I’d like to address many of the comments I’m reading in response to my recent piece Thoughts from a Recovering Californian:
While I did not devote much time or language in the article to the political climate of California, I can assure you that I and others like me––those of us who have uprooted our entire lives to move our families to a better place––are not coming to your state to recreate California. On the contrary, many of us (including myself) have spent years attempting to transform the political climate of California through legislative and campaign efforts, and only decided to finally leave upon realizing that the supermajority control there constitutes a perpetual one party rule.
Yes, we were naive. Yes, we had been a part of the problem before we woke up. But wake up we did, and we fought to turn back the tide. We figured it out too late. But we will be the last folks who will sleepily let it happen in our new state. And we will do it with more than just our vote. We understand where it happens––from the local level on up to state. We will be watching. We will be getting actively involved. We will do everything we can to prevent what happened to California in our new states.
Thank you for taking the time to read the original piece, and to express your concerns and perspective. While we may be coming at it from different experiences, perspectives, backgrounds, we share the same concerns. Let’s work together to keep these still great states great.
––Anne Mason
Right after we confess to being from California we promise the native residents we are not here to recreate it.
There is seemingly no hope of balance being restored to CA – the failed recall convinced me we made the right move. It will be one party rule for another generation I fear.
If that is the case, please explain why all the metro centers have gone full on liberal. Austin is a carbon copy of the Bay area. I came from LA 7 years ago, the one difference I can discern by your blog is that I have been a life long Tepublican. Joining the GOP as a young Reagan Republican in 1978.
Many that have moved to Texas, give the same speech, but it shows just the opposite in the Ballot boxes. The truth will be evident in November 2022. When it comes time to stop the leftist Communists.
I hope you really are what you say. As a transplant myself, there are certain signals I see in other Ex-Californians that tell me they are lying. Not that I am saying that you are by any means. November will be the tell all.
Eh. The voting is rigged. They want to make it seem like Californians are turning it blue, but it’s shady voting practices
Dana L – Austin & Houston are more liberal but I believe people that moved there from other states had no intention of voting conservative. They wanted a less expensive place to live & not pay the crazy taxes. They still like their liberal social policies.
I was born in Dallas. I lived in Glendale/Pasadena, CA for 30+ years. I moved back to Dallas eight years ago and then to the hill country and it is heaven on earth. As a Texan who never fit innwhile in California, who was in the music industry, I have to say that many Califormias are lost souls who think their way is better. It’s not. Imagine the green rolling hills of Orange Co. combined with nice people who smile at you, will help you if you need help, tell you like it is if they have a problem with you (honest), have MANNERS and RESPECT and are generally happy and love their state a LOT. The only thing missing is the ocean (I care not for the ocean, personally). Texans love their Texas and want to keep it Texan. Personally, I believe it comes down to believers and non believers. Believers do not live in fear. Non believers seem to live in fear. How clever of God to use the scamdemic as a way to discern peoples hearts.
Not from California, but from Washington state (I commented on your other post), and I can assure anyone who is concerned that we do NOT want to turn wherever we move to into Washington. The entire West Coast (as well as New York) have gone so far off the deep end and I never want to live this way again. I have NEVER voted blue the entire time we have lived in this state and we voted EVERY time, even in local elections. There is just no way to win but we always tried. At least all the years that our state’s Senate was red it kept the crazier crap from passing, but once we got a blue supermajority after the 2018 mid-terms, it just sped up the decline. Every friend I have that has left Washington feels the same – they do NOT plan on voting the same kind of people in who ruined our state into office in another state and not a one of them voted for our current governor.
We’re in the process of moving from a conservative part of California (central valley) to Texas this year after our house is built. Myself, husband, families and my kids do not fit in california. I’ve been born and raised in California and can’t wait to leave!!!
I’ve voted red since I turned 18. I’m raising Republican children and am constantly talking to them about the failed policies of california ana any democratic state.
I can’t wait to live in a place where I actually FIT IN and am terrified of others moving to Texas from California. I’d take off my left arm to prevent Texas from turning into another “progressive” state.
I don’t/never trust(ed) the government in california and don’t understand anyone who did/does blindly. How can people not see what’s right in front of them!!??
I can see from posts online that the major cities like Austin are already beginning to show signs of falling.
I get deja vu of california about 15 years ago when reading those posts.
I REFUSE to let that continue and will be in front of that boulder, even if I get run over by it and hold it from behind.
I am a ride or die Texan at heart and will stand by that state in order to preserve what the residents have created.
Anyone from california frightens me and I don’t know how long I will continue to suffer from the PTSD of living in california after we move.
I’m really hoping not long….
I can’t wait to leave!!!!!!!!!
People need to talk to other people escaping the hellhole left by progressive liberal policies. Talk to immigrants from Cuba or Venezuela or talk to people leaving San Francisco or Portland or Chicago. Until we have a moderate media reporting truth, it will be difficult to help people see how bad things are. People who are following these policies are using liberalism as their religion. It makes them feel good and virtuous and they really only care about themselves. For example, look at those touting anti-wall or anti-gun who have walls and armed protection for themselves. Wake-up people and vote with your brains, not feelings.
I’ve voted Red my entire life, and I too have given up on California. We’ll get out as soon as possible.
I don’t think it’s California refugees who are turning other states purple/blue. I think it’s new college grads. These young people have been hoodwinked and brainwashed full on for four years straight, and they go everywhere. We need to support organizations like Turning Point USA, which are reaching the college kids.
I’d say show grace to and be grateful for people like Anne. On the red-blue spectrum, these folks fleeing Cali might have moved 50% or 75% rightwards/redwards, or even only 25%, let’s be content with that rather than griping that they didn’t move 90-95%, even if it means they still vote blue sometimes. Granted, on one hand the modern reality is that there’s little practical difference between a barely-blue govt and a far-blue govt, but let’s be winsome to them as they further grasp what they’ve left and what they’ve discovered, I think they’ll come around more than if we blast them for not being everything we want right now. A whole change of worldview takes time, and that’s best left to God to do. Let’s hope and pray for many more Annes. Assuming HIll Country = Austin, I’ve heard that Austin is the most liberal place in Texas, but I imagine it’s significantly less excessively-progressive than San Fran/Marin and I’m sure there’s more conservative places surrounding Austin.
Anne, this is hard to articulate, but “conservatives” from CA for the most part really aren’t conservative, down at the DNA level. It isn’t long before you hear “if the state would only do that” or “if the city would only provide this” or “something needs to be done about that.” Every one of those “if only’s” tracks back to the what the State delivered in CA. Each and every such government action, act of largess, high minded regulation, and public service represents a loss of personal freedom to someone. But it is impossible in my view to retrain your DNA once corrupted by the public teat, back toward self-reliance and personal responsibility. And your vote will reflect that, eventually. Thus, I am truly fearful for Texas. The Texas Hill Country is now full of counties that went for Biden. I am 3rd generation CA. My grandfather was born in SF in 1876. If you think CA was magical in 2004, when you “arrived” with all due respect, to add to the mass corruption of “My California,” you cannot imagine the magic of growing up there in a small town in the 60’s. Think “The Sand Lot.” Thankfully, we got out 25 months ago, fled to arguably the most conservative state in the union. I will not mention the state (and thankfully it is not on your list of where people are going) because I really don’t want anyone from CA moving here; now that I’m here, I want the draw bridge up. Conservatism here is not Sean Hannity blatting and bleating on at high volume and endlessly. Conservatism is reflected in your very first thought and action, in reaction to a problem: What can I, me, myself, do now to solve this problem? And go about doing it. With civility and integrity and genuine niceness. The people here are amazing; sometimes I just marvel at it. I know I can never be one of them, but they have every ounce of my respect, and my commitment to do NOTHING, even if very hard, to ruin it for them. And for me.
I am coming from SW Washington that was a conservative area in WA until past 15ish years – large numbers of Californians came and i think the earlier transplants came as beautiful there and much cheaper – but perhaps they left too early to see how bad things got and might not see how well intentioned policies they voted in are ruining CA- as my SW Washington home town has gone blue and woke- i think the transplants from California today in large are a different group of people leaving not just for economic reasons but they are waking up to the political mess the west coast is so i would imagine they are smarter and more aware and will fight to keep things sane in their new states and towns – like we will here in Tennesee – i have always been a conservative so didn’t have to wake up fully- but we all need to examine ourselves as subconsciously we have been conditioned- i feel like i am pealing off layers of PTSD!
I hope you are true to your word. To do that though, you will need to understand the bias and the clever deceit used by the main stream media (even local media) as well as how ballot measure titles are twisted to lure people into voting one way without ever reading the measure. In short, the Democratic Party has become a socialist, “progressive” party with one goal in mind: control. They will do anything to remain in power. As an example, their proposed “voting rights act” simply allows everyone and his dog to vote, whether they are citizens or not. We can’t let this continue or our whole country will become like SF and CA.
To add to the above, what Biden and the Democrats say about Republicans is actually describing themselves.
We Idahoans still dont trust you because, although you have good intentions, you are still blind to your own self when you arrive. You still have wokeness in your veins, you are still a bleeding heart for “multicultural societies” (I think you know what I mean), and you bring all that horseshit with you still. The reason I know this is true is because you still use woke keywords to describe your new neighbors.
Also, this blog gives you away again…you want to be an “activist” for government policies. Real Idahoans dont just hate the federal govt, we hate our own govt too. We want less govt, and less activism. We dont want to use govt to change things, we just want them to have such a small footprint that they are moot.
I dont trust you. You are still blind to your autopilot wokeness. Sorry, return to Cali and live in your mess. Send your kids to the bad schools, move into the bad neighborhoods. Dont bring that shit up here.
Exactly and well said! This what I meant by “conservatism at the DNA level.” California “conservatives” just don’t have it.
Look at what the Californians have done to Coer D’Alene, ID. It used to be an Aryan shangri la with good schools, cheap living, non-existent local govt, lots of open land to hunt on, etc…
Now it is an expensive liberal shit hole where the invaders are constantly telling the natives what to do, how to think, where to live, etc…
You liberals are constantly telling people how to live…that’s the worst part about you. You think you are so much smarter than everyone else. Have some respect and leave others alone, then you might be welcomed a little more by old fashioned Americans.
You lost me with your “Aryan Shangri La” comment. “Old fashioned Americans” come in all colors, and are perfectly capable of “have(ing) some respect and leave(ing) others alone.” I’m out of this thread.