Reminds me of the high-speed rail project. They got federal grants but repeatedly failed to comply with the agreement and missing deadlines.

1 billion dollars in funds were canceled, and the state might have to pay back 2.5 billion already paid to them. [1]

I don't think California knows how to use any money they get ahold of. Some of the worst roads in the nation yet the highest gas taxes. People are leaving California in masses for places like Texas. California is one of the most moved out states. People are sick of high taxes and not being able to afford anything. Those taxes get passed down making everything else more expensive too like food and other needed things in life.

I know someone who recently cashed out their retirement investments accounts a little earlier than planned. He mentioned that his advisor was chit chatting while waiting on the computer to process something, and if he would have lived in California it would have been a 10% tax just for California alone, not even counting the fed taxes. They don't live in California luckily as it would have been about $15,000 more in taxes they'd owe than where they currently are.

While if they lived in Texas or Florida they'd save so much money since no state income tax, plus it's warmer and nicer too.

Also some people retire and decide to live in an RV full-time exploring around the US so then South Dakota is a great choice too as no income tax either plus since you still need to be a resident somewhere to have a driver license and registration even if you don't own property anymore so they are a great state to set up a home base as they are friendly to full-time travelers. Some people's former states where they sold their lifelong homes won't let them stay being a resident because they are basically considered homeless even if they own an expensive RV like a diesel pusher, so they risk their license and registration being canceled if they don't change their domicile to a friendly state to travelers. If you own a $100,000 house you aren't homeless but if you live in a $250,000 or half a million dollar RV you are homeless according to most states.

I guess with recognizing full-time RV living it increases South Dakota population count so it helps them get more federal funding and in return, they allow you to be considered a resident after spending one night at a hotel or campground while also renting a mailbox with a mail forwarding company. They even give you a new license the same day too, no waiting for one to be mailed, also no retesting either other than a eye test, walk in the next morning with the receipt for mailbox, hotel/campground, SSN card, birth cert and marriage license if your last name is different without even making an appointment then within a few minutes you are done. Then since full-timers will be mostly on vacation from South Dakota, they pay into the roads they hardly even use too. So another win-win for the state. Very small and efficient government up there.

While if you move to California they make you retake the test again, and you have to wait weeks to even get an appointment while being fined for not changing it without 10 days of signing a lease or buying a house because they're all booked up for over 2 months in advance.

People are getting sick and tired of California, parts of the midwest and the northeast so they are moving to the South. [2] Sadly some people can't really afford to move right now or have a family though but I think it's great people who can vote with their feet to try and better themselves are doing so.

Not only for economic reasons people are leaving California. People are also feeling unsafe due to them harboring illegal aliens. Someone who had been deported 5 times, ended up in the San Francisco County Jail on a drug charge only to be released instead of being turned over to feds... Then after being released the man ended up killing a woman at a popular tourist spot.

I could spend days talking about all the problems in California. California is a huge mess, and I think people who say otherwise are living in a bubble. However, I don't think people like to get into too much politics on here so will refrain from that, but probably enough bad with California I could write an entire book about.

[1] https://www.npr.org/2019/05/16/724145472/trump-administratio...

[2] https://www.howmoneywalks.com/irs-tax-migration/

[3] https://thehill.com/opinion/criminal-justice/362940-sanctuar... and https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Shooting_of_Kate_Steinle