The reason CA is such a high tax state and still has so many people clamoring to live here is that, if you can afford it, it's an absolutely gorgeous place with wonderfully mild weather, fantastic food, and incredible outdoor opportunities. Sure, our taxes suck, but it's the price you pay to live amidst such natural beauty. My backyard opens up to a gorgeous redwood forest, there's a nice beach 30 minutes away, or I can drive 3 hours for world-class skiing. There's literally nowhere else in the US like it, which is why housing is so expensive, and why the state government can get away with charging the income tax that they do.

Just like anywhere, our cities have their problems with crime and homelessness. But this state is too beautiful to contemplate leaving, at least for me...