I won’t argue about the state level issues and leadership, but there are huge portions of the state that are beautiful and if things devolve to the point that we can’t stand it by the time we retire, we can afford to live like kings pretty much anywhere we want.
I’ve lived in several states and traveled to many more. I was in Colorado Springs for a few years, not sure how close to you that is. The natural beauty in the Sierras, old growth redwoods along the northern coast, etc. are hard to match. It’s a common misconception that the vast rural parts of the state are anything like LA or San Francisco.
Fortunately, we live in a conservative rural county in Northern CA with a fantastic sheriff. Never see any crime, no homeless, CCWs are easily attainable, etc.
We are over 8 hours from LA, but 40 minutes to the Rubicon, 90 minutes to Lake Tahoe, three hours to Yosemite, and about the same distance to the old growth forests. It’d be unbeatable if it weren’t for the voters in the big cities.