The burger chain In-N-Out started in California, is still mostly located there, and with a unique operating style, is associated with CA in the public mind. But recent news tells us it is moving its headquarters to Tennessee. Owner Lynsi Snyder, young granddaughter of the founders, says of CA.
Raising a family is not easy here. Doing business is not easy here.
Texas-based author Nicole Russell, writing for USA TODAY, interviewed Snyder and tells us what she means.
California is a bastion of liberalism that's pushed tax rates and the cost of living to ridiculous extremes even as residents' quality of life has declined.
Snyder said state policies, including draconian restrictions during the COVID-19 pandemic, have made it difficult for businesses to operate.
California, of course, still has extraordinary natural resources, including hundreds of miles of beautiful coastline, majestic mountains, redwood forests, and world-class farmland and vineyards.
What it doesn't have are political leaders with economic sense − or common sense. According to Chief Executive magazine's rankings for the best and worst states for business, California landed in last place. A 2021 Cato Institute study of the best and worst states for entrepreneurs found California placed 48th.
Translation: A merely nice place, well managed, is preferable to a spectacular place badly managed. CA is the poster child for this truism. FL, TX, and TN are its beneficiaries. Hat tip to RealClearPolitics for the link.
