California Dreamin’ Turns to California Leavin’: Joshua Meyer on The Morning Answer

California’s economic struggles took center stage on AM 1380’s The Morning Answer with Mike & Matt in Sacramento as ALEC Tax and Fiscal Policy Director Joshua Meyer issued a blunt assessment of the Golden State:

“People are leaving California. They’re rejecting the California model. They’re moving to states that have set up more competitive economies that are growing and allowing people to work and support their families.”

Citing the latest data from Rich States, Poor States, Meyer pointed to California’s dismal 47th-place ranking in economic outlook thanks to a toxic combination of high taxes, burdensome regulations, and sustained population loss.

“California’s past reminds me of that song ‘California Dreamin’,” said Meyer. ” People looked to California as a great bastion of opportunity – the last great hope for the American dream. And what we see today is a set of rules, regulations, and taxes that make it really hard for people to succeed.”

That’s why Meyer believes the dream is fading fast. “Instead of coming to California, people are actually leaving,” he said, noting that though a paradise in 1960s, recent government policies have inspired roughly 2.2 million people to leave the Golden State since 2013. Though there have been attempts to correct this exodus, those attempts have fallen flat.

“I think back to last year when Chevron, the big oil company, announced that it too was leaving California. And it’s the latest in a long string. California has fundamental economic challenges that cannot be solved by one little carve out.”

Meyer attributes the downturn to decades of growing government and aggressive taxation—trends he says accelerated during the pandemic. “When people realized they could live and work anywhere, many left for states with better tax and regulatory environments.”

Even Hollywood, California’s cultural trademark, isn’t immune.

“Georgia is now the top state for film production,” Meyer noted. “It used to be that all the people and the social capital was here. Now you can set up a studio just about anywhere and do that production anywhere.”

But there’s still time to correct course. Their problems are fixable—but only if elected leaders are willing to make tough decisions instead of clinging to the status quo. The first step must be a serious, transparent audit of government spending.

“California spends $7,200 per person—the most of any state. Compare it to Utah which spends $4,000. Florida and Texas? Under $3,000. You don’t need a government this expansive, this big with this many regulations and employees and taxes in order to run a state in the 21st century and provide the core services of government.”

What would they do first?

“Cut spending. Cut taxes. Put the savings back in taxpayers’ pockets. That’s the recipe for economic growth.”

If California hopes to reclaim its status as a land of opportunity, it must do more than reminisce about its golden past—it must act. The policies that once fueled prosperity have been replaced by burdens that drive businesses and families away. As Meyer made clear, reversing course will require discipline, not denial. It’s not too late, but the window for meaningful reform is narrowing. The path forward starts with leadership willing to challenge entrenched interests, audit runaway spending, and restore a competitive, pro-growth vision worthy of the California Dream.