California Exodus?

The Egyptians compelled the sons of Israel to labor rigorously and they made their lives bitter with hard labor...

Hearing the words cause me to wonder if God is directing through them.

“It’s like they want us to leave.”

“We are city people.”

“You’ll love Colorado.”

Californians work until April 20 to earn enough money to pay their tax burden.  This ranks the state 11th nationally which is not so great. In 1977 the state and local tax burden for Californian’s ranked fifth nationally at 11.8%. In today’s terms they have made a leap by just over one percentage point to 10.6% and now rank sixth nationally. As far as the Business Tax Climate ranking goes, California ranks near dead last in 48th place. This would give people and corporations, who are people, pause before relocating to one of the nation’s worst places to do business in tax terms.

If you spent any time reading this blog you will know I am not exceedingly fond of life in the California high desert.  In three years my daughter will graduate from high school. We are planning our escape for that time period.


There is some possibility that God will have us stay in the high desert. When that is made clear we will stop stomping our feet. John Steinbeck believes that ‘…Americans are a restless people, a mobile people, never satisfied with where they are as a matter of selection.” My dad suffered this wanderlust in his heart but never acted on it with his feet. As his son I should fulfill his legacy. Similarly the parents of my wife long for travel and adventure. It is in our blood.

We have time to seek direction. My hope is that like Israel we will find freedom in a land of milk and honey and escape the heavy hand of Pharoah.