The California Economy Isn’t Just a U.S. Powerhouse

Interesting article. The article actually sparks another question: in the last 18 months or so, I've had maybe 3 different people tell me that California is actually a net economic drain on the USA, an example of failed liberal or neoliberal economic policies (I can't remember which).

What's up with that? Why bother to assert something (California's economy has failed) so counter-factual? I was unable to figure that out on-the-spot.