There was an elitism in Colorado about the time I got in high school, certainly by college. I saw stickers on cars that said, “Don’t Californicate Colorado.” That made no sense to me. I loved the images of California that I saw in the movies. And later on, when I left Colorado and moved to Los Angeles, I thought California was a pretty terrific place. And indeed it is.
But Spencer Cox doesn’t think so. Cox is the Governor of Utah and he doesn’t like people from California. Moreover, he doesn’t want them in his state. Paradoxically, Utah folk who leave and move to other states, usually choose California to go to, according to the Los Angeles Times:
If you’re from California and thinking of moving to Utah, think again. You may not be welcomed in the Beehive State.
Gov. Spencer Cox of Utah said Friday that Californians should “stay in California,” in part because his state is beset by problems including housing and water shortages.
Cox, a Republican, delivered his remarks in front of the White House last week alongside Gov. Phil Murphy of New Jersey, a Democrat, as the pair were in Washington for the National Governors Assn. annual winter meeting. […]
In response to a question about population movement and what Utah is doing to bring in more residents, Cox said “it’s not working to attract more people.” […]
“This last census confirmed that Utah was the fastest-growing state over the past 10 years,” Cox said. “Our biggest problems are more growth-related. We would love for people to stay in California instead of coming as refugees to Utah.”
According to the U.S. Census, Utah’s population grew from 2,763,885 people in 2010 to 3,271,616 in 2020, an increase of 18.3%, the highest in the nation.
A June 2021 report by the Kem C. Gardner Policy Institute at the University of Utah found that California accounts for the largest influx of people to Utah from across the country. In 2018, 18,000 people arrived in Utah from California, compared to the more than 50,000 Californians that headed to other states in the union, such as like Arizona or Washington.
If there’s another governor in any other state telling people to go away and stay away, I don’t know about it. Part of the American dream is building a bigger and better future. You do need people to do that, people with skills, people to rent or buy housing, to consume resources, to spend money. Not on Governor Cox’s watch, though. He’s got other ideas.
Could it be that he’s terrified that expatriate Californians will vote blue?
Utah is quite beautiful. I almost lived there (Ogden), although it would have probably been for less than a year. Long story about a job I should have gotten but didn’t – and that non-profit that was poised to grow shrank into nothing because the person the board was compelled to hire wasn’t up to the job. Anyway, while it’s got a truly great outdoors the Morman stuff and I wouldn’t have been a very good mix even thirty years ago. But water, is an increasingly scarce resource in western states including Utah. They’re caught in a tough spot for the reason you cite -the need to attract new people that are also educated but at the same time they have other factors to consider. Still, being so openly hostile like that Gov. isn’t the kind of message he needs to be sending to the business community.
Speaking as an Oregonian, the Californians come and real estate goes thru the roof .
Yes, that happened. It hasn’t gotten better. The PNW also has water problems, which seems odd as the rainiest part of the country, but still true. Not as severe as Utah’s though.
Oregon did have it’s days of “We hope you enjoy your visit” on the signs at the border, (just don’t move here!)”
Having a state full of glazed eyed cult members and the rest being rocks and dirt…no thanks. Before anyone gets their panties in a wad, I’ve camped around the state. Plus, I like to take a shower now and again. That will someday be a felony in a number of western wastelands.
The Kaibab forest didn’t look to me like just rocks and dirt. Zion and Bryce, yes, but very nice rocks. Heck, even the Hope diamond is a rock.
I can sum up why I would never live in Utah: Mormons.
Compared to the current crop of “Evangelical Christians,” Mormons are sweet an unassuming. I do realize that’s a very low bar.
The Mormons I know are very nice, friendly, respectful. You can’t say that about the Talibangelicals.
A ‘nice’ cult is STILL a cult!!!