Is anyone leaving California or wanting to leave?? (Sacramento, Chico: fit in, loan)

[jc76]

Originally Posted by DoberPup

My reason for leaving California was totally economic -- spending decades in an industry that is all but completely performed for pennies in 3rd World countries. Situations and circumstances now keep me in Northern Nevada, but I always yearn to return to the state I was born and raised in because of the memories, family, attitudes, politics and beauty.

Well at least your in a decent place. Could be worse *Cough-rust belt-*

[NYSD1995]

Originally Posted by Brenda-by-the-sea

This has nothing to do with California per se; it is a federal statistic. The top 1% of federal tax filers, pay 50% of federal taxes. California has about 15 million IRS accounts, therefore 1% of the state filers comes to 150,000. Put the distribution ratio is the same in every state.

Here's what he said:

"The basic problem is that our tax system does not reflect our economy.

In 2009, California's economic growth declined 2.8%...but our tax revenues were down more than 8 times that much.

Our economy is diverse, whereas our tax system is not.

144,000 taxpayers pay almost 50 percent of all personal income taxes.

Think about it. 38 million Californians have to rely on 144,000 people for their schools, their fire protection, their health care, their public safety and many other services."


Here's another gem from Meg Whitman:

"In 1996, California had 21 percent of the nation’s welfare cases. Today, 32 percent of all welfare cases in the United States are in California, even though we only represent 12 percent of the total U.S. population. Consider this troubling comparison; California is nearly twice as big as New York state, but we have five times as many welfare cases."

[OC Investor2]

My wife has always been the anchor that kept us here - she wanted to be close to her family. But now we are a single income HH and if I want to advance in my career, we are probably going to have to leave. When I first moved out here in the early 90's there were many jobs in my line of work. But now most have left the area - Thanks CA business climate!!!!.

I would have no regrets leaving So Cal, I'm quite done with the overcrowding and overpriced dynamics of the state that are crushing quality of life for the middle class. I would miss our friends, family and church and the beach. It's always nice to go for a walk on a cool evening after watching the east coast blizzard stories on the national news, but I would trade that for some time wrestling with my boys in a pile of autumn leaves or taking them sledding on a snow day.

The grass may not be greener, but I'm ready for a new lawn.

[Brenda-by-the-sea]

I think Schwarzeneggar was just citing the Tax Foundation's view of tax burden at the federal level. At any rate, there may be 38 million Californians, but many of them are dependents or joint filers. According to the IRS, there are about 15 million tax filers in the state, so that's where the 144,000 number comes from. Bottom line: you can't escape the 1% tax burden principle by moving to another state. If you are among the super rich, you'll have a huge tax liability no matter where you live.


http://www.taxfoundation.org/UserFiles/Image/Blog/blog20090729-chart2.jpg (broken link)

[Jay100]

Funny how the shift occurred around the time Reagan's Amnesty program was implemented. Greedy politicians and business leaders did everybody in by selling out the middle class, importing cheap labor, and exporting jobs. Now the wealthy are stuck paying a greater percentage of taxes.

[NYSD1995]

Originally Posted by Jay100

Funny how the shift occurred around the time Reagan's Amnesty program was implemented. Greedy politicians and business leaders did everybody in by selling out the middle class and importing cheap labor. Now the wealthy are stuck paying a greater percentage of taxes.

California has been a magnet for the underclasses of all nations and US states for 30 years. Look how many posts we get from US citizens with no money, little education, no job, no prospects, looking to come here for their dream life.

[Jay100]

Originally Posted by Sassberto

California has been a magnet for the underclasses of all nations and US states for 30 years. Look how many posts we get from US citizens with no money, little education, no job, no prospects, looking to come here for their dream life.

Exactly, once the floodgates were opened, Californians fled and took their "prosperity" with them. With that, bad leadership has taken CA down to the 3rd world (a few elites and a bunch of peasants).

[OC Investor2]

Originally Posted by Brenda-by-the-sea

I think Schwarzeneggar was just citing the Tax Foundation's view of tax burden at the federal level. At any rate, there may be 38 million Californians, but many of them are dependents or joint filers. According to the IRS, there are about 15 million tax filers in the state, so that's where the 144,000 number comes from. Bottom line: you can't escape the 1% tax burden principle by moving to another state. If you are among the super rich, you'll have a huge tax liability no matter where you live.

Interesting chart, but w/o the context of what percent of the income each group makes, it does'nt really provide a definitive arguement. Over the last 30 years the rich have gotten richer and the bottom 25% has gotten poorer (Less working poor & more dirt poor imigrants in that group) so you would expect that change. The question is has the tax recipts changes out paced the income change. And when did the "millionaire" tax go into effect?

One of the most pernicous features of the CA tax code is how low the top rate of the income tax kicks in. Its somewhere in the $40k range. The "millionare tax" hits the mega rich for another percentage point at like the $1MM mark, but the family making $50k is paying the same rate as those making $990k. Most other state rates are much more progressive with the top rate kicking in soewhere in the six figure range.

The most screwed over people in CA are the middle class

[Brenda-by-the-sea]

Originally Posted by OC Investor2

Interesting chart, but w/o the context of what percent of the income each group makes, it does'nt really provide a definitive arguement. Over the last 30 years the rich have gotten richer and the bottom 25% has gotten poorer (Less working poor & more dirt poor imigrants in that group) so you would expect that change. The question is has the tax recipts changes out paced the income change. And when did the "millionaire" tax go into effect?

One of the most pernicous features of the CA tax code is how low the top rate of the income tax kicks in. Its somewhere in the $40k range. The "millionare tax" hits the mega rich for another percentage point at like the $1MM mark, but the family making $50k is paying the same rate as those making $990k. Most other state rates are much more progressive with the top rate kicking in soewhere in the six figure range.

The most screwed over people in CA are the middle class

Good points. The chart also doesn't say how the top 1% of tax payers were reckoned. If it was AGI -- adjusted gross income -- then it might not be the mega-rich who are at the very top. They are generally very good at making themselves much less wealthy on paper than they really are. Also, if the richest 1% of Americans control 42% of America's wealth, we should hope that they ARE paying at least half the taxes. Sometimes we need to view the glass as half full.

[jc76]

Originally Posted by Sassberto

California has been a magnet for the underclasses of all nations and US states for 30 years. Look how many posts we get from US citizens with no money, little education, no job, no prospects, looking to come here for their dream life.

If you were one of them would you not do the same? Some people have nothing to lose.