I'm from Seattle. My family is from Seattle going back four generations. It's my favorite place on earth and I always thought I'd be living there my whole life.
In my lifetime Washington has always been a blue state with left-leaning policies, but there was so much going in Washington's favor: it's beautiful, temperate, has lots of resources, amazing businesses and innovation, and an attitude of independence.
There is also in the Pacific Northwest an attitude of rule following. Independence is good...as long as you don't think you are above the rules. This is fine as long as there aren't very many busy-body rules. Mostly it just looked like live and let live -- but with Covid, something switched and everything got more aggressive.
I live in freaking Texas now. I'd like to go back, but I don't think it is going to happen.
This Howard Schultz letter is the more polished/PR speak version of what I feel, but it resonated.
But instead of reform, those in power have opted to increase the burden on businesses and successful entrepreneurs in ways that discourage them from growing within the state—at a moment when Washington’s economic situation is growing more fragile.
I live in the PNW and this certainly resonates with me :(