Anyone else escaped/escaping CA?

[Kieth M.]

My fellow CA LE members -

I'm (hopefully) less than 30 working days shy of retiring after 30.5 years with the Big-City, West-Coast.

Our home is on the market, we've picked our next one....in another state.

In some ways, I'm scared to death to leave everything I am, and everything I know.

On the other hand, I can't wait to get outta' Dodge! At age 51, I have a nine year-old daughter and three year-old boy/girl twins to raise.

I want to leave CA because -

I'm tired of the majority of my work contacts beginning with the other person asking, "You peeky Panny?"

I'm tired of having my house's windows...and its foundation, for that matter, rattled by $500 cars blasting their $5000 stereo systems.

I'm tired of seeing Oakland Raider fan vehicles with their family-friendly/viewer-friendly stickers that read F--- the Rest!

I'm tired of an (R) Governor who acts and talks more like a (D).

I'm tired of sitting in rush hour traffic, when rush hour was over, hours ago.

I'm tired of people in oversized clothing, walking and talking tough for no good reason.

I'm tired of graffiti, and the people who call it an art form.

I'm tired of educators and religeous leaders who only get listened to by their students and parishoners when they're leading the walkout, the demonstration, or the boycott.

I'm tired of guys of shaved heads and excessive tattoos and playing their rap music with lyrics that say "F--- the Police!"....in the police locker room!

Have I missed anything else? Please share your thoughts....

[hbliam]

Don't let the door hit ....oops.

Yep, we got our problems but I have lived in UT, WA, ID, and HI. I have visited TX, AZ, OR, CO and Nebraska (what the abbreviation for Nebraska? ). I would rather put up with stuff here then live in any of those places.

[JPR]

I'm not LE but I'm about your age and I know how you feel.......Great weather here.........but...................as time marches on I feel more and more like I'm living in a cereal bowl.......surrounded by nuts and flakes.....
If all the irrationals would leave the state it would be a great place to live.
Instead, it appears they are reproducing and coming in from other places as well. And if that's not bad enough, they have control of Sacramento. If not out of California I definitely would like to get farther away from the bay area when me and the Mrs. retire.......At least someplace where the you see people walking their retrievers down the street instead of their pitbulls and Rottweilers.

[willowdared]

Don't let the door hit ....oops.

Yep, we got our problems but I have lived in UT, WA, ID, and HI. I have visited TX, AZ, OR, CO and Nebraska (what the abbreviation for Nebraska? ). I would rather put up with stuff here then live in any of those places.

Nebraska = NE

My mother had plans to leave when she retired, sorta put on hold for awhile. She's looked at Arizona, Washington, Oregon and New Mexico. I think she's hoping my son and I will move with her, but I need to get 20 years here.

San Diego has changed so much since we moved here in 1974 - not the same semi-sleepy/semi-rural place it once was - and I don't know that I will ever be able to afford to buy here.

Every place has it's trade-offs - you just need to have a clear idea of what features make you happy.

Congrats on your upcoming retirement!!!!

[normal1]

[Non-LEO]

Congrats on your retirement. I just wanted to remind you, for every 'nice' place in this country there are 500 'bad' places in each state. I'm sure there are other places in California where you wouldn't have to deal with 'the ghetto' (you'll deal with something, but it wont be the ghetto).

GL

[ElDiabloJoe]

Kieth,

Having seen it done time and time and time again, as I'm sure you have, please consider keeping your home here and leasing it out.

Many have wanted to return but found themselves priced out.

FWIW,

EDJ

[exComptonCop]

I'm curently working on the ten year plan

I've lived in SOCAL all my life, in many diverse cities and counties...LA, Bellflower, Downey, Glendale, Burbank, Huntington Beach, Garden Grove, Fontana, Santa Barbara and Canyon Lake...and it's the same everywhere.

I'm sick of California, and won't miss anything about it when we leave. We even stopped going to theme parks ten years ago, because of the non-desirables. If not for my kids being around family, and a great private school, we would have bailed years ago.

It may sound cliche, but we've chosen Idaho to retire, in about ten years. Idaho may not be perfect, but it's better than here

[MSoCal]

Oh yeah, I totally understand, I was in a somewhat same situation didnt move out of state but I sold my house fleed the East Side of Palmdale & bought a new house in Quart Hill (west side of Antelope Valley) cuz I just couldnt deal w/ the Mariachi music playing every weekend night and all the cars "bumpin" past my house and not to mention my transformation of neighbors from 1998 to 2005. Went from Single FAMILY houses to 3 or 4 families living in one house w/ each family having 1-3 kids each that was the most annoying part. So You being on a larger scale moving out of state I dont blame you.
The only thing is that CA is so beautiful (minus the large amount of criminals we have here)
I couldnt give up my weekend camping trips up North, Mini vacations to the Vegas and/or Colorado River, my dirt bike riding through the deserts, the awesome weather, beaches, the shopping, skiing trips, Man O man I love CA.
I notice that my side of town is starting to trickle w/ the same type of people that I fleed from and I too have been thinking about selling again and maybe moving to Tehachapi.. I dunno yet.. Can you work for LASD and live outside of LA county??? I was wondering about that..

[PTR-Jason]

I am only 23, so not close to retiring, but I am movin to Missouri and about 2 weeks. I am CA boren and bred, so it will be a change. I am looking at departments in MO and also Arkansas becasue we are about 3 miles from the state line.

[Conallron]

I'm another born and bred Kahlifornian. I've visited a lot of different places, and have decided I'd rather struggle in California, then to live stablely in another state. I love the weather, jobs, and I haven't seen any other state that I want to live in. Every state has its pro's/con's. Its all personal preference. Congratulations on your retirement, stay busy and enjoy it!

I think Michigan would be a great place to Retire, because of slow pace out near Willis, but the economy/jobs out there are scarce and far between. Everything out their moves much slower, and still has that mom and pop store feeling in the towns.

Until retirement atleast I'll be in California, hopefully in 25 years I'll be able to retire comfortably.

[DOAcop38]

Don't let the door hit ....oops.

Yep, we got our problems but I have lived in UT, WA, ID, and HI. I have visited TX, AZ, OR, CO and Nebraska (what the abbreviation for Nebraska? ). I would rather put up with stuff here then live in any of those places.

Ditto- We love ya' sarge- and thanks for trying your hand at "saving" the city of Fallen Angels"- but as I told a bud who moved to WA.(Spokane PD ) from LAXPD- "its coming to a neighborhood near you".Just recieved an email from same bud-Crips galore( most are white or asian though) METH killing the locals-when they aren't high on heroin or coke or weed),and folks complaining that they can't leave their cars or homes open anymore like they used to.your just trading one form of "Trash" for another.I hope your leaving to find that "ideal" fishing hole in a small town ,where you can enjoy that LAPD pension in peace-but even in ruggedly peaceful places like Wyoming,montana and "cop heaven"(Idaho) the yupiies are grabbing up land and poisoning it in their own way,inner city dwellers are slowly making their way there,and " the leaf blower" and his cholo kids are coming too-I just hope you're getting a bigger house( for cheaper),a newer school district with motivated teachers-Texas sounds good ,but the kids their are all getting high off Meth or heroin/tylenol mixes called "cheese"),and you'll hear LESS gunshots or the "ghetto bird"-although the next time you do hear an "airship" low ,you'll instinctively be waiting for that rover call, "L-40 ,are you code six?"- God Bless sir....

[novmike]

Tennesee bound

A friend of mine is retiring from the CHP in a few months, he plans on retiring in Tennesee. He's tired of the liberal crap that goes on in this state.

I don't blame him.

He knows plenty of other LEO's leaving the state for better palces.

[UH60RAT]

For those that are lucky enough to be leaving.....please take several "immigrant" families with you.

I figure, since we are shipping our felons out to other states to control our prison population. We can do the same thing for the general population.

Since the same politicians who decided to farm out our prisoners are also the ones that don't want us to harrass the "immigrants".

Whew!!!! I feel better

[normal1]

For those that are lucky enough to be leaving.....please take several "immigrant" families with you.

I figure, since we are shipping our felons out to other states to control our prison population. We can do the same thing for the general population.

Since the same politicians who decided to farm out our prisoners are also the ones that don't want us to harrass the "immigrants".

Whew!!!! I feel better

If thats your attempt at humor, it needs some work.

[Halcyon819]

For those that are lucky enough to be leaving.....please take several "immigrant" families with you.

I figure, since we are shipping our felons out to other states to control our prison population. We can do the same thing for the general population.

Since the same politicians who decided to farm out our prisoners are also the ones that don't want us to harrass the "immigrants".

Whew!!!! I feel better

that sounds kinda racist to me...