Prop 30: Southern California vs Texas

[spdrun]

California and Vermont and New England in general are about the same in terms of the freedom deficit.

You’d of course be very wrong. New Hampshire (and to some extent Vermont) have tended to be very libertarian. Oh right, and VT has a less restrictive pistol carry law than TX if you’re into that sort of thing. Not to mention not being controlled by the pseudo-Christian right, so they’re more socially libertarian than Texas. Gay marriage is legal, etc/so forth.

The difference is that, being reserved New Englanders, they tend not to flaunt their “libertarianism” in people’s faces, just practice it quietly.

[5yes]

Our house in Temecula is rented and we are spending some time in Texas for the holidays. Life would be so much cheaper here, houses cost less, jobs are easier to find, people smile and are generally very nice, and yet… I can’t exactly say what it is, but I don’t like it here. I miss the ruggedness of mountains and cold ocean, I feel that people are more segregated than I am used to at my local grocery store and on my street, and I worry that I will get into regular political fights with the nice conservative folks here. Plus I agree that with global warming this may not be a good area to settle in and raise my family. Has anyone moved to Texas and felt that it was a good move?

[CA renter]

[quote=paramount][quote=CA renter]

BTW, you still didn’t answer my question in the other thread: are you one of those people who constantly votes for bonds without ever thinking about where the money is supposed to come from to pay them off?

[/quote]

If I understand your question, I campaigned strongly against Measure Y, which was a “bond measure” in the Temecula school district.

This recent election was a real wake up call in so many ways, and BTW I am not a republican at all.[/quote]

Not just bond measures for schools, but for multiple other uses like transportation, parks, etc. People like myself, who don’t have kids in public schools, have to pay for those whose children attend public schools.

Everybody likes to complain about paying for someone else’s benefit, but we ALL have to do this in a civilized, democratic society. Nobody is exempt. I just find it funny that, all too often, the ones who complain the loudest are usually some of the biggest beneficiaries of public funding and are also those who are already paying some of the lowest effective tax rates.

[CDMA ENG]

[quote=EconProf]Reread, not retread.
Too much turkey.
Zzzzzzzz…[/quote]

LOL! You’re cracking me up Econ. :p

No need to apologize!

I was just agreeing that looking at simple things like what it cost to ship something in one direction versus the other can show true supply / demand of the destinations under study.

I also use to have a friend that said that you could deduce the true cost of living in a city by only looking a the cost of a jug of milk.

Twinkie defense… Turkey defense… Pretty much the same effect…

CE

[paramount]

[quote=5yes]I feel that people are more segregated than I am used to at my local grocery store and on my street, [/quote]

The method/tool of segregation in California is called gentrification.

[spdrun]

For what it’s worth, San Diego area feels more segregated than many East Coast cities. In a town where more people drive, there are simply fewer opportunities for contact between different “classes.”

[gzz]

I totally agree with CA renter, no reason to give commercial property the same low rate as residential. Even better most of this commercial property is owned by people out of state or out of country.

From the stats in the OP, CA taxes per person are only a little higher than Texas. We should do a better job if taxing large out of state corps and cutting the state personal income tax. 12% is just crazy. I pay over 50% marginal rate on much of my income being self employed.

[spdrun]

Why not just do a better job of taxing income of foreign and out-of-state entities? Real-estate tax on either commercial or residential properties is essentially a regressive tax.

[cvmom]

[quote=CDMA ENG]I also use to have a friend that said that you could deduce the true cost of living in a city by only looking a the cost of a jug of milk.[/quote]

Reminds me of the Big Mac index that the Economist uses to compare cost-of-living.

[barnaby33]

Seems to me everyone argues the taxes they pay are regressive. CARenter, we seem to have entered a phase of civil discourse where everyone is a victim. Somehow it strikes me as a symptom of something deeper.

As to moving to Texas for fucks sake stop talking about it and do it. Obviously not enough of ya’all are actually doing it, because housing here is still ridiculous.
Josh

[paramount]

[quote=barnaby33]Seems to me everyone argues the taxes they pay are regressive. CARenter, we seem to have entered a phase of civil discourse where everyone is a victim. Somehow it strikes me as a symptom of something deeper.

As to moving to Texas for fucks sake stop talking about it and do it. Obviously not enough of ya’all are actually doing it, because housing here is still ridiculous.
Josh[/quote]

If you’re not a local or state govt worker and lucky enough to work, you probably are their victim.

[CA renter]

Once again, Paramount, do your research and find out what’s **really** behind our state’s budget crisis. The public pensions comprise ~3-5% of our state’s budget. Unions and government workers did NOT cause the financial crisis. The crisis that caused our problems on a global, national, state, or local level had nothing at all to do with unions. Get your fact straight before spewing your nonsense. You don’t like unions or government workers (even though your paycheck comes from taxpayers as a govt contract worker); we get it.

[desmond]

Just got back from a road trip to Houston to deliver some furniture, etc. to my two kids living there. (btw, u-haul is $1600 to Houston but I went with Penske, 16′ for $983). Both are doing well (son was salesman of the 3rd and maybe 4th quarter for his company)daughter also working and dating $$$ texas boy. Anyway, much better quality of life for them out there. Gas was $2.97/gal, rent cheaper, better roads, rest stops, etc. Getting started is crucial in life, saving money and getting ahead for them far outway any petty weather or other concerns. The writing is on the wall here in CA and now has turned to permanent paint.

[bearishgurl]

[quote=desmond]Just got back from a road trip to Houston to deliver some furniture, etc. to my two kids living there. (btw, u-haul is $1600 to Houston but I went with Penske, 16′ for $983). Both are doing well (son was salesman of the 3rd and maybe 4th quarter for his company)daughter also working and dating $$$ texas boy. Anyway, much better quality of life for them out there. Gas was $2.97/gal, rent cheaper, better roads, rest stops, etc. Getting started is crucial in life, saving money and getting ahead for them far outway any petty weather or other concerns. The writing is on the wall here in CA and now has turned to permanent paint.[/quote]

I couldn’t agree more, desmond. A former CA resident who is a college graduate can always return to Cali if they wish to accept a job there.

I’ve been trying to interest my youngest to attend college out of state in any of three “flyover” states where they are either eligible for in-state tuition or nearly a “full-ride” scholarship for all four years. In those colleges, lower-level (GE) classes are actually taught by FULL PROFESSORS (avg 25-30 yrs tenure) and the class sizes are 19-35 students (avg 23 students) as opposed to 514 students in Cali taught by an “underpaid” grad student and where the student is just a “number” getting lost in the shuffle. In addition, the student in these OOS schools gets an academic advisor chained to their ankle (who calls them periodically) so they don’t make any (expensive) class-selection mistakes and are able to graduate in four years. Free tutoring in all subjects is also available in two of the schools.

And best of all, students actually graduate in four years!

In one of the colleges, my kid can qualify for a 2br on-campus apt (sm LR/KIT and one bath) with only ONE roommate. Cost to me? $181.50 per mo (incl all utils, cable and wireless internet).

fwiw, I just saw on the UCLA website last month that for the Fall 2012 semester, just 19% of the freshmen they admitted were actually in-state residents. 34% were foreign students and the rest were from out of state.

I would surmise the percentages are similar for UCB, UCSB, UCD, UCSD, etc.

So much for CA’s “flagship schools” (that its “resident” taxpayers are supporting) offering priority admission to its in-state HS grads over outsiders.

I think CA’s public universities have a “duty” to educate “qualified” CA residents first over other applicants. Other states surely do. But it looks like those days are gone forever. Why is this so? It’s simple …. $$$$$ :=0

[Diego Mamani]

[quote=desmond]Just got back from a road trip to Houston to deliver some furniture, etc. to my two kids living there.[/quote] Thanks for sharing Desmond! Were your kids born and raised in So. Cal.? Weather is not a petty concern for me, but hey, I’m a chicken when it comes to extreme temps.

[Author]

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