Latest / Your Leo Nation / California’s Exodus & the Collapse of the Rule of Law
Transcript
- Mark Garrett: Ladies and gentlemen, I've been watching the numbers out of California for some time now. And in the interest of being thorough and fair, I want to make sure I'm giving you the full picture before I share my analysis. Because I have friends, good people, law enforcement professionals, including myself, who've made this decision themselves. And I want you to understand not just the numbers, but what's really driving this. Between the April 2020 census and early 2026, California experienced a net population loss of approximately 200,000 residents, more than any other state in modern history, according to the US Census Bureau estimates. But that doesn't tell the whole story. Over four hundred and twelve thousand residents left California for other states between July 2020 and July 2023 alone. With outbound domestic migration persisting into 2026, this outflow is largely driven by high housing cost, high gas prices, mostly self-imposed, of course, and crime, which I'll focus on in a bit. Just to name a few of the reasons. The only reason the exodus numbers are not even worse in California is because of the massive influx of illegal aliens and Otherwise non-US citizens flocking to the state for its massive welfare system and its sanctuary policies. So who are those people fleeing the once golden state? An increasing number of people moving out are from historically high-income zip codes, but most of the super wealthy can easily absorb California's oppressive taxes and cost of living. Then there's the middle and lower income earners. People make the People making between $43,000 and $93,000 a year make up a massive share of the outbound migration as they are entirely priced out of the local housing market. Retirees and seniors, baby boomers like myself, are exiting to protect their retirement savings from high state taxes and living expenses. And of course, conservative voters. Registered Republicans are disproportionately more likely to leave the state than Democrats, fighting both cost and political misalignment, which is more than obvious. A parallel corporate exodus has seen longstanding California businesses relocate their headquarters to states with more favorable tax laws and regulatory environments. SpaceX and Tesla. Transferred primary operations and headquarters to guess where? Texas. Chevron announced the relocation of its corporate headquarters from the Bay Area to Houston, Texas, in and out Burger, expanding its corporate footprint heavily with a new Eastern hub in Tennessee. Other giants, companies like Oracle, Charles Schwab, Hewitt Packard, have all moved their headquarters out of Tennessee. California. But the most impactful and underlying cause of the mass exodus is California's open attack on the rule of law. Let's talk about law enforcement. California has shed thousands of sworn law enforcement personnel from its ranks over the last several years. The state now averages just two officers per 1,000 residents, which is about half of the national average. LAPD, the nation's third largest police department, is now officially operating with a critically low number of 8,700 sworn officers. That is the lowest number of officers since 1995. But again, that is the official number. That number includes officers who are quote unquote injured off duty or IOD. So they're not even working. Also, my insight sources tell me the claimed 8700 number is highly inflated, and that the reality is closer to just 8,000. So why are officers fleeing LAPD and California law enforcement in general at a rapid rate? Burnout and low morale, years of being understaffed have led to heavier workloads, mandatory overtime, and chronic fatigue. Internal frustrations, many officers have expressed frustration with the department management, poor communication from leadership, And a disconnect between officers on the ground and city hall. The external factors. California's complex legislative landscape and evolving criminal justice policies have led to frustration among officers over how crimes are prosecuted, or more accurately, not prosecuted, and how bail is handled. Here are a few examples. Prop 47, which reclassify numerous previous felonies to misdemeanors, leading countless career. Criminals on the street. Prop fifty seven, which released thousands of convicted felons from prison prior to those felons having served their original sentence. AB 392, which raised the legal threshold for officers using deadly force from reasonable to necessary. Now an officer has to decide in a split second if defending himself or another person from death or injury via deadly force meets an Almost unobtainable threshold of scrutiny. The cops who want to do their job have had it. I was there when this attack on the civil society and the rule of law was ramping up at full speed. It was and is a morale crusher. I was lucky. I was at the end of my 30-year career. But now, because of the attack on the rule of law by California politicians and activist groups. Fewer and fewer good men and women are willing to step into the arena, and I get it. Here's the reality: when a department can't hire and keep officers, that's not a budget problem. That's a cultural problem. The cycle, soft on crime policies, rising quality of life crime, businesses close. Ask the people who used to enjoy the in-and-out burger in Oakland for just one of thousands of examples of businesses leading and those residents who can get the hell out of Dodge. So where are all the cops and the people they used to try to protect going? We know exactly where. Moving to Texas is the choice former Californians have made more than any other. And don't forget the free state of Florida in which I reside, Tennessee and Arizona, among a few other Great states. Why? We know exactly why. These states are first and foremost pro law enforcement officer and pro rule of law. These officers find a house they can afford, work for a department that has their back, they can arrest criminals that DAs will prosecute in a system that will send them to state prison. So what does this mean for those who want to but Can't leave California? Well, what happens to communities when experienced officers leave? The vicious cycle. Fewer law enforcement officers equals slower response equals more crime, equals more residents leave, equals fewer tax dollars, equals even fewer experienced officers. It's a spiral that I don't see slowing down any time soon. I hope I'm wrong about where this is heading. I really do. But the attack on law enforcement officers and the rule of law is accelerating the destruction of California. From a guy who spent 30 years in law enforcement, who believes in the rule of law, this isn't a political statement. It's a warning. For your nation, I'm the Chief Mark Garrett. I would love to hear from you, and especially would love to hear from those of you in law enforcement who fled California and found a better life than another state. I would love to hear your thoughts on this. I really would. Are you in law enforcement and thinking about this move? Have you already made it? Go ahead and send those notes to me. Subscribe, share, comment. We'll see you next time.