O CALIFORNIA, CALIFORNIA . . . !

In the Bible it is recorded that Jesus, very near the end of His mortal ministry, rode near unto Jerusalem and stopped and looked over the city and wept before entering into it.  He lamented, “O Jerusalem, Jerusalem . . . how often would I have gathered thy children together, even as a hen gathereth her [chicks] . . . and you would not! Behold, your house is left unto you desolate” (Matthew 23:37).

 A novel was written over 1,900 years later by Curt Gentry in 1968 that had the provocative title “The Last Days of the Late Great State of California” describing what might happen if a Richter magnitude 9 earthquake occurred on California’s San Andreas fault line—desolation.  The author fictionally described the consequences of the entire western half of the state collapsing into the Pacific Ocean. 

It seems that a political/cultural/economic earthquake is now taking place in California and with its northern neighbors. 

In the mid-1930’s, in the midst of the Great Depression, huge dust storms made desolate many parts of the Midwest of America. The storms took  millions of tons of precious topsoil carrying it hundreds of miles from farms where it had been caused by destructive farming practices.  Not only was soil for productive farms displaced, but also were thousands of people.  These people were generically and pejoratively called “Okies,” people who lived on the heartland and who thought they could relocate in California, the “golden” state, and reclaim their lives from the desolation they had experienced. Many who were willing and eager to work did—and recovered-- but many didn’t—and the state’s population increased with both contributors to the economy and non-contributors.  

Forty to fifty years after this influx, hundreds of thousands of others, survivors of the War years, including many non-citizens who came illegally from south of our borders, inundated what was viewed as a Mecca, but what was rapidly becoming the erstwhile ‘Golden’ state of opportunity.  In addition to providing work and a pleasant environment and climate to live in, what was not well thought-out and provided for by government was becoming overwhelmed:  infrastructure in educational and health-care and transportation and criminal justice and other social systems were, so to speak, ‘heading south.’ Public policy, except in Republican-led years, in response to population growth became more liberal.  The consequences of those policies are now being played out.   

Once the envy of the world, California’s infrastructure is now crumbling.  

After decades of neglect and political misfeasance, California’s educational system, once among the finest in the nation, is now in the lowest tier of student achievement (#37 out of 50 states in K-12 education).  Standards and curriculum have been ‘dumbed down’ to accommodate unprepared students, and in the process better prepared and serious students are neglected and are not being challenged.  Parents are pulling their children out of public education and are fleeing the public schools and public colleges to seek a better education elsewhere.  It is a return to the middle-late 1960’s with all of California’s twenty-six state universities now being mandated to teach ‘cultural diversity’—and students being required to take the class! Remedial classes are now the norm.  Introduced  in the public schools about the same time was ‘sex education.’  What happened to moral constraint since then?

What is needed, rather, is an education in and a return to the traditional underpinnings of American society: the ideals and values that once made her great.  These values are now mocked by the media and entertainment industry, the educational establishment from top to bottom, and so-called liberal political philosophy and policies in state government.

The largest economy of the 50 states is quickly becoming bankrupt because of unfriendly taxing and overly restrictive business regulations. Small businesses as well as large corporations are moving eastward taking their money and people with them.  The 1980’s term, ‘brain drain’ comes to mind.  

Consequently, news reports today are telling of the mass exodus of contributing citizens going the other way--away from California (and Oregon and Washington) who are pulling up roots and moving to states east of her.  My family are among them—we recently moved.

Why?

The bailout is not alone generated by the devastating fires and the terrifying earthquakes; not even the crime in sectors of the large cities and the overwhelmed and ineffective penal-justice system; or the highest tax rate in the nation; not just the failing schools, the deteriorating roads and transportation infrastructure; or the demands on medical care by the uninsured or those whose ignorant health practices have caused their own health problems (California now requires that insurance companies cover ‘disability’ owing to the ‘disease’ of drug abuse!). Not even the heartbreaking destruction and magnet for the homeless of formerly one of the finest cities of America—San Francisco, longtime home of its former mayor and current governor could be called the 'tipping point' generating the exodus. These are all contributive in causing the decision to move out; but there is more.

In the West, contributing and home-owning  citizens and businesses are moving out of California (and likewise out of Oregon and Washington state and Colorado) because of the very toxic political and social climates (read here, moral failure) of these states' governments. What is the common denominator of once fine but now failing states?  I submit that it is liberal, even socialistic policies and cultural hostility to historic and religious and conservative virtues and values of marriage and family, and economics. If you are acquainted with the political philosopher and novelist Ayn Rand, you will sense that what we are seeing is what happened when 'Atlas Shrugged.'

What is the attractive pull of where the exodus is headed?  Conservative policies and traditional moral values are the drawing card.  It is ideas and ideals that ultimately move society. 

And where are they going?  They are moving to Idaho and Arizona and Utah and Nevada—the four states out of the 50 in this nation which have gained the most population in the last two years. These are states populated by people who love freedom--with responsibility.  

Interestingly, in addition to California, the states with the largest population losses by percentage in the United States were New York and Illinois--both states embracing liberal governmental policies.

So, I repeat:  It is ideas and ideals that ultimately move society.  Wake up California!

I end this sad tale with a slightly altered verse from the song “The City of New Orleans” sung by Willie Nelson and many others:  

    “Good morning America (good night California), how are you? I'm the one they call(ed) your native son.  I’m the train they call the City of New Orleans (City of San Francisco).  I’ll be gone 500 miles when the day is done.” 

And so it is, and will be until policy makers wake up or are voted out.  Until then, "Good night, California." Any "gold" that is left will be provided solely by the sundown in the West.