Why California Should Be More Like Alabama — Seriously

Orange County Register ^ | 2-19-2018 | Tom Manzo

[blam]

Alabama beats California — and no, I’m not talking about college football.

Many Californians would bristle at the notion of being bested by Alabama. But employers aren’t so picky: Toyota and Mazda announced recently they’ll invest north of $1.6 billion dollars to build a new factory and create over 4,000 good-paying jobs in Limestone County, Alabama. This only increases the state’s vehicle production: In 2016, Alabama assembled over one million vehicles employing over 40,000 employees.

Fifteen states were competing for the Toyota-Mazda joint venture; California was not even on the bench. Perhaps Toyota remembers its experience with GM at New United Motor Manufacturing in Fremont, where the United Auto Workers union helped shut down the plant in 2010. Today, California is home to just one automaker, Tesla — and yet some the state’s representatives seem more interested in encouraging a union organizing driving at the plant rather than encouraging the company’s continued success.

California has a well-earned reputation of being business unfriendly, and according to one analysis has lost over 1,700 companies in the past decade. It really is not difficult to figure out why, given that we have some of the highest minimum wages, tax rates, and workers compensation rates in the nation. Our state’s workers compensation loss adjustment ratio is twice as high as Alabama’s, meaning we are paying more due to litigation and permanent disability claims.

But set aside the business gripes. California no longer has a monopoly on “cool,” either.

Yes, our climate is still great — but talented young professional can find great culture and a great food scene in Birmingham just as well as Berkeley. They can also afford to live there: The median home price in Alabama is $126,500, while California it’s just shy of a half-million dollars.

(snip)

[jazminerose]

Yes, yes! That’s it! The humidity—unbearable!

I would email my California friends and warn them to stay away, but they’re all good conservatives.

[Southack]

Well, Cali would have fewer giant forest fires if they copied Alabama’s scientific forestry management (e.g. building new logging roads as strategic firebreaks, clearing underbrush, and such).

[RedMonqey]

(grins)