Considering moving from California to a Free State. Looking for advice, ideas, books, websites.

[Sheepdog1968]

A book I like is called Strategic Relocation. This book looks at a variety of natural and nuclear disasters, as well as the politics, tax rates, & second amendment friendliness. Well, worth getting a copy.

My short list is Prescott AZ, the Reno NV basin, and the only one I haven’t visited yet is the Treasure Valley area west of Boise, ID. I’m 58. Need to stay put till 62 so my daughter can finish high school. Also keeping close eye on Prop 40.

 

[Scubabugdiver]

What is MAGA

Believe it or not, (let’s) Make America Great Again (MAGA) was originally a slogan from the Ronald Reagan campaign. I still have an original bumper sticker that I proudly display in my garage. I know you weren’t questioning what MAGA is, just thought I’d share some cool history to the conversation. The good ole days

 

[Skilly]

Bro gtfo lmaoooo unless she's hanging out with illegals often there's 0% chance she has any interactions. There's 68 million hispanic americans

Tell me again how you determine who's undocumented - do I go straight to asking them for their papers, or is there something else I should be looking for?

 

[Skilly]

Believe it or not, (let’s) Make America Great Again (MAGA) was originally a slogan from the Ronald Reagan campaign. I still have an original bumper sticker that I proudly display in my garage. I know you weren’t questioning what MAGA is, just thought I’d share some cool history to the conversation. The good ole days
View attachment 262357

Reagan even had the red hats!

 

[Gawernator]

Tell me again how you determine who's undocumented - do I go straight to asking them for their papers, or is there something else I should be looking for?

How would I know haha although ironically I’m surveilling this illegal guy doing insurance fraud and he has no SSN

I was just saying don’t fear monger silly stuff like that. That’s not real life.

 

[decius_mus]

I was curious about the definition he would give because on FB and social media it seems to be basically a catch all term for anyone they disagree with. I've seen many people called MAGA that don't even like Trump, or they're centrist or left wing but they made a good point the person didn't like and they start screaming about MAGA and Trump. Often on unrelated topics that have nothing to do with the president. It's honestly bizarre, and I usually get no real definition given when asked how they define "a MAGA" ... they use it as a noun instead of a slogan

Isn’t that essentially the exact same thing that happened to the word “woke”?

To answer your original question, when I say MAGA I’m referring to the Trump-centered populist-nationalist movement that became dominant within the Republican Party after 2016. Trump is obviously MAGA, as are figures like Vance, Miller, Hegseth and Patel. I’m not using MAGA as a synonym for “conservative” or “Republican.” There are conservatives who were never meaningfully MAGA, or who were previously aligned with Trump and have since broken with him, such as Massie, Rand Paul, Tucker Carlson and Dave Smith.

 

[shroom]

I've been thinking about this for the far future. New Hampshire looks appealing. Beautiful scenery, no state income tax. Permitless carry, no AWB, no mag ban, no NFA ban, no retarded 10 day wait, no ffl for private sales. This may be subject to change in the future of course. Pretty sure I read about some typical bloomberg shill politician pushing for lots of gun control bills.

Property taxes are high but median property values are much lower than in CA so that probably cancels out.

If you're a c&r, antique, or future machine gun collector then it also has one of the biggest gun auctioneers, Poulins.
EDIT: actually that's in Maine, whoops.

 

[Gawernator]

Tell me again how you determine who's undocumented - do I go straight to asking them for their papers, or is there something else I should be looking for?

Best way is to just ask. I know which of my wife’s friends are legal or not lmao. And she always carries her green card with her per federal law.

 

[Gawernator]

Iv

Isn’t that essentially the exact same thing that happened to the word “woke”?

To answer your original question, when I say MAGA I’m referring to the Trump-centered populist-nationalist movement that became dominant within the Republican Party after 2016. Trump is obviously MAGA, as are figures like Vance, Miller, Hegseth and Patel. I’m not using MAGA as a synonym for “conservative” or “Republican.” There are conservatives who were never meaningfully MAGA, or who were previously aligned with Trump and have since broken with him, such as Massie, Rand Paul, Tucker Carlson and Dave Smith

I’ve never seen someone called “a woke” lol and no can’t say I’ve ever seen someone go off frothing at the mouth about the president on unrelated topics like that. If they’re talking about something being gay and woke they’ll generally focus on the actual topic they’re calling woke. Good current example is the new gears of war game that’s flopping badly due to being infected with that ideology

But you don’t see the mouth frothing about the president or MAGA / woke in that way nope. It’s very one sided especially in the fb Hill groups

 

[Tank Mechanic]

Moved to Hot Springs, Arkansas in June 2025. Retired in May 2024. Did a lot of research. Hot Springs has 2 acute care hospitals. 20% of population is over 65. Is a regional tourist destination which drives the local economy. Very friendly welcoming people. Got zero negative feedback about California license plates or anything else. My only bill that is equal to Ca. is my water bill because I live outside city limits. All other expenses are lower. Car Insurance is only a little less, but it is less. Bought a larger nicer house for less than half what my Ca. house sold for. Bought 18 guns so far. As of this week, suppressors now are 4473 only. If shop has in stock, in and out in 10 minutes. Have AR. enhanced carry permit so no background check. Permit is good in 37 states (not Ca.).

Didn't mean to write wall of text. No regrets about moving. 4 seasons, brief winter, beautiful spring and fall, long hot humid summer.

 

[Wolkenflieger]

Moved to Hot Springs, Arkansas in June 2025. Retired in May 2024. Did a lot of research. Hot Springs has 2 acute care hospitals. 20% of population is over 65. Is a regional tourist destination which drives the local economy. Very friendly welcoming people. Got zero negative feedback about California license plates or anything else. My only bill that is equal to Ca. is my water bill because I live outside city limits. All other expenses are lower. Car Insurance is only a little less, but it is less. Bought a larger nicer house for less than half what my Ca. house sold for. Bought 18 guns so far. As of this week, suppressors now are 4473 only. If shop has in stock, in and out in 10 minutes. Have AR. enhanced carry permit so no background check. Permit is good in 37 states (not Ca.).

Didn't mean to write wall of text. No regrets about moving. 4 seasons, brief winter, beautiful spring and fall, long hot humid summer.

Nice insights here! Not too much text at all. If anyone writes walls of text, it's me.

 

[jayson_b24]

How would I know haha although ironically I’m surveilling this illegal guy doing insurance fraud and he has no SSN

I was just saying don’t fear monger silly stuff like that. That’s not real life.

I believe this is a thinly veiled reference to a policy in Europe from 1939-1945.

 

[No_glonks]

I believe this is a thinly veiled reference to a policy in Europe from 1939-1945.

Do you see similarities between enforcing immigration law and exterminated people for the crimes of being born jew or gipsy?

 

[Gawernator]

I believe this is a thinly veiled reference to a policy in Europe from 1939-1945.

Ahhh yeah the holocaust = enforcing immigration law I forgot that in clown world mindset

 

[jayson_b24]

Do you see similarities between enforcing immigration law and exterminated people for the crimes of being born jew or gipsy?

Personally? I do not. Then again, I rode a normal-sized bus to school. And that, my friends, is how one makes a thinly veiled reference.

 

[Skilly]

Iv

I’ve never seen someone called “a woke” lol and no can’t say I’ve ever seen someone go off frothing at the mouth about the president on unrelated topics like that. If they’re talking about something being gay and woke they’ll generally focus on the actual topic they’re calling woke. Good current example is the new gears of war game that’s flopping badly due to being infected with that ideology

But you don’t see the mouth frothing about the president or MAGA / woke in that way nope. It’s very one sided especially in the fb Hill groups

bubbles are always funny to point out from the inside of your own. Not pointing at you from my own bubble with this statement, but recognizing that there are a few of them and like it or not, we all live in one. They all feel crowded and informed full of like minded people and It sounds like yours has video games for entertainment too, so thats fun!

 

[Gawernator]

bubbles are always funny to point out from the inside of your own. Not pointing at you from my own bubble with this statement, but recognizing that there are a few of them and like it or not, we all live in one. They all feel crowded and informed full of like minded people and It sounds like yours has video games for entertainment too, so thats fun!

Yeah I'm in deep all over so that I'm not in any one bubble

That's how I know that random US citizens aren't being rounded up and deported daily. Now if you believe that clown world, you are really living in a bubble and need to go outside. The Bay Area itself is a reality distortion field bubble

 

[Jimi Jah]

I've been everywhere, man
I've been everywhere, man
Crossed the deserts bare, man
I've breathed the mountain air, man
Of travel I've had my share, man
I've been everywhere...

Sorry, I couldn't resist.

Oklahoma, where the wind comes sweeping down the plain.

Sorry, I couldn't resist.

 

[BillSmith]

South Carolina? Atlantic storms. No thanks.
Iowa? Gale force winds, Dorothy. No thanks.
West Virgina? Too close to Virginia. Three digits agency too close.
Tennessee? Know some California folks that have moved there and they express most of your sentiment.

My brother lives in Prescott Valley. Born in SF Bay, adult life in SoCal. Never came back to The Bay as he said it was too cold. Moving to Prescott floored me. Winter is...well, it turns out not all that bad. They have monsoons but so far, all inclement weather has been short spells.

His gun experience went like this...

Went in for a Smith & Wesson revolver he'd seen. (See last name to left as to why.) Sold. He's a cheapskate and shopkeeper talked him into a 9mm semi-auto S&W that was substantially discounted.

My brother has transitioned all his docs to AZ and began the process. Was told it would go smoother if he applied for his AZ CCW first. He did. Less than an hour later, he walked out with a gun he could legally put in pants.

Negatives? Phoenix politics could drive the state into The Color Purple. Get their gas from California in that half of the state.

Would exit California but I'd have to leave four blondes behind. Wife, daughter and twin grand babies. Ain't happening.

G'luck.

 

[jayson_b24]

Oklahoma, where the wind comes sweeping down the plain.

Sorry, I couldn't resist.

That's fair