California is doing everything wrong

We're making mistakes other blue states aren't

Who did it better: Beatles or Stones? You’d probably be quick to point out that’s an apples to oranges comparison. It’s the same thing with blue-state California versus red-state Texas or Florida. Apples to oranges.

But it’s hard not to draw comparisons, especially when fresh U-haul data shows that for the fourth year in a row California led the nation in people moving out of state, while Texas and Florida saw the most people moving in.

Plenty of other blue states don’t have our problems, like Massachusetts, so let’s compare that.

For the second year in a row, Wallethub has ranked Massachusetts as the best state in the nation to raise a family. I actually went there last summer and immediately noticed significantly lower gas prices, that laundry detergent wasn’t locked up at the store and that roads weren’t pockmarked with potholes ready to cripple your car.

It appears “Taxachusetts” actually provides a good return on taxpayers’ investment. The ranking highlighted The Bay State’s low unemployment rates, abundant economic opportunities, safe conditions for children and its top-notch public schools systems.

Massachusetts actually ranked first in the nation for public education, while California routinely fails our youth. Fully 50% of California schoolchildren fail to meet basic standards for English, 65% fail to meet basic math standards and 70% fail to meet basic standards in science.

Even if your kid manages to make it out of school and into the world, do they have a chance at putting down roots? Good luck. California’s median home price is nearing $900,000. While Massachusetts isn’t the most affordable place either, its median home price of just under $600,000 is far more attainable.

Gas prices? As of writing this, the average price for a gallon of regular in California is $4.54. Cheap! (For California.) But Massachusetts drivers are only paying $3.15. Plus, while our gas taxes and fees amount to nearly $1 per gallon, Massachusetts’ gas tax is only 24 cents per gallon. And their roads are in far better shape.

Massachusetts only has a flat personal income tax rate of 5%. We have nine tax brackets with the highest rate of 13.3%. Even so, despite all those tax dollars, California has managed to go from a $100 billion budget surplus to a $68 billion deficit in just two years.

Public safety? This year Massachusetts had the lowest property crime rate in the nation.