“Truth be known, though, the vast majority of people from California I’ve met are no different from anyone from anywhere else” — Shoshone Conservative.

DFO: I agree with Sho-Con. I left the Golden State almost 40 years ago, in 1977, when I was 27. It didn’t take long to become a “Montanic,” the Kalispell area name for a “Montana improved Californian.” In the past 4 decades, I’ve become a Northwesterner who enjoys our mountains, waterways and way of life. I’ve met many ex-Californians who share my enthusiasm for their new home in the Northwest and live in a way that improves it. However, I’ve met some ex-Californians (and migrants from elsewhere) who view this area as ripe for political takeover. They’re the ones who give former Californians a bad name. Unfortunately, they’re well-connected and have taken advantage of this region’s live-and-let-live attitude.