A controversial billboard appeared in San Francisco and Los Angeles discouraging Californians from moving to Texas. The message behind the billboard is adding fire to the existing clash between the two states.
The billboard reads, “The Texas Miracle Died in Uvalde.” with a picture of a man wearing a hoodie. The words, “Don’t move to Texas” is also written.
“Get to look at it often, I don’t think it’s in particularly good taste,” expressed Matt Donahue who lives nearby.
The billboard highlights Texas’ lax gun laws after the deadliest school shooting in Uvalde on May 24, where 19 students and two teachers were killed.
The person behind the billboard is unknown, but it has captured the attention of passersby at the intersection of 7th and Folsom Street.
“I totally agree with it 100 percent. So many people are leaving here and going to Texas anyway, it’s like don’t go there. That is why,” said Luke Gray who parked his car to take a picture of the billboard.
Are Californians really leaving SF for Texas?
For the past decade, the US census tells us that more than 68,000 Californians move to Texas each year.
Other sources show that the number increased slightly during the pandemic. However, this is only a small percentage considering that SF’s population is over 39 million.
“When home prices go up in California, as they’ve been doing a lot in the last couple of years, more Californians move to Texas,” explained Bill Fulton of the Kinder Institute for Urban Research. “When home prices level off or go down, fewer Californians move to Texas. For individual Californians, it’s really about home prices.”
Then we have the Texas Miracle.
“I think I’ve heard of it as a buzz word about Texas but I’m not exactly sure I can define it,” said Andrew Burgess who stopped to look at the billboard.
The term refers to how Texas was doing better than most states in the 2008 Great Recession. In fact, more jobs were created, hence the term the Texas Miracle.
“I think it’s discouraging. We have to move on and we have to move on positively,” expressed Marion Leslie who saw the billboard Thursday for the first time.
