California is loose, man.

We roll with it.

We can buy and smoke weed pretty much legally. We're home to the porn capital of the world — the San Fernando Valley. We're pretty much for same-sex marriage, especially when the Mormons don't meddle in our affairs. Our bell-bottoms stroll to a bow-chica-bow-wow soundtrack.

Except, that the Golden State, as an idyllic place of personal freedom, is a myth.

At least according to the latest George Mason University “Freedom in the 50 States” study, which places California …

… almost dead last, at number 48. Really? Hippie, dippy California? Yep.

Our allegedly non-friendly business practices, paired with high taxes and ridiculous regulations (the study even mentions “a highly restrictive policy regime for motorists” — so glad we're not the only ones who think this is the case), make Cali a freedom-loving nightmare.

While our legislature is dominated by true-blue Democrats, it's true that all they do is think of more laws (and red tape, often at the behest of law enforcement) while avoiding dealing with the realities of the budget and overspending.

Yes. We suck. We left our liberal utopia somewhere in the '60s or '70s, if ever there was one here. George Mason:

California not only taxes and regulates its economy more than most other states, it also aggressively interferes in the personal lives of its citizens. California simply needs to cut government spending.

As bad as we are when it comes to personal freedoms, we are comforted only by this fact:

New York came in dead last in the George Mason study. Hallelujah.

[@dennisjromero/djromero@laweekly.com]

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