Say goodbye to California

I'm always suspicious of scare stories showing the number of businesses leaving the state or L.A. They're typically based on anecdotal reports that are almost always misleading. With that in mind, OC-based relocation specialist Joseph Vranich has compiled a list of 100 companies that have expanded elsewhere or gotten out of California altogether. (Not included are companies that have gone out of business.) The list is sort of interesting, but it's also incomplete and notably skewed - among the names included is Denny's, which moved its headquarters to South Carolina in the 1990s. Also mentioned are companies that have set up manufacturing facilities or call centers in other states - as if California could ever compete with low-cost places like New Mexico or South Dakota. It would be nice for the government to keep better tabs on the comings and goings of businesses, if only to minimize the confusion - and distortion - that's created when these kinds of lists get posted.