[shooterx10]

This was first posted on calguns.net. Here is the link. (http://calguns.net/eve/ubb.x?a=tpc&s=888602736&f=2386094772&m=32810254121&r=85610194121#85610194121)

How many of you had (or even have) the opportunity to move out of this Commie State but did not? And why? And do you regret it to this day?

My story: 10+ years ago after college, I had the chance to move to Seattle. I was a international businss grad and at the time, trading and shipping was big, especially in Seattle where they did lots of business with Japan. However, my parents asked me to stay, I got a new girlfriend, new job, etc., so I stayed. BOY am I kickin' myself now! I could be living in Bellevue/Seattle, have a CCW, and all the "assault hardware" I need! :cuss:

Hmm....Perhaps it's not too late? :rolleyes:

[R.H. Lee]

I was born and raised in California. I've lived in NYC, NJ, Connecticut, and Colorado. Always came back to California and despite the political climate here will never leave permanently. It's home and always will be.

[50 Freak]

Lived here pretty much all my life. Family and Friends are here. No chance of me cutting those ties. It is a great state, if not for four things. SF, LA, Boxer and Swinestein.

Besides I have a CCW and a healthy collection of registered AW's. Only thing that bugs me is that I can't legally pass them down to my kids (when I have them). But actually by the time I'm ready to retire, me and the misses are moving to a friendlier state. Preferable, where we live far away from any major cities.

[Henry Bowman]

and all the "assault hardware" I need! That and .50s are under threat in the state of Washington now also.

[Number 6]

I had the opportunity when I did my grad school applications. When it came down to it, of all the schools I got into the best one was in California. I have lived here all of my life, I love it here. I hate the laws and wish I could own an AR-15, but like others I have friends and family that are more important to me than my guns. Perhaps when I finish school my career will take me elsewhere.

[Bobothebigdog]

I've always lived in California and everything I know is here. Besides, I have hope that in 20 years the political climate will flip in Sacramento. With all of those liberal nutbags getting their abortions hopefully a little scarring of the uterus will prevent reproduction. :evil:

[crazyXgerman]

so, wait, lemme get this straight:

you made the choice of family, relationship, and employment - but you regret it because you'd rather have more guns? :confused:

are you sure you have your priorities straight? or was your post meant to be humorous and i completely failed to pick up on it?

[EghtySx]

Born and raised in Texas here with no intention of leaving. However, If I were to live somewhere else it wouldnt be the PRK. You couldn't pay or threaten me enough to live there.

[thorn726]

screw that! there is nothing i love more than calling my parents in NY (like i did today) and telling them how nice it was, SUN!

gun laws are such a small part of the big picture. there's more money to be made here, i could never live this three work day week anywhere else, i can be a freak, and 215. legal herb!

heck, here i can just drive out into the woods and shoot if i want.

no country music (hahaha just had to poke a little fun at y'all)

people are (outside of the gun issue) mroe accepting of others here. it's like a real America. i don't have to be just like my neighbor to get along here.

i could leave any time i want, i have multiple oppurtunities in other states. but Cali is where it's at. Girls, girls girls. lots of fun to be had all over.

besides, somebody has to be here to try and save what's left of the 2nd here.

man, with all the forests to shoot in do you really think we pay attenention to the rules???????

here's a good one= four of my buddies are in the woods, shooting in a little spot off a dirt road. FULL on , all kinds of stuff.
police officer drives by. ONE police officer. he looks a minute. he drives away.

it's not nearly as bad as you think, the real problem for most people outside of here i think is that us Cali people dont stand for redneck nonsense.

meaning= people will do what they want. they will be gay, atheists, weirdos, not cut their hair. and we let 'em.

if it wasnt for a bunch of gangster jerks in the hard parts of the city, these gun laws wouldnt be so bad here.
there are a LOT more shooters here than you all think.
people forget that HALF the pop in CA is in the hills and other rural areas, and these people have guns.

they change the laws, we ignore them., the cops are going after the criminals, not going door to door looking for AP or big mags

[Old Dog]

Wow, Thorn, your little thesis is so mind-boggling I can't come up with words to rebut any of it ...

Well, I did live in California, for almost half of my adult life. Bay area and San Diego county ... Of course, if you can live with the ridiculous traffic, the high crime rates, the sky-high taxes, the high cost of living, the trash along every public thoroughfare, the polluted air, the incredible numbers of illegal aliens, the lunatics in your state legislature and city councils, the huge numbers of unnecessary laws and regulations, the miles and miles of strip malls, convenience stores and overpriced gas stations, the insane bureaucracy of every state agency, the sheer horrifying numbers of inhabitants living on public assistance of one type or another ... then have at it.

Of course, you do have some decent weather and actual females down there. But hey, we've had a couple days of sun up here, temps in the 60s and yesterday I saw a couple girls who weren't wearing parkas. Me, I escaped California a few years ago and haven't looked back.

[dakotasin]

old dog nailed it...

i was born and raised in los angeles... lived down in san diego for a bit, too.

i left, and haven't regretted it one bit. gun laws is what drove me to leave. decided one day it was time to go... sold everything i had, including my car, gave away everything else, packed a single bag of clothes and toiletries, and got a ride to the greyhound station. that was 9 years ago, now...

i'm much happier now, and have no intention of going back, ever. for those of you who choose to stay there, good on ya, like the man said, somebody's gotta fight for the 2nd there.

[Guy B. Meredith]

Thorn,

You're kidding, right? I have spent over 47 years in Orange County and now almost 13 years in the SF Bay area and I am surrounded by people that want to be just like their neighbors in a most aggressive way. Berkeley is just another trend like Yuppies, gangstas, etc. I have to look VERY hard for other independents--just aren't many. The great unwashed masses are all on stage, discourteous and grubby egomaniacs. Soccer moms to the 100th degree.

Total contrast to the well mannered driver who stopped for me to cross in a remote pedestrain walkway at 1:00 A.M. in Norman, OK. They even say "sir" and "ma'am" and mean it. Took me a while to adjust.

On the other hand, as I've said repeatedly, we have an amazing array of gun clubs and ranges. Great competition opportunities, good relationships while on range.

I did, in fact, try several times to get out of the state. Unfortunately my job skills are very narrow and I am stuck here until I become imaginitive enough to come up with something different or retire.

In the late 80s I made a try at a job in Australia. I was given an offer, but my wife put the nix on it as she still wasn't in the mood to be that close to her relatives. She now regrets that and I celebrate it as I wasn't a shooter at the time and wouldn't want to deal with the Austalian attitude now.

I tried an in-company transfer to Wilsonville, Oregon two or three years ago, but I guess they couldn't believe I was willing to take a 40% cut in pay to move out of California. With the cost of living there we could have easily done it and lived at the same level we are here. Turns out that was a time when Xerox had laid off workers and they decided to assist the locals that had no job rather than a Californian (they hate us anyway) who just wanted to change locations.

[Braz]

Me too,

I remember several years ago reading about Skunkster hoping to escape, but I think he never did. I did several months ago, and I LOVE it. Don't get me wrong, California is the greatest state in the US, the problem is too many people agree with me. It's too crowded. And crowds bring liberal ideas and loss of gun rights. Look at NYC. It wa such a thrill to walk into my first gun show in four years that had ARs and AKs, and everything else under the sun. People walked around selling rifles off their backs. I'd forgotten what that felt like. I love the beach, the weather and lots of the people, but I don't miss the hassles and the cost to lifestyle. Come on Skunky, escape! :)

[MikeyBee]

I just got here. Came to L.A. from NYC.

Can't complain. At least now I can purchase a handgun.

I guess it's kind of like leaving Nazi Germany for Occupied France. ;)

[Valkman]

When my chance came I didn't blow it, but I didn't want to go at first. I had owned guns but wasn't really into it like I've been since, and since I had been there my whole life I didn't want to leave. But the wife was going back to Vegas to be near her kids so I went too - best move I ever made.

I hear "well it's sunny here". Here too! "But I have equity in my house". I have WAY more in my house here than I ever had in CA. The price on this house almost doubled within 9 months of us buying it. The only thing I lost is the great bike riding in the Sierras - there's nothing but flatland around here. I just buy full auto guns and AR's and stuff to make up for it. :) Once you experience buying 2 or 3 guns and walking out with them (and not even doing the NICS check because you have a CCW) you don't want to go back to CA way of doing things.

[wardog]

Old Dog nailed it.

Born and raised in So Cal. California has a lot of great things going for it, however too many people think so. The crowds and traffic are really too much.

If I was still there I'd be trying to make the best of it too. It's amazing what you find yourself putting up with simply because you've gotten used to it.

I was lucky enough to escape in 92. Still visit once in a while to see the folks.

[Mark in California]

I have lived in Northern California my entire life, in fact I am at least a third generation Californian and the second generation in Humboldt County. My family has been on the West Coast since around 1864. It is the greatest place to live. There is either an ocean or three hours of trees to get to any city of more than 20,000 from here. I hate to consider leaving, but I am tired of being looked at as a criminal just because I am a hunter, shooter and firearms collector. Taxes and other laws do not help either.

My wife and I are thinking of buying a house and property in Oregon. For us, it would only be a hour and a half drive. Since we run our own business, we could schedule things so we could stay 3-4 days a week. Who knows, maybe we could open operations in Oregon.

Still trying to fight for a turn around in the political climate, but starting to scout out a plan "B".

[RABULL]

I've lived in California for over 30 years. I'm so close to retiring (California State does have a great retirement system) that I'll hang on for a couple more years. Once retired, I'm out of this state.............. :D

[Phil Ca]

During my tour in Vietnam 65/66 my wife and the kids moved to a town near SF for a better job opportunity and weather. (We were stationed in Kansas prior) I had always liked the SF Bay Area and sorta fell into staying around. About a year later i found a decent job and stayed for more than 27 years. Thimgs changed for the worse over the years as far as the state in concerned. I would have preferred to move back to Oregon but my arthritis tells me to stay in the PRK.

The ridiculous situation of having two Demoncat senators, DiFi and Boxer(named after the shorts I'm wearing now) is a bit much but I did not vote them in, so my conscience is clear. I did not vote for either Klinton or Bush so my conscience is clear there as well. :cool:

I have had a CCW for about 25 years also and I am still able to shoot when ever I take the time. I need to find a decent rifle range here in the Central Valley and see if I can still handle a rifle as before.

If my HMO was to build a facility in Northern Nevada I would be tempted to move. In fact I would be out of here in 6 to 8 weeks! :)

I moved from the fairly quiet Napa Valley after 25 years. We had very little crime in our village and only one murder in 25 years. Now we are in the Central Valley in the county which is rated the number one in car thefts in the nation. :uhoh: Our son's 95 Integra was stolen the first week of December and found four weeks later in an orchard, stripped of major body parts and other items and then torched. :fire:

This area is also home to several thousand members of the various gangs that run rapant here. A marine from Camp Pendleton went AWOL a few weeks ago and ambushed the police responding to his bogus call for help. He killed one and severly injured another and then was killed in a further confrontation with responding tactical officers. Now the gangs are being rounded up and they are using graffiti tags to taunt the police and threaten retaliation. I do not go out anywhere unarmed. I carry around the house and even in church.

During my 27 years as a treasury officer and 23 as a reserve (concurrently :cool:) I never had such problems as we see in this town. Virtually any time I drive to own I can see gang members or "gangsta" wannabes. Some are just young and foolish but others are as serious as a heart attack. There is a group of senior citizens that work with the PD and SO and are called STARS and some other acronym. They wear a uniform and carry no firearms and just handle traffic, accident reports and the like. When I was a reserve I had full police powers and carried a revolver or a .45 [pistol. I also drove a patrol car and had a decent credential that was good anywhere in the state. I guess I will forgo getting into another uniform, especially if it means going unarmed. I would prefer not having to run down young miscreants on foot any more amyway. :)

[natedog]

Honestly, I can't wait to leave. Probably will only go as far as Texas or Arizona, so either way I won't be far from my family.

[The_Antibubba]

There's a lot I like here.

So let me ask: Why does anyone stay in New Jersey?

[thorn726]

I guess the big difference for me is i grew up in LI NY, which is worse, much worse in all the things you hate about CA, the pollution bothers me, but it is localised in cities, and is unavoidable.

Also= being a weirdo, CA is way more friendly. i do not do well in the south.
ever seen Easy Rider? that was almost me more than once.

Seriously= i am a firm believer in stand and fight, not run and hide.
(not like i am gonna fight every idiot on the street, i mean that in a political sense)

i will add a photo that shows why i love it here.

I guess ultimately i am not getting along with many people anywhere, so i might as well be where it is warm, beautiful, and money is easier to make here, people spend more.

as far as the cost of living, well you get what you pay for. again i'm from NY, so this is nothing to me.
one thing that does really bother me mroe than anything is the severe lack of god fearing folks around here. Especially in the social scenes i am in.
I guess on some levels i am here on a mission.

My friends are way way bigger gun owners, total NUTs and they wouldnt leave here for anything either.

My experience in traveling the US has been that in most places, people are thinking in very nearby, local terms, but here people are thinking bigger. i dont go anywhere myself, but i enjoy the constant flow of people from around the world (illegals excluded)

and as far as them , the illegals, well gee thanks for running away, and then later crying at me for letting all these foolios through the gate.

if it wasn't for PEOPLE LIKE ME who stay here and vote FOR stuff like 187 i believe it was to try and get these illegals out of our public services,

well guys =

we took/bartered this land because it is beautiful, rich , warm , i could go on forever- i intend to enjoy it.

you all should start fixing the problems instead of complaining about it.
come out here on vacation, register to vote, and vote absentee!
HA!!

me and my friends, well we just keep our stuff buried DEEP in case the time ever comes the rest of you want to help us out.

I am sorry guys, i have been all over 43 states, a lot of it on foot, and things just go better here, the wether's better, the views are better,

Yes, in some ways the things about people being in your business is true, but in a lot of ways, especially compared to the country, it isnt.

I wont go NEAr LA , and i hate the gated communities, but that stuff is all over the US.

I dont feel at all alone as a gun person here.
i live mroe or less in the city, not the Hard city, but populated. it takes five minutes to get here from my house.
15 minutes to downtown SF.

I guess like i said first off, i dont get along much with people or govt anywhere, so might as well have nice scenery, second the scene here with music, girls, wilderness, city, all together, i love it. somebody's got to try and change a few minds.

If what happens here affects you- you should do something other than insult people here to try and fix it.

If what happens here does Not affect you, you should not be complaining, you should allow people to be free to live how they want because you guys are complaining about roe than just gun laws , you are complaining about people. how long could i go on about people in the south, being a Yank and a Cali?
If you live here, and dont like it, try to change things, or MOVE.
telling a bunch of people who dont live here that it sucks isnt fixing anything either, and i could use the extra space.

i think if our boys are brave enough to go fight overseas, the rest of us should be brave enoug to fight at home.

if you think it is a lost cause, give up and bow out already.
But it really seems like most of you have the greater fear that CA laws will spread to your state, and then you can blame us for your problems.

Classic.

Man you guys are way too interesting and informative though, i am up waaaaay too late. whether you hate me for being a CA wacko or not, i really enjoy all this stuff and i am using as much as i can from here to educate the people around me.

something more people need to get a firm grip on, and put to use=

it is no only the duty of a jury to decide guilty or innocence, but to decide whether the law being prosecuted is just.

if every pro gun person leaves Cali, where will we be?

i wont give up whats in this photo becasue of a few jerks

http://sftrance.com/images/temp/hills1.jpg

[thorn726]

heHa! my roomate, who grew up CA, as a cattle rancher , now runs a horse stable (40 horses) with his mom about 20 miles from here-

told him of this thread. the response was=

AHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAahahaha! yeah right, what do you want to live in TX?
ahahahahahahahhaha. the rest of what he said, it would be rude to repeat.

i guess some of you just wont figure it out

[The_Antibubba]

The first is a picture of my favorite coffee shop.

The second is the view from that table.

(OK-both photos are too big :o)

I can't even begin to tell you how good the coffee is.

[GunnySkox]

no country music (hahaha just had to poke a little fun at y'all)

I'm insulted.

I hate pop-country crap!

Bluegrass is where it's at. :neener:

~Slam_Fire

[Mauserguy]

Once the folks kick off, I'm out of here.
Mauserguy

[mountainclmbr]

I may be required by my company to move to Kommiefornia soon. I will quit my job first. I would feel the same if required to move to the "Workers Paradise" of Cuba. Boxer and Feinstein as my senators....right? This is for a multi billion contract. Unfortunately, both companies competing (my company team and the competition) are in Kommiefornia. Can they both loose?...Please!!!!! I am not moving to Kommieland, no way no how! I hate every minute I have to travel there. I hate the gangs. I hate the aggressive homeless thugs. I hate the Kommie politicians. Better to live free in poverty!

[hrb02]

Raised in KA most of my life and have lived/travelled/worked all over the world.

Carve out LA/SF and the Senators and Assemblymen :barf: represented by them and you have a great state with some great people.

Since I don't have a knife big enough for that carve out, I choose to stay and fight for the 2nd. If KA gun rights go, who is next? NY? NJ? MD? Where does it end.

I see both sides of the argument (staying and leaving). I choose to stay (and wait 10 days, and wait 30 days, and give up my .50 and ...) :D

[swifter]

Ummm... I've lived in CA for better than a half century...We are planning to leave soon. ;) Not the idiot gun laws, tho they do not encourage staying :cuss: . And not the mess the jackass party has made of this state :barf: . The pendelum will swing back, and things will change. I think. :uhoh:
Its the crowding. I live in a small mountain town that has had the population increase by four times in the last decade. its not the illegals crowding us, its the legals from other states, moving here, demanding homes, creating a development frenzy :eek: .

That won't stop until there's no room left. :evil:

Tom

[artherd]

I can move any darn time I want, I work for me.

But I am going to stay and fight.

While I will eventually will have houses in many states, California will always be my home.

Gun legislation? Worse than many, but better than some (ie, DC, IL). And so many other nicities!

http://www.dreamns.com/stuff/beach-small.jpg

[blackrazor]

Thorn,

I lived in Berkeley for four years (college), and I can honestly say that town is the most terrible place I have ever seen... anywhere. I've traveled all over the world, and Berkeley is, BY FAR, the worst urine soaked, bum culture infected, liberal left wing $^@%hole anywhere. Just thinking about that place makes me want to :barf: . And the notion of you claiming berkeley types are accepting is a joke... the average Berkeley citizen (i.e. pot-smoking homeless hippie) will ridicule anyone who votes for Bush, anyone who drives a car, anyone who owns a gun. You think Berkeley is accepting? Try walking down Telegraph Ave. wearing a Bush/Cheney T-shirt.

Anyway, CA is really not that bad, you just have to stay away from SF, LA, and Berkeley. Most of CA (landwise) is very conservative/pro-gun. The only problem is that the state government is controlled by LA/SF. Well... that and the fact that the state is always going bankrupt funding public services for illegal immigrants. Oh yeah and the ultra high property, sales, AND income taxes.... and the pollution.... sky high inner city crime rates... draconian car taxes and regulations... corruption in the LAPD... outrageous property costs... terrible gun laws... F#$@^#^$ daily traffic jams... electricity shortages... Feinstein... Boxer... hmmm, now that I think about it, I have no idea why I live here. :scrutiny:

[stevelyn]

I had the misfortune of being stationed there for 17 months. Glad I left and have no desire to ever go back.

[No_Brakes23]

Moved here in '79 when my Dad quit being a gunsmith in Columbia, MO to be a machinist for Weatherby. Grew up in LA/OC area and moved around a bit in 1996, (Houston, Colorado Springs, Atlanta, Chattanooga,) and then joined the Corps.

I was stationed in Yuma, AZ which is paradise for guns, but with 33% unemployment, I couldn't afford any of them. I have been to Florida repeatedly, as well as Hawaii and Guam. I moved back to Cali in '01 just in time to have the last four years be a blur of deployments. San Diego is where I live now, and I love it. Most folks around here are military friendly, and pretty easy going. The traffic gets bad at times, but I am never more than 30 mins from home. This place is nowhere near as bad as it is north fo the "Orange Curtain."

Why do I stay? Well I disliked about every other place I have lived. Knoxville, TN, Colorado Springs, CO, Flagstaff, AZ, and Portland OR/Vancouver WA are the only other places I could stand to live. Each one has some glaring thing I dislike.

Furthermore, my wife has a great job that pays well, and there are jobs-a-plenty here in San Diego. Yeah, a house costs $250k-$500k, but you can turn around and sell it for more later. And because of the economical disparity between Cali and other areas, leaving is a big deal. It is far easier to leave than to come back. I lost a lot of money coming back from the south, (Though I must admit, it has its own unique charms,) and I am loathe to do it again.

I also ride a motorcycle, and the geological nature of Coastal California lends itself to some amazing canyon riding. I would have a hard time giving that up. (Though all the place I could stand to live have SOME riding nearby.)

Am I bothered by the dumb laws? Very much so, but if it can happen in Cali, it can happen anywhere. Many people are loathe to admit it, but a lot of the nation's cities model themselves after California cities.

I dislike having to use an 870 and 1911 to defend my home when I could use a 30-round mall-ninja AR if I lived one state over. But there are certainly worse things in life than owning an 870 and 1911. I couldn't care less about .50cal rifles, they are so impractical for me, that I doubt I will ever own one. The principal of the ban makes me mad as hell, but I would be stupid indeed to move to a place I don't like based on the prinicpal of not being able to own a weapon I wouldn't buy.

That's my story.

[Guns_and_Labs]

I've lived in several states, and several countries, and I still come back to California.

I do stay away from LA and SF, and I find the rest of the state to be pretty laid back. Once out of the cities, CCW is not a problem, and we don't have a lot of "No CCW" signs. Heck, I can even pick up my kids from school properly protected.

The hunting and fishing is great... the CA blacktail is way more fun than any whitetail I've come across. The wild boar is more fun (and tasty) than should be legal.

I can ski and swim the same day, if I want to.

OK, the politics are stressful. But if we lose here, it's only a matter of time before the other 49 fall.

[bill2]

I was born in CA, and have lived in MD, MI, NJ, CO, and Germany (courtesy of the Army back in the '70's), as well as San Diego while in college and all over the bay area - Concord, San Jose, San Fran, and currently Fremont. Yeah, the gun laws piss me off, but there are a lot of things that keep me and my wife here. Lots of Friends, weather, jobs, GREAT riding roads for my motorcycle, I can ski in the winter whenever I want to but can live in a mild winter climate.

I go back and forth on moving. I would love to live in CO or Boise or Couer d'Alene in ID, or Seattle, or Portland. Except for the rain of course. My wife is Asian and sometimes she has mentioned not wanting to live in an area without as many Asians as there are in the bay area. The political arena is not the greatest, but hopefully that will change. I do my part by writing letters, voting for the best candidates, and taking newbies out to shoot.

Thorn, I would disagree with you on how tolerant people in the bay area are. They're tolerant only if you're on the left side of the political spectrum. Try going around with a Bush sticker on your car, and wearing a Republican ball cap on your head, and you might think differently. Liberals today are not the liberals of 40 years ago. Back then liberals meant an open mind and listening, now it simply means left of center. And to add to that, there are so many people today who don't fit into the conservative/liberal niche. I am a bug supporter of the 2nd, including the right to own automatic weapons/CCW across the country. But I also am against the amendment to the constitution banning gay marriage, and I don't think it's wrong if gays want to get married. So where does that put me in the political spectrum?

As many have mentioned, CA is actually a number of states. The coast, from San Fran on down, is quite liberal. The eastern half of CA is more conservative and actually voted for Bush in 2004. Way northern CA is very rural and has little population. Most people outside of CA think of it as one monolithic state, but in reality it's quite different depending on where you go. Main Stream media adds to this mis perception, as it does to many other things in our country!

[Dirty Bob]

I was born in San Francisco and moved to Sonoma County with my parents in the late 60s, then moved to San Diego in the mid-80s while in the Navy. After I got out, I lived in Oakland for a short time while cranking out a 12-month master's at UC Berkeley. I watched things changing around me and left. In my field, there were few jobs at the end of the 1980s, so deciding to leave was easy.

My wife and I were happy in New Mexico, and now in Texas. We've been back to visit, but with crime, cost of living, traffic, Comrades Feinswine and Boxer, etc., I see little to draw me back to the Bay Area.

Best wishes,
Dirty Bob

[zookrider]

I was born in LA and grew up in the Inland Empire. Spent some time in rural AZ as a youth (summers with GM and GP) so I know both sides of the street. Left KA when I joined the Army in '98 and have since been stationed in Texas 2x, KA (Monterey), Kentucky, and Hawaii. KA is still home, but I don't see myself going back. I fell in love with the Hill Country when I was in Texas, my wife is from there as well so that is where I will likely plant roots when I retire. Pro 2A, good MC riding, friendly people, granted, it's not as gorgeous as the sierra nevadas or the central coast, but the mexican food is just as good.

Now if we could just get an In & out in Texas.....

[Correia]

Born and raised in California. 4th Generation. Spent most of my life there. My ancestors helped build a tiny little town in the San Joaquin Valley. (El Nido). I only moved after I was beaten half to death by a gang of Nortenos in Merced. In the process of the beat down (which was unprovoked and was part of a gang initiation for some of the younger dirt bags) I managed to defend myself and seriously injure a few of them. I had to leave because they were going to kill me in retribution. Lovely.

That said, it would be a cold day in hell before I moved back. I even hate going back to visit family. I despise everything about California. I absolutely hate the place. Everything about it disgusts me.

I don't care if it is sunny and 70 every day, I would rather live on the tundra than there.

Understanding? My butt. Exact opposite in my opinion. Most self righteous, impolite, judgemental people I've ever met. (not saying they aren't everywhere else either, but seem especially self righteous out there)

I had a job offer in the bay area that paid 6X what I make now. I told them to go to hell. My wife's family is also from California. Her parents still live near San Jose. They rent a tiny house that is worth over half a million dollars. Their home would fit in my living room and I paid a fifth of what theirs is worth. And their neighborhood sucks. Went to my brother in laws graduation and got to watch a CRASH unit take down some gang bangers, and then a big car chase through the neighborhood. Sounds like the kind of place where I would want to drop HALF A MILLION FREAKING DOLLARS on a house.

My father in law's commute takes an hour and a half to drive TWELVE miles. People are buying houses in the San Joaquin valley and COMMUTING to the bay area. Let me put that in perspective for you non-Californians. That is 180+ miles. People are willing to drive or ride the train for 180-200 miles so that they can actually buy a home.

Crime everywhere. Dirtbags everywhere. Even in the little bitty conservative town I grew up in we couldn't leave anything unlocked or not chained down because the crack heads would steal it. And I absolutely love aggresive mentally ill homeless people who harrass you. Yes we have them in SLC too, but never like in the massive crowds you see in places like San Francisco.

My public education could best be described as Gladiator School. My high school had the second highest teenage pregnancy rate in the nation. Stupidity is the norm. And keep in mind I'm from one of the most conservative parts of that cesspool.

[Daniel T]

AHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAahahaha! yeah right, what do you want to live in TX?

Yup.

Have you ever been to Texas? Do you actually know anything about Texas?

I work with two ex-Bay-area Kali-ites who didn't actually want to move here originally. Their jobs were moving here though, with or without them, so they decided to give it a try. Now neither would ever move back. They always comment on how much more friendly and open the people are here. Not to mention the vastly lower prices on just about everything.

[bill2]

Just in time for this thread, there was an article in the wall st opinion journal about liberal vs. conservative cities. and no surprise, the bay area was the most liberal area in the nation. below is the url to check out the articles:

provo UT was considered the most conservative. although the articles I read didn't go into detail how they decided what made a city liberal vs conservative.

http://votingresearch.org/

[HI express]

When I first got married, I had worked up in Washington state..loved it. Wife wanted to stay here(Los Angeles) to take care of her elderly parents.

Second chance...We were finally ready to move out of state (proper mindset)..my mother wanted to go live with us...she was getting elderly...Wife nixxed the deal about moving.

Actually, third reason now..my mom is in her 80's and I am the one that needs to take care of her here in L.A.. She lived longer then we expected so looks like she will be around to be feisty on the family. She continues to fight with everyone. My wife wishes that we had moved out of Kali years ago.

To keep on thread though, I enjoy collecting guns sold on the Internet that are Cali-nazi approved. I only drool at what other states allow their citizens to buy.

[Fletchette]

Kalifornia is no longer a Free State, in my (and a lot of others') opinion. It simply does not make sense to keep living there and give the fruits of your labor to an unjust government. The State will most likely go bankrupt, for a variety of reasons, and I would not even want to be visiting when that happens. I don't care how nice the beaches are.

If your rights are more important to you than the view, you should relocate across the border in Nevada or Arizona, and become VERY politically active. Retreating to a defensible position is a sound strategy.

Moving based on politics polarizes the nation and forces the issue to be resolved. Blue states become bluer, red states become redder. By remaining in a mostly socialist state your voices are simply ignored. By moving to another state you stand a chance of forming a majority.

I moved from Boston to Colorado for just this reason.

[No_Brakes23]

Flechette, after living in Arizona, I have to disagree about it being a good idea to move there just for 2a rights.

Between the heat, rampant meth use, widespread unemployment, and Qworst Phone Service, I found AZ to be near unbearable. Maricopa county doesn't suffer from the unemployment, but is still afflicted by the Desert Folk and godforsaken heat. Parker and Havasu are great for River Rats, but not the kind of place where I want to raise my kids. Tuscon is too damn close to New Mexico, (Although it has gorgeous sunrises,) and Flagstaff is so much like Colorado, that I might as well move to Durango as Flagstaff.

It seems like most places outside Cali (In my experience,) are a choice between "Bangin in Little Rock"-style meth-trailer trash communities or suburbs that are working towards becoming mini-Californias.

[Fletchette]

Then move to Nevada. Or Wyoming. You are not restricted (yet) to moving only to an adjacent state. I moved from Taxachusetts to Colorado. 'Never looked back. :D

[No_Brakes23]

Having lived in Denver as a very young child, ('75-'77 while dad went to CST,) and Co Springs in '96, I find CO very much to my liking. Now if there was just a way to drag the Pac Ocean over there.

For now, I will get by here, and hope that:
A) the urban blight doesn't reach me
B) the gun laws to change

[Black Majik]

I just realized, I've watched Orange County grow up....

First the Mighty Ducks Movie, then Angels In the Outfield, then Orange County the movie, Then "The OC", then "Laguna Beach" or whatever the heck that movie is called....

Hey its getting popular, I wonder what other movies will be made in my county. :D

[PinnedAndRecessed]

I've literally lived all over America. Been in Kalifornia (the Valley) for the past seven years. Come the second week in September, will be moving to Tulsa, OK.

I've discovered that there is good and bad everywhere. I remember moving to Michigan and having to physically hand carry every one of my handguns down to city hall to allow some overweight govt. employee log the numbers and do a check on them (and me).

I remember living in the Cumberland mountains in Tennessee (also for seven years) and having to get the local sheriff to approve every single handgun purchase I wanted to make.

I remember waiting periods in Kentucky and Indiana.

I remember moving to California thinking I was getting away from hillbillys and rednecks. What a laugh. There are more rednecks and hillbillys in Kalifornia, per capita, than anyplace else in America.

There is good and bad everywhere. It is what we choose to call home, and then, make the best of it.

I will, however, miss the food, weather, and scenery.

[No_Brakes23]

I wonder what other movies will be made in my county. Don't forget the Christian Slater skateboard movie Gleaming The Cube. It has an unintentionally humorous look at an older OC. They had to import half the skaters from North San Diego County.

[Fletchette]

I wonder what other movies will be made in my county.

How about "Escape from Kalifornia" :evil: