Individuals and businesses continue to flee the golden state. Last year, California lost another 98,000 residents, continuing a trend long in the making over the last decade. Even despite a housing crash and 10% nationwide unemployment, Californians are still leaving in droves. Many would argue that excessive regulation, high taxes, and a high cost of living are key drivers for the mass exodus that is severely damaging the state's business infrastructure, intellectual synergy, and revenue stream.
If this disturbing trend is not reversed, California will continue to languish in an economic malaise. While mainstream candidates and both major parties have offered impressive sounding rhetoric over the last ten years, they have been unable to stem the tide. Their policies and proposed solutions have failed to reverse the debilitating trend.
Perhaps it's time for a whole new approach to solve the golden state's mass exodus problem. Whether it's a rising class of more independent-minded candidates within the Republican and Democratic Parties, or an entirely new movement of independent-minded candidates working outside the "Two-headed, One-party monster", it is going to require a revolution of sorts to develop an entirely new strategy. Independent voters are encouraged to take a more critical look at the mainstream candidates, media favorites, and party machines as they head to the polls next year.