“Don’t California my Montana,” implies Kalispell, Montanan.
A local Montanan driving through Kalispell shared a sign they saw on the back of a rental Toyota to the “Useless, Unsuccessful, and/or Unpopular Signage” Facebook group informing locals that, although the Toyota they’re driving has California plates, they themselves aren’t Californians moving into town.
Check out their post below.
“People here in Kalispell,MT despise Californians so much this person felt it prudent to let everyone know they are locals,” the caption reads.
As you can imagine, the photo drew so much controversy and bickering among Facebook group members that mods first turned off commenting, either forcing OP to delete the post or mods deleting it for them.
Here’s a sample of the comments that forced mods to turn off commenting.
If you don’t understand why they felt the need to put that sign, you’re either living under a rock or are from California.
Basically, as has been the trend as of late and for many years prior, as the cost of living has increased in California, California residents decide to leave the Golden State to find a cheaper place to live.
Californians move to these less populated states, like Montana, buy up a lot of homes reducing supply and, consequently, driving up the home prices for everyone else.
Don’t take my word for it, here are some Montanans on Reddit confirming my thoughts.
With the pandemic accelerating inflation and the cost of living, so too did the rate of Californians headed East to cheaper states.
Underlying this contempt is the fact that these so-called left-leaning Californians fleeing their high-taxing state are moving to mostly conservative areas, like Montana, not only driving the prices of their homes up, but “injecting” progressive ideals into their community.
It’s why phrases like, “Don’t California my Texas/Arizona/Florida” are a thing.
While this sign on that rental is a form of passive aggressiveness, it’s also quite funny, a bit of local humor if you will.
I don’t think anyone in Kalispell or in the greater state of Montana would actually be directly hostile to a Californian moving into the state driving into their town with California license plates, but it does make you stop and think.
Regardless, if you’re moving to Big Sky Montana from California, it would probably behoove you to register your car in the 406 sooner rather than later.
I find this very funny because I see a lot of Montana license plates here in California. They come to work for the electric company, PG&E, trimming trees in the rural areas where fire danger and risk is high. They come for the money because their home state is too cheap to pay a working man’s wages. Say what you want about California, but the fact is, Montana employers are exploiting them and forcing them to work out of state.
Exactly. Montana companies pay poor wages so a few guys can get really rich.
I am from Montana and live in California. The hate for California is alive and well I can testify to that. One time I was driving in the Bitterroot having a Montana Griz license plate cover and a griz sticker in my window, got cut off and flipped off and then boxed in. By the time we got to Hamilton I figure I would pull into town pump and come to find out the cars involved I knew both but they didn’t know it was me ! As far Montana plates many drive with them now. When asked where they from which county they can’t tell me they just have a P.O. Box there …..
A reason why Californians are scrutinized: They allowed their state to have Sanctuary Cities. They have allowed a dirty mess of indigents to crap up their towns. The laws there do not mesh with mostly conservative and proper morals here. This is rural/ cowboy country and we don’t want people trying to turn this into California! If they liked it there, go back. That is the general consensus here.
GREAT… Just another excuse for someone to hate on another. Wishful thinking, but maybe the govt should make a good d**n law that doesn’t allow giant price hikes from one year to the next so we can all afford housing. I’m homeless in California and if I could buy a home elsewhere than I’m going to move in! And I’m bringing all my love and kindness to your ignorant doorstep to introduce myself. Then we would be NEIGHBORS, not just you hating me cuz I’m from California, and possibly struggled there too, but you can then hate me simply because I’m your annoying neighbor. I can see the employment applications saying race, gender, income, state moved from PEOPLE ARE GETTING REALLY PATHETIC TO BE ANGRY OVER THIS DUMB S***!!
With an attitude that your neighbors are ignorant, I wouldn’t expect you to endear yourself to anyone.
As for people coming to Montana from California or anywhere for that matter, I have always said…if you don’t want them to buy up the land or property, don’t sell it to them! But as always, greed or love of money gets the best of them!
I live in California but if I could get out I would this state is ruined it used to be a great place to live 75 years ive lived here I thought at 1 time I might be able to stick it out but it is so liberal and woke it’s just plain and simple disgusting ive worked hard all my life here and made a good living I don’t want for anything but being in business for myself in California and all the regulations and constant taxes have really soured me im getting too old to think about moving and starting over so I’ll just be content bitching about this dumb ass we have for a Govenor trying to cut in to my 2nd amendment rights
I’m with you, too. I concur….100 %!!! Same boat with me. ”Gruesome Newsome n Biden” in bed together…Feinstein et al.
“Conservative and proud of it”
The dislike is real…I moved here in 2020 because Covid allowed us to work remotely. We chose MT because we’d been visiting for years and found it beautiful and the people down-to-earth (and we were struggling to remain in CA where our tax dollars were contributing to one failed liberal policy after another). There are many CA people who aren’t liberal but we’re still fairly hated here as a group and gossiped about on a personal level (not always discreetly). Sure, it stinks. But we understand the sentiment for the most part and try to treat others well.
Of the people who live around us, many more are from Washington and Oregon. Those are pretty darned liberal states too (I’ve lived there in the past).
The last time I was at Barnes and Noble two thirty-something moms were mocking Californians and laughing stating that most of them would never outlast the winters here before heading back home. It turns out that they’re Arizonans. Really tough winter-loving types, I guess.
So sure, Montanans dislike us, but it turns out that others do too. Nothing unifies people more than a common enemy.
I have lived in Montana for over 60 years. I rented a car to accommodate elderly visitors. The car had California plates. OUCH! I experienced damage to the rental car. It was keyed, bumper to bumper at a local restaurant, and received multiple door dings. The damage acquired happened in just 3 days. My personal vehicle has never been keyed, or door dinged by discourteous people disembarking from their vehicles. I don’t blame the individuals for placing the sign in their window. Some people have taken their dislike of visitors a bit too far. Sad.
I have driven my California-licensed car through Utah, Idaho,Montana several times…but this was 20 years past. Been there hunting, left the vehicle unattended for days…nary a scratch. Maybe things have changed I would guess…for the worse. I’m not a native Californian and so I don’t know how I would react to a confrontation. Maybe just remark that I am a conservative trans-planted Pennsylvanian and don’t want to change their way of life. Just hunt one of their elk!
It’s kind of the way we feel here in Florida. Prices keep going up the more people move here from other states. We actually own property in Fortine and are so looking forward to making Montana our forever home. Definitely getting the plates changed as soon as we get there ????
It’s kind of the way we feel here in Florida. Prices keep going up the more people move here from other states. We actually own property in Fortine and are so looking forward to making Montana our forever home. Definitely getting the plates changed as soon as we get there ????
Stay in Florida