With so many people saying that they'll move to Canada if Trump wins, I'm wondering who is really considering (or already decided) doing it; and the conclusions they have come to. What are your reasons? What are the trade-offs? Why are they worth it / not worth it?
Already moved back, though not for this particular reason - it was more out of a desire to escape the insane work-life imbalance, endemic tech bro-ism, and skyrocketing cost of living in the Bay Area. (I'm a Canadian citizen by birth, so this makes the move <i>much</i> easier.)<p>Now in Toronto. Couldn't be happier: yes, you earn less and pay higher taxes, but those taxes go a long way - functioning public transit (i.e. "I can get just about anywhere inside the city core 24/7"); rapidly improving cycling infrastructure; nationalized health care; several months parental leave <i>paid for by provincial and federal governments</i>; fantastic grant and tax credit programs for young founders (under age 35), digital media / tech companies, and a slew of other relevant categories; and so on.<p>People are polite and reasonable; staff at government offices are understanding and helpful (which goes a long way when you're moving, believe me); the tech scene here has a vibrant community feel to it, and is fed by several nearby universities. If you're moving from the US right now, the current exchange rate is an added bonus.<p>Don't get me wrong: the beautiful scenery of the Bay Area is nearly unparalleled, and there is an optimistic / entrepreneurial attitude parts of which I admire - but SF is fast losing its monopoly on the latter to other tech hubs.
I have always been interested in somewhere like Copenhagen for the sane transportation policy - I'm tired of violent drivers in NYC running people on the sidewalks and crosswalks down with "no criminality suspected", tired of the government being completely unable to create a proper bus lane (to say nothing of a tram), tired of no one seeming to know that bollards are a thing you can install. I'm also tired of American-standard 50+ hour weeks with 2 weeks of vacation. I would be fine with a pay cut, money isn't that important.<p>Canada seems <i>easier</i> since they speak English and I speak okay French, but I'm not sure it would be the place I would want to stay (really only considering Vancouver strongly).<p>So this is just another trigger to look closer at moving.<p>Also, I'm told that everyone wears black in Scandinavia. Bonus.
What I told my kids: regardless of who wins - you have more influence over your personal future than the president in DC.<p>Your education, effort and day-to-day actions will affect you more than who lives in the white house
I thought about it over a few hours last night and decided against it.<p>In the worst scenarios, it won't matter what country I'm in as long as it's still on this planet.<p>In the merely really-bad scenarios, people that look like me won't be the ones in trouble and I feel obliged to stay and help those that are.
If he fulfills his campaign rhetoric on protectionism and trade wars, the effect will be global.<p>If he fires all the generals, and only keeps the yes men we're probably all screwed again.<p>Pulls out of Paris Climate agreement and rolls back climate change that's more of a world problem too.
If you live in California or NY, considered the tech hubs of U.S., there's not much worry. Those states are so liberal, a conservative House+Senate+Prez isn't going to make a difference. Republicans are usually for leaving laws to the state as well.<p>So if you dislike the outcomes of the election, move to a very blue state.
Most things would not make me seriously consider leaving the US. The one thing that could do it would be if the GOP totally screwed up healthcare.<p>Unfortunately, it looks like that may be the direction they are going. Both the plan that the House put forward a few months ago and Trump say that pre-existing conditions should not stop people from being covered, nor should those people pay more. Both seem to want it to stay insurance based.<p>...and both do not seem to have any way to get people who are healthy to actually get insurance.<p>That does not work. It was tried, unintentionally, in the state of Washington in the '90s. In 1993, the state passed a healthcare law that required insurers to cover those with pre-existing conditions, capped premiums, made premiums similar for young and the old, and had a phase in over time of mandates for individuals and employers to purchase insurance.<p>Then the control of the legislature changed hands, and much of it was repealed. However, the requirement to cover pre-existing was kept because the legislature knew that repealing that would be quick political suicide.<p>Of course, people quickly figured out that they could cut way back on insurance until they actually needed it. For example, a woman might go without any insurance that covers pregnancy and related costs until she actually got pregnant, and then she would get that insurance.<p>The result? Within a few years, not a single major insurance provider offered individual health insurance in Washington. For most residents, if you wanted health insurance you needed to find an employer that provided it as a benefit.<p>Later they made more changes that allowed for higher rates, and while still requiring coverage of pre-existing conditions allowed insurance companies to impose a nine month wait before coverage starts. That got insurers to come back, but individual insurance was no longer very affordable.
I'm not, although it's sorely tempting. But I don't want to uproot my family. And luckily, we live close enough (20 minutes to the border) that if there was ever an emergency, we should be able to get across quickly.
If anyone's seriously considering moving out of the US due to the results of an election: do it. Get the fuck out so real patriots can focus on fixing things without all the bitching.