According to a new census report, almost one-quarter, 23.5%, of all Californians are in poverty

One-third of all the nation's welfare recipients live in the state, despite the fact that California has only one-eighth of the country's population. That's four times as many as the next-highest welfare population, which is New York. Meanwhile, California eighth-graders finished ahead of only Mississippi and District of Columbia students on reading and math test scores in 2011. Middle-class families that want actual jobs, not welfare, are fleeing California in droves. According to IRS data compiled by the Manhattan Institute, since 2000, almost 2 million Americans have left California for other states. Their most popular destination: Texas. Not only does Texas (6.8%) have a far lower unemployment rate than California (10.2%), but, according to the Census Bureau, income inequality is worse in California than it is in Texas.