The Dallas Advantage
Without being wooed by economic development officials, Fluor, the international construction firm, is moving its headquarters from Orange County to an unselected location in the Dallas area. Naturally, the move has prompted commentary suggesting that California's high taxes, abundant regulation, and expensive housing are to blame. I'm sure those costs didn't help the O.C. (which was never called that before the TV show). But the main factors seem to ones no policy change could overcome: Dallas is in the middle of the country and on Central Time. As I always say, those are the very best things about this place compared to Southern California.