Politics

POLL: Half Of California Voters Have Considered Ditching The State, Citing Taxes And High Housing Prices

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More than half of California voters have considered leaving the state, according to a poll from the Institute of Governmental Studies at U.C. Berkeley.

Nearly 24% of voters in the state have given serious thought to the idea, while 28% have given some consideration, the Sept. 27 poll notes. They cite several reasons why bailing is appropriate, some of which are common complaints among conservatives.

More than 70% of voters surveyed cited “high cost of housing,” while 58% said “high taxes” were reason enough to leave. The sate’s political culture (46%) was also cited, especially among Republican voters, who are becoming a rarity in the Golden State.

The poll notes that “there are significant partisan and ideological differences when examining the opinions of voters giving serious consideration to moving out of state,” adding that Republicans and conservatives make up the bulk of those looking to ditch.

The poll was conducted online in English and Spanish among a sample of 4,527 of registered voters on Sept. 13 -18.

One conservative activist says the poll’s results do not surprise him.

“People can’t stomach living in California anymore. There’s filth on the streets, and schools are failing. It’s unbearable. Conservatives are giving up the fight and leaving,” Carl DeMaio, chairman of Reform California, told the Daily Caller News Foundation.

DeMaio, a Republican who campaigned in 2018 against an unpopular gas tax passed in 2017, is running for office against fellow Republican, Rep. Duncan Hunter, in 2020.

The poll highlights a troubling trend. California’s high housing prices and rising gas prices are driving away what remains of the state’s low income citizens, CNBC noted in a 2018 report. Those migrating from the coastal state are making way for places like Las Vegas and Arizona, where housing prices are cheaper compared to California.