Residents fleeing blue county Los Angeles for "redder" pastures

As reported yesterday in the Los Angeles Daily News (People leaving county in droves),

The exodus of Los Angeles County residents to surrounding counties and nearby states accelerated significantly during the past year, driving the largest population shift in the nation, according to new U.S. Census Bureau figures released Thursday.  The figures show 115,434 more residents left the county last year than newcomers arrived.  But the overall population still increased with 98,184 new immigrants arriving from foreign countries and 94,675 more births than deaths....

With few exceptions (the most conservative area of Los Angeles County, the San Fernando Valley -- which was outvoted by the rest of the County in its bid to succeed from Los Angeles a few year ago -- bucked the trend, as did once solidly-conservative Orange County, which also lost residents and is steadily becoming more Democratic due in large part to immigration), residents of blue county Los Angeles are fleeing to lower-tax, lower-crime outlying red counties of California such as Kern County, San Bernardino and Riverside counties, as well as to nearby "red" states such as Nevada, Arizona, and Colorado.

The article cites the influence of housing prices, traffic congestion, and new jobs as the primary motivating factors, however Shop Right notes that:

1. housing is more affordable where property tax rates are lower and where a greater proportion of one's income remains available to be applied toward a mortgage payment rather than being sucked up by high income and sales tax rates and fees;
2. Los Angeles' mostly liberal politicians have chosen to emphasize spending on public transportation, instead of facing the reality that most Angelenos must drive, and that double-decking congested freeways with express lanes would not only be cheaper than subway construction, but more beneficial to the average commuter;
3. the jobs are moving to the so-called exurbs and beyond because the business regulatory and tax environment there is more favorable.

We can't help but wonder if the imminent election of ultra-liberal Antonio Villaraigosa as LA's mayor will accelerate this exodus?

Similar trends are underway across the nation on a macro/state level, as each new U.S. Census shows eastern, mostly blue states losing population, if not on an absolute basis, at least relative to the faster growth of the mostly red West and South.  With declining population comes waning electoral influence.  Notable also are the micro/county level population declines in overtaxed cities controlled by liberals including Detroit, Chicago, and San Francisco.

See also:
Jobs moving out of state: Cost, complex regulations cited by firms  San Francisco Chronicle 2/24/04
Chip off the old block  CNET News.com 5/18/04 (Cypress Semiconductor CEO T.J. Rodgers on California's business climate)
Livingston fastest-growing county, with 2.6% jump  Ann Arbor News 4/22/05 (Livingston County {MI}); Maricopa {AZ}, Flagler {FL} among fastest growing counties in nation)

[Updated 4/23/05]