The combined population of Los Angeles and San Francisco counties is greater than the population of 43 states and more than the 9 least populous states combined . California itself is the most populous state . California pays more taxes than it gets back so we pay for public works of the other 49 states . Nevada and Arizona get water from California . The ports of San Francisco and Los Angeles are the some of the busiest if not the busiest in the US . We have more of the best universities in the world than any other states and largest scientific contributor in the union . We are the largest agricultural state in the country . We are the largest economy in the United States and 6 th largest economy in the world . Why conservatives ignore the will of Californians I ' ll never know .