SOCIALISM: IF YOU BUILD IT, THEY WILL LEAVE. Veteran columnist Andrew Malcolm: California is a wondrous place. I’m leaving.

I lived in Illinois for many years, so I know one-party government well. Shortsighted Californian voters get what they elect—a loopy super-majority that lets billions in approved water bonds for reservoirs sit idle during an historic drought, so trillions of gallons of welcome rains flow to the ocean later.

But, by golly, they’re on top of the tiny shampoo bottle crisis. And forge ahead on the multi-billion dollar high-speed railroad for the countless thousands who want to get from Bakersfield to Merced quickly. And thanks to new legislation, Californians are finally free to legally reject any police officer’s plea for help.

L.A. County paid homeowners millions to tear out lawns to conserve water, apparently oblivious that every day every 600 square feet of grass produces oxygen for one person, fighting the smog the county must spend billions to ameliorate.

Then, there are taxes. California has the second highest gas tax at 61 cents, but the governor is working hard to catch up with Pennsylvania. Texas somehow survives with a 20-cent gas tax, Arizona with 19.

Seven states, soon to be eight, have no income tax, including Nevada sitting temptingly next door.

“So you’re going to Tennessee too?” said our moving truck driver, a Texan now making regular trips from California to tax-free Texas, Tennessee and Florida. The other half of his load was also destined for the Volunteer state.

Earlier: 35 percent of San Franciscans consider leaving for good, according to city survey.

Somebody really needs to fund Glenn’s Welcome Wagon idea.