Californians Are People, Too

Being a former Californian living in Washington is like being a devil worshiper in a Bible-thumping church. Not only are you deemed evil, you must be converted immediately or cast back to hell.

When I first got here from Southern California in January 1995, a repairman doing work at my house strongly advised me to change my license plates right away. He said people vandalized cars with California plates.

I was going to change the plates anyway but I was taken aback.

I told him I wasn’t a bad person just because I used to live in California. He said he didn’t think I was but he’d had experiences with former Californians in the construction business coming here expecting people in this area to do business the California way.

His attitude reflects an underlying prejudice. Californians are perceived as pushy, materialistic and arrogant. Washingtonians are laid-back, simple and humble.

Californians are always in a hurry, whereas a trip to the grocery store in Washington can be an all-day event as the check-out clerk chats with each customer.

The “good life” in California costs a sinful amount of money. Quick-rich scams are rampant and there is little trust among strangers.

In Washington, the “good life” requires fortitude. The battle rages with blizzards, power outages, cold, broken pipes and government oppression.

Washingtonians must prove that they bought their four-wheel drive vehicle for utilitarian purposes and not because it is the car of the year. Money is made through hard work and stretches farther than most Californians imagine.

I was amazed to find through an informal survey of acquaintances, how many Spokane residents are California transplants.

Although some Washingtonians like to blame their societal ills on Californians, most recognize that society everywhere is ill and the culprit in society’s decline is more complex than Californians escaping urban sprawl and nightmare cities. Everyone wishes to raise their children in the optimal environment.

Californians need to remember why they left California. Washingtonians need to bury their distaste for California and accept the new arrivals without prejudice. And if these new arrivals do not convert, we’ll send them back to hell. Uh, I mean L.A.

MEMO: Your Turn is a feature of the Wednesday and Saturday Opinion pages. To submit a Your Turn column for consideration, contact Rebecca Nappi at 459-5496 or Doug Floyd at 459-5466 or write Your Turn, The Spokesman-Review, P.O. Box 2160, Spokane, WA 99210-1615.