California used to be the dream destination for Americans from all over the country and people from around the world. Now, for the first time, the state is shrinking.
I’m old enough to remember when the California Dream was just like the American Dream, only better, because it was in California. Glorious beaches, a Mediterranian climate, redwoods, the Pacific Coast Highway, a world-class education system, and room and liberty enough for everyone to find a home there. It was an almost magical kingdom, to coin a phrase.
Like millions of others, I dreamed of living in the Golden State someday. I made my way there from the Midwest at the tender age of 19. But even then, the writing was on the wall. Cheerful tolerance was giving way to progressive conformity, the schools really weren’t all that good anymore, the roads weren’t being taken care of, and everything was getting so damn expensive. Read more…
