To the editor: I always enjoy these studies about people leaving California. This study talked about people moving to Texas and Indiana (“Life after California: People find dramatically lower costs, are more likely to buy homes, new data show,” March 31). Do you know what the minimum wage is in those states? It’s $7.25 an hour. That’s less than half of the minimum wage here.
Is the price of a new car in Indiana less than half of what it is here? How about groceries? I find it difficult to believe life is better financially at $7.25 an hour as opposed to $16.90 an hour.
Mary Montes, West Hills
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To the editor: Is this something new? When my parents moved to California in 1960, they left behind a Minnesota house for which they had paid about $5,000. They bought a brand new San Fernando Valley tract house for $25,000 that came without air conditioning, fences or landscaping.
Joan Swenson, Bakersfield
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To the editor: Californians are leaving in droves to find cheaper housing. Not a surprise.
Local California politicians are doing everything in their power to stop housing development through zoning, work requirements and red tape. Sadly, also not a surprise.
But hey, at least we can say we “retained neighborhood character” when all but the wealthiest have moved away.
Nick Hooper, Los Angeles