Moving away became a much better option

My wife and I are leaving San Diego, leaving California.

We were both born and raised here and the thought of moving to Arizona with all the heat has us a bit torn, sad and nostalgic. Both of us have been here for more than 60 years so the decision was not an easy one. I have so many great memories of this once idyllic town and state. Our list of why we would want to move grows by the day.

Our roads are atrocious — potholes everywhere that when eventually fixed are never completely fixed. Even in La Jolla, the jewel of this town, the roads are so bad we have damaged our vehicles’ axles, tires and rims so many times our insurance will no longer cover these items so we avoid going where the roads are the worst.

Moreover, when you leave the state by car and visit the rest areas in other states, the restrooms are clean and sweet-smelling, the roads are neat and well-manicured. No weeds and trash strewn about as is the case here. Not so in California. The stench and uncleanliness of the bathrooms in our rest areas have left me with a sense of shame. Do we not have pride in our state? Should we not? And let’s not forget the enormous cost to live here. As upcoming retirees, the cost of gasoline, property taxes, just to live make retiring here not an option. California as a whole should have a more enlightened approach to its elderly population. After a certain age, say 65, we should exempt folks from having to pay property tax at the very least.

We are leaving, having bought a home that is twice the size of the one we have now for half the price and we will drive on roads that are clean and well cared for without thousands of homeless encampments and panhandlers on every street corner. What has happened to our once beatific state, our once paradisaic city?