CEO magazine is out with its annual ranking of business-friendly climates among the 50 states and California is -- as it has been for the past eight years -- dead last. Blessed by abundant land and natural resources, idyllic weather, cultural dynamism, and prime real estate for trading with the Asia/Pacific region, California should by all rights be on top of this list. The reason its status is upside down? Public Sector Inc. Here's how those polled by CEO characterize the decreasingly Golden State:
- California is the worst! They are doing everything possible to drive a business out of their state. If it were not for the climate, they would have lost half their population.
- California regulations, taxes and costs will leave only tech, life sciences and entertainment as viable. If you aren't an elitist, no room here for the middle or working classes.
- California treats business owners like criminals. California has different overtime policies for its own employees vs. private sector.
- California's labor regulation is a job killer. We will be moving our business out of the state, which will lose hundreds of jobs simply due to the poor regulatory environment.
- California should secede from the union--it is like doing business in a foreign country, it has its own exchange rate, and its regulation is crazy.
