The American Dream — ruined

The entire nation turned Republican red two weeks ago. From top to bottom, it was a beautiful sea of red except for Nevada and our neighbor, the People’s Republic of California. Is there a correlation? Are we steps away from ruining Nevada? Are we about to become California-cated?

This is a cautionary tale.

I am an economic refugee from California. I loved California. I lived there for many years. I was living a life right out of “Baywatch.” For many years, I lived in a beautiful home on the beach in Malibu. The waves of the Pacific literally crashed in my backyard and ran under my home. I woke up in the morning to see dolphins playing right in my backyard. I took a long walk on the beach every morning. What a life, right?

Then I moved to a bigger home on a Malibu mountain, hanging off the cliff, with a three-story wall of glass overlooking the Pacific as far as the eye could see.

Who lives like this? Kings, princes, movie stars, sons of billionaires. Only in America is this life possible for a blue-collar S.O.B. (son of a butcher). I was living the American Dream.

Yet I left all of that for Las Vegas. I didn’t just leave. I escaped. I ran for my life away from California 15 years ago.

I could no longer make a living in California. Taxes were too high. Regulations were too dense. California persecuted people like me. The government in California is like a scam artist playing a game of three-card monte. Anyone who makes money is “the mark.” Their goal is to steal as much of your money as they can.

What do they do with that money? California has the most people on welfare of any state in America, the highest welfare benefits and the most illegal aliens. California chose welfare recipients and illegal aliens over taxpayers, business owners and job creators like me. They chased me away.

Today income taxes in California are much worse than when I made the decision to leave. The top income tax rate is 13.3 percent versus zero in Nevada. Property taxes and business taxes are far higher than in Nevada, too. It’s just unaffordable to do business in California. Even billionaires are leaving — Tiger Woods and Phil Mickelson left for tax-free Florida. What hope is there for the rest of us?

Yet even with the highest income taxes in the nation, California is still bankrupt. As of today, the state is $175 billion in debt. Once your state is filled with welfare addicts and illegal aliens, no amount of taxes can ever pay the bills.

Today there is a run for the exits by every high-income taxpayer and business owner. California is headed for fiscal disaster.

Two weeks ago Nevada took a turn toward California. I love Las Vegas. It’s my home for life. Except … if Nevada becomes California-cated, then I’ll be forced to leave a place I love again. So will many others.

This is a cautionary tale.

Wayne Allyn Root (wayneroot@gmail.com) is a best-selling author and host of “WAR Now: The Wayne Allyn Root Show” 3 p.m to 6 p.m. daily at 790 Talk Now. His R-J columns run Wednesdays and Sundays.