Also, there are issues of valid inequalities in Social Services that add to the fuel of anti-illegal sentiment. Picture the cartoon of the Mexican couple, wife nine months pregnant, hurrying over the border, while the woman fights off labor pains, to get to a CA hospital, so that she can give birth in a state of the art facility, without having to pay a cent, while the hospital is stuck absorbing the bill, which inevitably comes out of the taxpayers pocket. Among the obvious incentive, there is a greater one. Because “anchor” babies, as they are termed, are given eighteen years of Welfare, while legal citizens are not. Legal poverty-level citizens are given minimal Welfare in comparison. CA’s response to the growing problem was to (ten years ago) supply the growing number of anchor babies with free medical (actually paid by the taxpayers, who resent the fact they are just providing more incentives for the illegals to come, and they do come to CA, at an estimated rate of 4000 per day).
Added to this is a cultural view that differs substantially from Americans in terms of poverty. Many illegals are quite happy living at what Americans term “poverty” levels, as these levels, in the US, are much higher than what is offered them in their countries. They consider their living conditions here (free advanced medical, food, Welfare, advanced education, subsidized housing, etc.) great. And they are right. Even those who live in what some Americans consider lowly apartments, in bad areas, are living much better than they did in their own countries. Many are quite happy to earn pay under the table, without paying taxes, and collect on all of our freebies. Only they aren’t really free. The taxpayers support them. And a main concern is that many of the second generation anchor babies continue their parents practice of taking all they can from CA freely. The fact that one-half of CA’s kids drop out of school, and the majority of them are the illegal South Americans, fuels the argument that they’ve no need to adapt to the American culture of rising above via education, and becoming productive. Many fear that the American culture of succeeding is dissipating, and being replaced with a third world country culture, who is furthering our decline, by draining our pockets, and soon nothing will be left, but the new culture, that won’t be able to pay for any services (third world poverty).

Also, less than one half of Californians pay State taxes, and this figure continues to decline (a huge red flag). The fact that one half of our population cannot afford to pay taxes, either due to poverty, working under the table, or other reasons, is alarming, and is a huge indicator that we have an unbalanced Welfare state. Viewed from a national perspective, the fact is that only 12% of us Californians are paying for 32% of all Welfare in the country. This is clearly unaffordable, and if continued, will financially ruin the State and remaining taxpayers. As a result of the deteriorating situation, continued increase in taxes, without actions to correct the problems, and only actions to promote further Welfare, there has been a dramatic increase of Taxpaying Californians, and businesses leaving the state, which only further worsens the situation, and speeds the decline.

Lastly, the societal effects of poverty are one of the main causes of the fleeing of California taxpayers. There are many factors, crime, gangs, etc. But, in a quantitative form, the number of taxpayers enrolling their children in Private and Charter schools is “off the charts” compared to all of California’s history. This added, back-breaking expense on the taxpayers, sufficiently adds to their decisions to leave.

Source: http://www.taxfoundation.org/taxdata/show/228.html

We’re also the only state that doesn’t tax, for example, the oil companies that extract oil from our state. Is this crazy or what?

For a better understanding of some of the politics and factors underlying this, may I suggest perusing through calitics.com? No affliations, I just read both these blogs.