Leaving California upon retirement

[ARtistinCA]

If I could work outside CA for even similar pay I'd leave yesterday.

Both the wife and I are in LE (both officers). I want Idaho, she wants Colorado. Ill take either!!

[Erin]

i recently left my LE job to get out of CA. as of january i call OR home and think its the best decision ive ever made. im getting married this year and kids will follow as soon as we are settled. considering the decline in the last 50 years of CA i cant imagine raising kids there.
people say hello here, drive the speed limit, maintain eye contact and speak english. its amazing

[CCTACTICAL]

IMHO Reno = California.

yes you get lax guns laws and better taxes but what a dump. The people are just as difficult to be around as most in CA cities. Loud, rude, drive like *****hats. Carson valley, Minden and Gardnerville are a lot more friendly and I think prettier.

Carson Valley is great!!
If you dont mind this as your back drop.

[bshnt2015]

Hawaii does not tax you if you are LEO/MIL/FIRE retiree. I'm thinking PNW.

[lavgrunt]

......Texas hill country........Unreal BBQ !!!!

[696k]

Retirement...

Retire...ahhhh the dream.

Ya know not many of us actually make it our under our own steam. Out of my Academy class here in Ca. (I had 4 years out of state LE work before this lunatic state) we graduated 10. Now after 27 years there are two of us still on the job and the other retires in June.

When I started, Rosie and the Supremes were destroying everything LE did. My particular agency was second from the lowest in the county pay/benefits wise. Our homicide and major crimes totals were greater than the rest of the county combined. We did things on Scantrons with pencils and if you were really lucky you had a teleprinter in your car and your lightbar had a single flashing yellow to the rear. I started with a Smith 25-5 45 long colt in a Hoyt swivel backed by triple speed loaders and a Charter Arms Bulldog 44 as my backup. Back then the only thing we had going for us was our reputation.

I'm lucky I guess. My Agency still gets it for the most of the time. Our Boss is good people and overall there are hundreds of worse places to be. Our place still has the activity levels most places just don't anymore. The job is what you make of it and I have been fortunate and then some...

Target date is 2013. Early 2013. With the housing market tanked we may keep the house but rent out. I for one am totally disgusted with the state overall. Great pay and benefits (leave my Cal Pers alone you bast***s!) but this place is truly the land of granola...

Bottom line: I gotta go. Where? the 64,000.00 question. New Mexico perhaps, Utah, Arizona maybe Nevada. Just so long as my license says "NOT FROM CA".

PS. Thanks to our beloved Gov for his Dec 31st ruling on Assault weapons. Not only is it a moronic "decision" but the whole assualt weapons law has been a farce. For every legal citizen of this state.

Just a few thoughts from a guy in a black and white...

[oddjob]

My academy class had about 30 people. I think 5 of us made it to retirement (that I know of).

[Jack L]

......Texas hill country........Unreal BBQ !!!!

And nice wildflowers too. Get a ranch and you can take a leak anywhere you please.

[Notorious]

you can take a leak anywhere you please.

How's that different than working the graveyard shift?

[edude69]

I'm about 8 1/2 years out from retirement. In the mean time I plan on moving out of the Sac. Valley and up in the mountains. I can't stand living in this cesspool any longer. The ghetto element in creeping in where I'm at. After retirement I plan on leaving Kali. However, I don't want to be too far away due to family in state. On the short list is Carson Valley, NV, Couer D Alene, ID. Other options are Kalispell, MT and Austin, Texas. I do love Maui, HI but cost of living there is insane. I know retired leo's in Carson area and/or those who have already bought in the area. I even work with a guy that actually lives there and has a condo here during the week. I know of more than a few coworkers who have brought up Idaho. I also have one former coworker living in Kailspell. They all seem to be happy they made the move. I have researched CDA, ID and plan on making a road trip up there to check it out.