Blue-State Pols Are Emptying Their Own States

Mr. Henninger brilliantly illustrates why "balance" is essential in a democratic market economy. Too much tax, you move to the next State. Too little, you can't find a educated work force. Democrats (and some Republicans) who seek some utopian idea of what society should be and provide only sow the seeds of decay and eventual failure. Hopefully the governors and legislatures of the red states are paying close attention lest they join the march to third world status.

Yes Mr. Henninger it is interesting, but the people put the pols in. I have lived in Idaho and Florida and have noticed that the emigres from California in the former and New York/New Jersey in the latter, bring their liberal baggage with them. They ruin their own states, then move to another and start to ruin it.

Even a one-celled organism, the ameba, with no brain, will move away from a noxious stimulus. Will the blue (they should have been colored red, since red is the color associated with socialism) states lose enough electoral votes to make a difference?

Starting with the pilgrims, voting with your feet has been a great American tradition. It's refreshing to see that even if conservatives don't always succeed in elections, the population goes where conservative (low tax, low spend, traditional values) policies are followed.

Here in rural Georgia, we enjoy a low cost of living (6% state income tax rate with big deductions). A 2,000 square foot home on an acre goes for $100,000-$125,000.

One cautionary note, however, at least from our corner of the world. Republican governors of Alabama and Georgia have proposed tax increases to cover budget shortfalls. As these states absorb a population influx and enjoy economic growth, they may be increasingly tempted to take the big government, amoral road tried by California and New York.

Hopefully, we'll learn from their mistakes and stay in the "red."

Mr. Henninger apparently forgot to mention that California's population actually increased 14% between 1990 and 2000. Immigrants are still flooding into the state (and not just from Mexico). Don't they count as human beings? It's no surprise that the cost of housing and land is higher in California than other states: The population density is much higher. It's rather hard to see that California is "emptying out" when its population is 35 million and rising.

No surprise here. My question has been, how could those people living in those tiny blue specks stay there anyway? I would certainly hate to get stranded in one of them.

The effect on red states is to make them more like blue states. New Jersey and New Hampshire used to be reliable red states. New Jersey has been receiving New York residents for 20 years now and has become a reliable blue state. New Hampshire elected its first Democratic governor in years a few years ago after getting an influx of Massachusetts residents.

I left New York state about 18 months ago for the low taxes and increased freedom offered by Arizona. I haven't looked back since. School and property taxes are much lower, state income tax is lower even the gas tax is lower. My family and I miss our friends, but the smart ones are leaving as well. We'll be together again, with more money in our pocket, and the freedom index increasing with our exit of the Vampire State.

I've lived in New York state my whole life (47 years), I'm one of the people who is planning on leaving the state. I've joined a group of people from around the world who want more freedom in their lives. Our organization is called The Free State Project.

The Free State Project is a plan in which 20,000 or more liberty-oriented people will move to a single state of the U.S., where they may work within the political system to reduce the size and scope of government. The success of the Free State Project would likely entail reductions in burdensome taxation and regulation, reforms in state and local law, an end to federal mandates, and a restoration of constitutional federalism, demonstrating the benefits of liberty to the rest of the nation and the world.

I just hope those migrating blue-staters are red-staters at heart. Otherwise, their movement could mean political shifts in some states. For example, I live in Tennessee--one of top seven destinations of blue-state escapees--which voted fairly narrowly for George W. Bush in 2000. If they're just escaping the economics, but carrying with them the big-government politics of their former homes, they could well swing the state into the blue-state column in 2004.

Welcome back from summer vacation! I hope that the President and Mr. Rove also read this morning's column.

As a resident of New York city for the past 27 years, I couldn't be more thrilled that large numbers of people are leaving. The reason that it is so expensive here is because of the large number of people who come and compete for housing, parking spaces etc. Let them go. I'll be holding open the door.

The article on in and out migration from the blue and/or red states only told part of the story. What services do the high cost states provide citizens that lower cost states don't? And, who gets the benefit of the services? What amenities? Who gets them?

The question is, did all those refugees leaving the blue states vote in such a manner as to help create the problems? If they did they will just move to the red states and muck them up. It's the blue states inhabitants who consider themselves so progressive, don't you know.

Your thesis seems to be that Democratic or liberal states are losing population to Republican or conservative states because of so-called tax-and-spend policies of politicians in liberal states. These policies, so you imply, have made it too expensive for people to live in those liberal states, so they are fleeing to conservative states where the cost of living is less.

However, you fail to establish that those so-called tax-and-spend policies were either wrong or irresponsible. Is it possible that those policies helped create desirable places to live? And as a result, many people over the years moved to those places, thus increasing demand for property, and also increasing rents and the cost of living?

Yes, as the economy disintegrates under the tax-cutting panacea of the Republican administration, people are fleeing to where they can live more cheaply. But don't be fooled. No one really wants to live in Houston.

The nation's oldest cities are the most expensive--no surprise there. These cities mirror the medieval fiefdom quite accurately. An ultra rich elite runs the city while the merchant class toils in the shops and the poor rely on the throwaways and handouts to be able to live.

I would ask that ACCRA re-evaluate Pittsburgh, however. This is a city where starting a business is frowned on. Normal cities abide by an owners right to write off business losses in the first two years. Not Pittsburgh. While you are stressing over making payroll and maintaining your credit you will pay Pittsburgh for every penny you take in--regardless of loss.

I know that isn't a "cost of living" but it gives you an idea of what a city run by Democrats for the last 50 years or so offers. Can New York City offer such a confiscatory tax?

I wonder why Mr. Henninger doesn't take his own advice and move out of the big apple.

Wait! Wait! Please don't write Oregon off the declining population list yet. We've just managed to (retroactively) raise statewide taxes to increase the state's income about 10%, Multnomah County raised business taxes some 40% (temporarily of course) and there's Portland, but you get the idea. We still have a good chance to make the next list.

Foreign immigration isn't what's saving California, it's what's driving Americans out of California by driving up prices and driving down wages--remember Econ. 101? It's called supply and demand.

Sure, the liberal politicians in California have a lot to answer for, but why do you think there so many liberals get elected? Democratic-voting immigrants move in and Republican-voting natives head for Utah.

Hey, WSJ, wake up and smell the reality.

I have yet to read an uninteresting or boring article by Mr. Henninger, but this one has extra value, too. To those approaching retirement, I suggest they cut this one out and save it. Mr. Henninger has done a lot of hard work for them that will be useful. Most persons paying those god-awful fees for living in New York, Los Angeles or San Francisco know the meaning of arbitrage in stocks, but the best one they will ever make is selling their house in a deep, deep blue state and buying another one in a red state. And also have an improved standard of living to boot.

I wish I could suggest moving to Costa Rica accomplishes the same thing. At one time it did, but not any more. However, if you place a lot of value on enjoying corn on the cob, melons, asparagus, field ripe tomatoes, and strawberries 12 months a year, as I do, you can be quite happy here. And you never have to scrape the ice off your windshield with your fingernails. The climate is delightful.

So basically what you're saying is that all those red states like, Texas, Tennessee, Arizona and Colorado are going to be voting democratic soon. Just expanding the empire. Go Blue!