to the editor: I always enjoy these studies on people leaving California. This study talked about people who moved to Texas and Indiana (“Life after California: People find costs dramatically lower and are more likely to buy homes, new data shows.” March 31). Do you know what the minimum wage is in those states? Is $7.25 an hour. That's less than half the minimum wage here.
Is the price of a new car in Indiana less than half of what it costs here? How about shopping? I find it hard to believe that life is better financially at $7.25 an hour compared to $16.90 an hour.
Maria 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 house in Minnesota for which they had paid about $5,000. They bought a new house in the San Fernando Valley for $25,000 that had no air conditioning, fencing or landscaping.
Joan Swenson, Bakersfield
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to the editor: Californians are leaving in droves in search of cheaper housing. It's not a surprise.
Local politicians in California are doing everything in their power to stop housing development through zoning, labor requirements, and bureaucracy. Unfortunately, it's not a surprise either.
But hey, at least we can say we “kept the neighborhood character” when everyone but the wealthiest have moved out.
Nick Hooper, Los Angeles
