Boasting tough-on-crime laws and a thriving economy, Alabama is among one of the nation’s top-10 inbound states for American migration.
California, plagued by crime and homelessness, is one of the nation’s top outbound states for migration.
Derek Thoms, a California business owner, recently made the decision to move his family and company to Alabama, citing the Golden State’s inability to curb criminal conduct.
In a Monday appearance on Fox Business Network’s “Cavuto: Coast to Coast,” Thoms noted that he had chosen Alabama as his destination of preference due to the Yellowhammer State having “low crime” and “more strict laws.”
“They’re definitely not afraid to put people in jail,” Thoms told host Neil Cavuto. “Smaller community, everyone is very friendly to each other, and you just don’t have to deal with all the stuff that comes with California.”
(Courtesy of Fox Business)
“I mean, you have to be sensitive to everyone in California, even especially as a business owner, you really fear even saying the wrong thing to somebody and being boycotted out there,” he added. “You know, it’s crazy out there.”
According to Thoms, several of his laundromat locations had been targeted by repeat robbers. While noting that California law enforcement’s “hands are really tied,” the business owner asserted that California “lacked the leadership” to contend with the state’s crime woes.
RELATED: Ivey rips Calif. Gov. Newsom after Alabama prison dig — ‘Down here, we’re focused on public safety’
Thoms went on to note that he had not been contacted by authorities regarding the crimes carried out against his properties. The laundromat owner advised that he had purchased a laundromat in Alabama with his brother, who also opted to take up residence in the Yellowhammer State.
“So if we can restart out here [in Alabama] and slowly phase the California [locations] out, that would be ideal,” he said.
Cavuto, himself, noted that Alabama was “clearly a decidedly more friendly environment to business, especially when it comes to issues like crime.”
UPDATE 11:18 a.m.:
In reaction to Thoms deciding to move his family and business to the Heart of Dixie, Gov. Kay Ivey asserted that people “love Alabama common sense.”
“The proof is in the pudding: Folks love Alabama common sense. Alabamians are ready to welcome anyone seeking a little more logic with open arms,” declared Ivey in a statement to Yellowhammer News. “No matter what folks – who have likely never even stepped foot in Alabama – may say, we have a lot to offer. From a focus on public safety to our business friendly environment to a willingness to address the tough issues, Alabama is a great place to live, work and raise a family.”
Dylan Smith is the editor of Yellowhammer News. You can follow him on Twitter @DylanSmithAL
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