what I had been led to believe. Shame on me.

I assumed that my husband, family and friends would be just as angry as I when I informed them of my new insights. I quickly found out that, then, as now, they were totally opposed to hearing any facts that challenged their long held views.

Long story short, I became a pariah. Conservative views were simply not tolerated back in the 90’s in Los Angeles. When I persisted in voicing my opinions, most of my relationships suffered. My husband left me and my family made clear that there must be something wrong with me. I got tired of the raised eyebrows and condescending smiles. I realized nothing I said would penetrate. The frustration drove me to anger, which pretty much nixed any chance I had of influencing others to my new point of view.

For 8 years, the only place I could be myself was when I covered conservative gatherings. Finally, a stray news item had a catalytic effect on me. I found that 7th graders in San Francisco were being taught how to fist. (A homosexual practice — enough said.) Under the guise of teaching tolerance, my tax dollars were being used to fund a week-end “health” fair that brainwashed children into believing that the gay lifestyle was normal — merely a lifestyle choice. That was the last straw.

I took off on a cross-country trip, seeking a place where I could be myself and where my tax dollars wouldn’t be continually funding policies with which I fundamentally disagreed. I finally decided on South Carolina. I sold my business and home and left California for good.

I miss many things about California. But after last Tuesday’s election, I realize that living in California is no longer an option for me.

The blatant media malfeasance, the lack of intellectual diversity and the continuing reign of liberal politicians guarantees that California will remain mired in failed liberal policies for the foreseeable future. And I will not condone paying the taxes the state insists upon when I know the money will be spent on promoting a largely discredited liberal agenda. That’s not the America I want to live in.

Since 2002, several of my friends have also left California for good. Studies show that the only increase in population in California right now are immigrants. Which begs the question: Who will be paying the taxes required to fund the utopian agenda put in place by far-left liberals? And how long can California continue to ignore reality before the whole state comes crashing down?

Maybe I’m wrong. Maybe it’s possible Governor-elect Moonbeam can solve the state’s fiscal crisis. Just because he’s a lifetime member of the far left doesn’t mean he can’t change his stripes and usher in the reforms California so desperately needs. By golly, I just saw a pig fly right by my window!

(This article was also posted at Right Bias.)

Articles written by Nancy Morgan
Tags: California, conservative, education, liberal bias, press, South Carolina, taxes
Categories: Life, Media, Politics | Comments (10) | Home

10 Responses to “Why I Left California”

Michael | November 8th, 2010 at 7:50 am

I hope it comes crashing down on their heads.

Tom Carter | November 8th, 2010 at 8:26 am

I think the California crash is already happening — has been for a long time. I wonder when high-tax, welfare-bound states like California, New Jersey, New York, et al. will figure out why people are leaving in droves?

As far as Jerry Brown is concerned, as governor I’m sure he’ll be part of the problem, not part of the solution. However, I have to say I’ve always had a warm spot for Governor Moonbeam. Last time around, he was well-known for keeping company with a bevy of babes, most notably Linda Ronstadt (who actually gave him the “Moonbeam” name). I figured, at the time, that anyone who could manage that would probably make a good governor. It’s probably still as relevant as any of their other credentials, but Brown has aged out of that cohort.

Clarissa | November 8th, 2010 at 8:33 am

When South Carolina wakes up to progress and overcomes its sad backwardness, your only option will be to use a time machine to escape. 🙂

In the worst case, there is always Saudi Arabia for you. 🙂

Tom Carter | November 8th, 2010 at 9:44 am

Clarissa, I understand what you mean, but I have to note that there are a lot of very bright, politically aware people in South Carolina who might take exception. In any case, people are voting with their feet — leaving states with very high taxes and moving to states that manage their affairs a lot more intelligently and have far fewer economic problems, even though their cocktail parties may not be quite as glittery (and that’s somewhat doubtful, too). Texas is a good example.

Clarissa | November 8th, 2010 at 11:29 pm

“In any case, people are voting with their feet — leaving states with very high taxes”

-What do high taxes mean in terms of actual numbers in the US? I keep scaring my American accountant in all 5 states where I have lived with my happiness over the extremely low (for me) American taxes. 🙂

Brian | November 9th, 2010 at 5:20 pm

Clarissa, in gross numbers, not much. You can see it in gross numbers by comparing things to where they were 20 or 30 or 50 years ago. You see it growth, contraction, and domestic emigration numbers. You see it in corporate relocation, in business start-ups. The states with the highest taxes and most onerous regulations lose out to the states with lower taxes and lower regulations. High taxes and onerous regulation are barriers to entry for business start-ups.

So, as Tom said, people vote with their feet and move to places where government is less a part of their lives.

Tom Carter | November 10th, 2010 at 10:21 am

There are a huge number of articles available on the fact that high taxes and big government have driven people out of some states and severely impacted their economies. All you have to do is compare Texas and California right now. Google it, and you get lots of returns.

d | November 10th, 2010 at 10:28 am

The only problem I see here is Toms’ belief that Jerry Brown has “aged out of the cohort”. Hmm,they never,age out of it,duh,Tom,I am dissapointed in your assumption. I think we all know too well,old age only makes women(most) grow out of cohorting,not men. They never,I repeat,never age out of it,espially with the advent of viagra and cialis..:-) The term,dirty old man,comes to mind,and is based in the truth.
Re-electing Brown,is like re-electing,Bill Clinton,just stupid.

SamuraiMarine | November 11th, 2010 at 2:12 am

Very well written piece.

I have to tell you, that I have been trying to leave this stink-hole of a state for years. Seems like every time the option comes up, something blocks me. This last time it was the housing bubble.

Now we have Governor Rainbow-Bright again, and I am sure that things are not going to get any better. With what he did with bringing the unions in, I have no doubt things will only get worse. I appears to me that even Californians have given up on California.

Tom Carter | November 11th, 2010 at 5:05 am

Sad to say, I also don’t see any reason to think California will get its act together. California’s incompetence and bad governance are going to keep costing all of us, and I think that would have been true even if Meg Whitman had been elected governor.