But At Least They'll Have the Spotted Owl.

Nothing in this world is secure. There is no such thing as an endless supply of anything. Environmentalists know this, but routinely forget it when it comes to shackling economics to serve their ends. Behold the results (Hat tip: Insty):

I remember when my cousin Penelope Trunk was plotting her family’s flight from their tiny tenement in Brooklyn’s Park Slope a couple of years ago, and we joked around about moving to Oklahoma City because the cost of living was so low there. Turns out it’s not such a joke!

Apparently, every year of the past decade, Oklahoma has had gained net domestic migrants from California. That this should be be happening will strike many people as ridiculous, and reasonably so. California is an empire, rich in natural and human capital. Oklahoma is but a way station on the Great Plains. Few would choose the latter over the former. That so many are doing so must be an indication that politics are involved.

California's jobless rate in some counties is above the national average. In 8 counties, it's above 20%. How can this be? Observe the LA Times editorial cited in the link:

Budget problems in state and local government are expected to further drag down the state's recovery, Levy said. Even if they don't get pink slips, state employees are earning less money because of furloughs and salary reductions, which reduces consumer spending in the state.

The government sector, which includes public education, lost 4,500 jobs from December to January.

Which sounds reasonable, except when you consider that:

Los Angeles County, with an unemployment rate of 12.5%, was hard hit by declines in the trade, transportation and utilities sector, which shed 21,900 jobs, and professional and business services, which lost 16,300 jobs.

The same sectors were hit in the Inland Empire, losing 7,700 and 3,600 jobs, respectively. Orange County lost 5,700 jobs in trade, transportation and utilities and 3,000 in professional and business services.

Private sector jobs are bleeding much faster than public sector ones. Wealth cannot be maintained under such circumstances. Population cannot be maintained under such circumstances. Long-term trends are against them. The Golden State is out of geese.