The price of new trucks is beyond comprehension!

Holy smokes! This alone: "...not considering forest fires and earthquakes..." would send me packing.

Those 'forest fires' don't seem to be the garden variety by any means, and earthquakes? Unlike hurricanes, you don't see those guys coming!

You've got plenty of good reasons to stay, however, but the mass exodus from the state that we have all been reading about says something about the overall desirability of it. I know you can buy homes there pretty cheap, right?? :W