I moved from NJ to CA in 1978. Couldn't believe how smooth the roads were, how little traffic there was and how polite people were.

Moved to NC in 2005... was very impressed with how smooth the roads were, how nice the traffic was and how polite people were.... compared to CA.

Be that as it may you can bet that is a rarity.

Aim small, miss small.

The problem comes because so many Californians move to places like Colorado, saying how much they hated Cali, and how wonderful Colorado is and bla bla bla. But then immediately 95% start working full force to make wherever they moved to, just like Cali. Home-owners associations, regulating this and that, and generally just irritating the shit out of the locals. Seen it for myself, part of why we left the once fine state of Colorado.

Don't you watch the news? I heard a couple days ago that it was the same temperature in Miami that it was in Anchorage. 41 degrees I think. Its not so bad.

In New Jersey, there are no Republicans in office. Just some Democrats that switched letters to get on the ballot. Hell, the last "libertarian" I recall promised to pass more laws.

Well, at some time the king will fall. I do not mean Obama he is just the next king in a long succession of kings. In our system he is really just the king of the kings. Its the department heads that are the kings and they do not change as often as the king of kings.

At some point, either though plague (economic, physical or philosophical), war or famine, the king will fall and there will be a chance for freedom to rise again. It is more likely that some other form of kingship will rise, but if we have a handful of dedicated people driven by agency (individual choice) and property rights based philosophy it will bring freedom back.

That is what I mean for the time being. That time may be well beyond my life, but at some point it will come around again. I just hope its not after a return to the dark age.

I like the movie the patriot. A line from it comes to my mind every time I think about dictatorships and the US government agencies.

"Why trade 1 tyrant 3000 miles away for 3000 tyrants 1 mile away."

It is exactly what we have done.

California is lovely.
It's not that it's too liberal.
It's that it is not liberal enough, in the old sense of the word.
If being liberal means silencing half the population, then I can do without liberalism.
If it means letting all speak, what we fought for as Democrats so hard, real freedom, then I'll take it.

I would like to see something as a overlay to this. What is happening with populations over the last 10 years in each of these states. Are people fleeing the tyranny or are they simply complacent to stay?

I moved here from Seattle to get away from crowds. Shhh, don't tell anybody - it worked.

I do some business in the Jefferson region and really like it up there. If it did happen the Feds would be on them like white on rice, making sure they aren't allowed to use their natural resources (remember the "spotted owl"). What beautiful country up there. Their pot crop (I don't touch the stuff) alone would financially power the new state.

I don't really understand that prejudice, "I don't like Californians." So...somebody leaves a place because it's too liberal or just plain totalitarian and Cowboy Tex doesn't like them because they came from California? Spend a little time at a place like Pismo Beach and tell me I'm crazy for loving it...

I've heard great things about Austin. A friend and coworker of mine relocated his family there and loves it.

Waiving?? Did it somehow go away or become no longer necessary?

And the waiving wheat...

My daughter keeps trying to convince me to do just that!

Honestly - I am praying that the "Jefferson" movement (far northern California & far Southern Oregon) happens... it may have the best chance of returning some sort of sanity to what used to be a wonderful place to live, but is now a good place to be from.

I live in the People's State Of California." It deserves its ranking.

I've been in California for 50 years now and (to quote Glen Campbell) "the weather suits my clothes." Granted its one of the highest taxed states and I probably could no longer afford to live here (I'm retired) had we not got pissed off and passed Prop. 13. But its what you make of it, which is, I suppose, true for where ever one lives.

What do you mean "For the time being?"

Certainly do not agree with the map and freedoms..since the Dem's came into power here in CO too many live and let live factors are at play...not everyone agrees with what is happening here for certain its mostly in the Denver area and further south...hmmm....both heavy liberal areas and its junkies or mixed up people what their sexuality really is from one day to the next!

While this doesn't compare to living in Montana for years, I did visit northern Montana for 10 days during 2013 and it was incredible. I'd like to return there for longer (permanently?) at some point.

Another interesting map on the fiscal condition of the state: http://mercatus.org/publication/state-fi... --- if you look at both of these maps it seems Alaska is the place to be.

Being that I was born and raised in Florida and currently live in Texas I am not certain that I could stand the cold in Alaska. Other than that I agree that Alaska is the place to be.