And back to the OT.

What a lot of the other 49 staters forget, or fail to realize, is that California has been the gold rush state for 170 years. People come here to make a fortune, then head elsewhere. More than likely, those "Califernicators" you despise, weren't born and raised in California. Instead, like the majority of the state's current population, they came from one of the other 49 states, or from some other country first.

Tracy mentioned San Francisco and its numbskull government, brought on by people trying to move to Paris, but didn't make it across the Atlantic. What he failed to mention is the exact numbers.

I did the rideshare driver thing for a couple years before my current temporary semi-retirement. I drove in SF probably 3-4 days a week, and spent a good time chatting with passengers. My informal empirical polling showed that 80% weren't even native Californians and that 5% or less were born in SF. LA and SF are not so different in these regards. And this is where the majority of the state voting block lives. 9 SF bay counties, and the 4-5 down south (LA, Orange, SD, Ventura, and maybe San Bernadino?)

So, please remember, the odds are that those damned "Califernicators" probably aren't originally from California. Instead, they're just more of those people that came to CA to make their stake and then move on to greener pastures. As has been done for nearly two centuries now.

At any rate, Ranger Green has me beat. While we're both leaving the state and ex-wives behind, I'm not out of here for another 6 years unless my ex decides that I was actually right, and this geographical paradise is rapidly going down the toilet and decides to move. But I know, where ever I go I hope that a local will absolutely punch my lights out if I ever say "Well, that's not how we did it back where I'm from...." Seriously, those words ought to be the get out of jail free card for any assault charge.

Scott