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September 9, 2014
If it's taxed, it must be California
After a number of days touring volcanoes on Oregon's amazing Route 97, I pulled into a border check station where a uniformed member of the state of California demanded to know if I had any concealed "produce" in my Cadillac. "There's a Fuji apple in the cooler," I said. "Go ahead," he said and waved us through into the long vallleys and fir-clad mountains and dried-up reservoirs of California.Posting here will continue to be essays from the archives and occasional notes for a few weeks until I am settled. If anyone among my readers knows of any rental apartments or homes between Sacramento and Chico / Davis and Tahoe I'd love to hear about it at vanderleun@gmail.com .Posted by gerardvanderleun at September 9, 2014 8:24 AM. This is an entry on the sideblog of American Digest: Check it out.
Your Say
You have a border checkpoint going into California? Seriously?
Posted by: Mother Effingby ![[TypeKey Profile Page]](http://americandigest.org/sidelines/nav-commenters.gif)
at September 8, 2014 9:56 AM
There's also one of those "fruit fly border checks" on HWY 15 between Vegas and southern California. Both freight and passenger cars can be subject for inquiry.
**Davis California, although not cheap to live in, is a wonderfully quaint campus town. The economy is dominated by UC Davis. But it's downtown area is pure Americana, with its independent movie theatre and small book, coffee and bicycle shops. All surrounded by farms. You will have to adjust to the summer heat in that region however.
Posted by: Jason at September 8, 2014 11:04 AM
Yeah, they check the fruits going in, the nuts get a pass.
The checkpoint to get out is different. That one collects the exit taxes on the money you're trying to take out of the state. That money belongs to the State, not to you.
I figured you would move to a place where you can live as you like not as the state says.
Posted by: Vermont Woodchuck at September 8, 2014 3:42 PM
Davis California, although not cheap to live in, is a wonderfully quaint campus town. The economy is dominated by UC Davis. But it's downtown area is pure Americana, with its independent movie theatre and small book, coffee and bicycle shops.
Hell, if you don't mind living in a college town, move to Chico. Fewer lefties, and the Sierras are right up California 70.
Posted by: Rob De Witt at September 8, 2014 7:13 PM
Eff California. Texas welcomes you. For the price you'll pay for a crackerbox in Chico you can have 5K ft^2 here in DFW. NO state income tax, NO Jerry Brown, NO Diannancy Pelostein, and NO $5/gal. gas. Yes, it's flat, crawling with snakes, and hotter than Hell nine months out of the year. SO WHAT. We live indoors here, where electricity is cheap and the AC stays at 72 all day long. And the barbeque... holy crap, THE BARBEQUE...
Seriously: come to Texas. It's still America here, except down around the border, and we'll fix that little problem just as soon as the next Boris Yeltsin climbs on top of his tank.
Posted by: B Lewis at September 8, 2014 7:36 PM
Glad you're here, joining the good fight.
Everyone knows the California-haters are right in all the things they say. But, Jesus said to go where the sinners are.
Posted by: mkfreeberg at September 9, 2014 12:39 AM
Just remember what Ross MacDonald said about California.
Posted by: Vermont Woodchuck at September 9, 2014 3:53 AM
That gov't drone got instant wood when you cowed to his demand.
He deserved a nut kick then an uppercut into next week.
"Just doin' my job", doesn't cut it and never did, never will.
"Act human or act dead."
--gs, 2014
Posted by: ghostsniper at September 10, 2014 7:44 AM