I take issue (respectfully) with that. California has a similar issue to Michigan vis-a-vis industry, insofar as much of California's industry, like Michigan's is chock-full of unionized labor.
Unions such as the SEIU, UFCW, et al, have choked California economic policies to the point where the ONLY reason California's population isn't also decreasing is the incredible influx of immigrants (both legal and illegal), while the taxbase (yours truly among them) leave by the millions.
Well, there is simply no comparing California to Michigan...Been there. The place is very scary. It's a ridicules comparison.
California, even in a terrible economy, with a government run by incompetent corrupt politicians, has nearly *double* the economy of the next biggest economic state of Texas.
Did you get that part?
((*Nearly double the Texas economy*))
California, even with it's high unemployment, and screwed up government, is Americas economic powerhouse... No state comes close.