Texas tops list of worst places to live and work in America

[aggie08 21,594]

4 hours ago, Frank Drebin said:

People vote with their feet.

No, they vote at the ballot box. At this point, I think everyone (except some Texans) is cool with your people consolidating in the south. It's yours.

[CooterBrown 18,099]

 

 
People vote with their feet.

For retirement planning, I recently did a comparison of Colorado vs Texas vs Oregon vs Washington regarding property taxes, state income taxes, and sales tax.

For property taxes I did a home value of $800K, for state income tax I used $150K in income, and for the sales tax I based on $25K of taxable purchases.

Austin had a tax burden of ~$19,000 a year in taxes while Colorado was ~$10,000, Oregon ~$21,000, and Washington was the cheapest at ~$9,000.

[gmr548 16,645]

 

 
People vote with their feet.

No, they vote at the ballot box. At this point, I think everyone (except some Texans) is cool with your people consolidating in the south. It's yours.

Case in point for this being recent election results in AZ and GA. Clearly people didn’t flock to those states because of their long established political positions.

Politics is a tertiary factor for most moves. Vast majority of moves (and non-moves) are governed by household economics and family dynamics. Most people don’t vote with their feet because they can’t for whatever reason, or prioritize being around family anyway. To be able to up and move primarily over politics is a privilege available to a pretty small portion of the population.

Of course, politics has an impact on household level economics. The main political point to be taken from current net migration trends is that facilitating housing development should be a priority for good governance, regardless of liberal or conservative lean.

Large coastal states - California being the poster child - failed to build enough housing to accommodate demand. Job centers in these states thus became egregiously expensive. More demand than supply means people get prices out and cheaper states start looking like greener pastures.

Of course, conservative states aren’t immune to this. Florida has entered the chat with regard to full on cost of living crisis. Same thing happened in Austin. People aren’t moving from Austin to Lockhart for the culture or conservative politics in Caldwell County, they’re moving to be able to buy a home. Rinse and repeat for Hays Williamson, Fort Bend, and on down the line. Texas has only escaped it in mass because of the ability - which is in fact subsidized by the government - to simply build endless sprawl.

tl;dr - don’t make too direct a connection to partisan politics with net migration. It’s a reach.

[Captainant 27,990]

5 hours ago, Frank Drebin said:

 

 

People vote with their feet.

Lulz ok sack, whatever your trickle down think tank "calculations" claim tax rates to be amirite? I'd bet my bottom dollar that your visualization is dishonestly including business/corporate taxes as well to give the perception of low individual taxes, which ain't the case. 

[closetohumping 17,553]

1 hour ago, gmr548 said:

 

Case in point for this being recent election results in AZ and GA. Clearly people didn’t flock to those states because of their long established political positions.

Politics is a tertiary factor for most moves. Vast majority of moves (and non-moves) are governed by household economics and family dynamics. Most people don’t vote with their feet because they can’t for whatever reason, or prioritize being around family anyway. To be able to up and move primarily over politics is a privilege available to a pretty small portion of the population.

Of course, politics has an impact on household level economics. The main political point to be taken from current net migration trends is that facilitating housing development should be a priority for good governance, regardless of liberal or conservative lean.

Large coastal states - California being the poster child - failed to build enough housing to accommodate demand. Job centers in these states thus became egregiously expensive. More demand than supply means people get prices out and cheaper states start looking like greener pastures.

Of course, conservative states aren’t immune to this. Florida has entered the chat with regard to full on cost of living crisis. Same thing happened in Austin. People aren’t moving from Austin to Lockhart for the culture or conservative politics in Caldwell County, they’re moving to be able to buy a home. Rinse and repeat for Hays Williamson, Fort Bend, and on down the line. Texas has only escaped it in mass because of the ability - which is in fact subsidized by the government - to simply build endless sprawl.

tl;dr - don’t make too direct a connection to partisan politics with net migration. It’s a reach.

 

Trans people live in the south for a reason.  It’s not because you’re tolerant 

[Pato del Muerto 52,907]

2 hours ago, CooterBrown said:

For retirement planning, I recently did a comparison of Colorado vs Texas vs Oregon vs Washington regarding property taxes, state income taxes, and sales tax.

For property taxes I did a home value of $800K, for state income tax I used $150K in income, and for the sales tax I based on $25K of taxable purchases.

Austin had a tax burden of ~$19,000 a year in taxes while Colorado was ~$10,000, Oregon ~$21,000, and Washington was the cheapest at ~$9,000.

Yeah that’s what it feels like from my personal experience, new as I am to Washington. Where the difference is made up a little is that to get the same house you’d get in big metro Texas for 800k, you will be spending 1.5 million give or take so for a true apples to apples you have to use that valuation for property taxes. 

[CooterBrown 18,099]

Yeah that’s what it feels like from my personal experience, new as I am to Washington. Where the difference is made up a little is that to get the same house you’d get in big metro Texas for 800k, you will be spending 1.5 million give or take so for a true apples to apples you have to use that valuation for property taxes. 

Depends. Seattle proper is gonna be more expensive but outside of that, it’s comparable or cheaper. If I go from central Austin to Vancouver outside of Portland or Gig Harbor on the other side of Puget Sound, 800K goes much further. Portland proper is cheaper than Austin and Denver is roughly the same for central urban neighborhoods but the close in suburbs are still way cheaper than central Austin.

[Pato del Muerto 52,907]

8 minutes ago, CooterBrown said:

Depends. Seattle proper is gonna be more expensive but outside of that, it’s comparable or cheaper. If I go from central Austin to Vancouver outside of Portland or Gig Harbor on the other side of Puget Sound, 800K goes much further. Portland proper is cheaper than Austin and Denver is roughly the same for central urban neighborhoods but the close in suburbs are still way cheaper than central Austin.

I’m in an apt in Bothell right now and looking around for where to buy. Stuff in Bothell and Snohomish and Monroe tend to be 800k and up. Whereas my house in Georgetown is 400kish.  I was attempting to compare suburbs to suburbs- because what does 800k get you in central Austin or Seattle?

and yes the stuff that requires a ferry ride on your commute is cheaper. But my one trip to whitbey that resulted in a 3 hour wait at the ferry terminal let me know that it isn’t reliable enough. For retirement or WFH it’s outstanding. 

Edited July 24, 2023 by Pato del Muerto

[ztejas 43,752]

1 hour ago, Pato del Muerto said:

Yeah that’s what it feels like from my personal experience, new as I am to Washington. Where the difference is made up a little is that to get the same house you’d get in big metro Texas for 800k, you will be spending 1.5 million give or take so for a true apples to apples you have to use that valuation for property taxes. 

Not in Austin - which is what he's basing his numbers on. Large swaths of Austin are $700+ per sq ft. 

I mean I would assume that Austin is basically as expensive as Seattle at this point real estate wise. (Looks like Seattle is a bit more still - thought it was less expensive than it is)

Edited July 24, 2023 by ztejas

[Frank Drebin 5,694]

14 hours ago, Captainant said:

Lulz ok sack, whatever your trickle down think tank "calculations" claim tax rates to be amirite? I'd bet my bottom dollar that your visualization is dishonestly including business/corporate taxes as well to give the perception of low individual taxes, which ain't the case. 

I guess we will just have to take your word for it. 

[Foosters 17,937]

8 minutes ago, Frank Drebin said:

I guess we will just have to take your word for it. 

 

[royiv 9,418]

2 minutes ago, Foosters said:

 

Lulz if you think sack gives a fuck about regressive taxes. He gets off to these charts.

[hullabelew 3,724]

"According to CNBC, the best state in the country to live and work is Vermont, with Maine in second and New Jersey in third."

Yep....all examples of a diverse population. And the weather!   

[Texzilla58 4,745]

They actually prioritize educating their citizenry in Massachusetts.   Other places prioritize football and Jesus.  The end results speak for themselves.

You mean the Massachusetts that is dropping teaching advanced math because it’s racist?

[YGIFS 19,453]

New Jersey is actually very diverse.  22% Latino/Hispanic, 15% Black, Asian/Other 10%, and White 53%.  Weather sucks and it's, well.......New Jersey.

Vermont and Maine are also interesting in that there are 2 only a handful of solid-blue/lean-blue states that are overwhelmingly rural in terms of population density.  Of the 14 most sparsely populated states, only Vermont, Maine, Colorado, Oregon, and New Mexico are reliably Democratic.  

[closetohumping 17,553]

12 hours ago, ztejas said:

Not in Austin - which is what he's basing his numbers on. Large swaths of Austin are $700+ per sq ft. 

I mean I would assume that Austin is basically as expensive as Seattle at this point real estate wise. (Looks like Seattle is a bit more still - thought it was less expensive than it is)

Austin is expensive for the south.  Not sure it's coastal expensive yet.  If you're willing to live in the burbs you may do ok.  

[closetohumping 17,553]

Cedar Park:  2375 sq feet for 735k, does have pool though. https://www.redfin.com/TX/Cedar-Park/121-N-Winecup-Trl-78613/home/32916446

Lynwood: 1780 sq foot townhome:  https://www.redfin.com/WA/Lynnwood/2733-197th-Ln-SW-98036/unit-B/home/101603560 

 

Austin still a little better than Seattle.

[nbmishoid 976]

17 hours ago, CooterBrown said:

For retirement planning, I recently did a comparison of Colorado vs Texas vs Oregon vs Washington regarding property taxes, state income taxes, and sales tax.

For property taxes I did a home value of $800K, for state income tax I used $150K in income, and for the sales tax I based on $25K of taxable purchases.

Austin had a tax burden of ~$19,000 a year in taxes while Colorado was ~$10,000, Oregon ~$21,000, and Washington was the cheapest at ~$9,000.

And that’s one reason we chose the Seattle area.  That it is a nice place populated by majority non maga assholes lends considerable charm on its own.  I jest, tons of charm.

In our analysis we had to vary house price assumptions by location.   E.g. NorCal very much more expensive than, say, Carolina.  Austin prices in 2012 were higher than Seattle, go figure.  These differences could add up to a one time increment of several hundred thousand smackers.   

[Samson's Wig 3,199]

21 hours ago, Texzilla58 said:

You mean the Massachusetts that is dropping teaching advanced math because it’s racist?

lol. Yes, one school district in MA did something like that in their middle schools I believe,  which made national headlines (particularly among news outlets with a particular bent) but changed course very quickly thereafter as I recall.  This is also the Massachusetts whose students outscore every other state's students in math by a wide margin.  Massachusetts is the #1 state in math with a bullet (and #2 in overall education after New Jersey, go figure).  Texas, by comparison, is #25 in math and #37 overall for k-12 That's higher than I would have guessed, to be honest, but still pathetic given the resources we could sink into educating our kids if we weren't more concerned with football and book bans.  Even Florida does a much better job.  Fucking Florida.  The average Texan is significantly less educated than the average Floridian.  Let that sink in.  It wasn't always this way, but we've very purposefully chosen to make things worse.  Because we're morons.

Perhaps you were tongue in cheek with your comment, but there is absolutely no argument based on any objective measure that Massachusetts isn't by far the #1 state for math and in the top 2 for education overall, and it's not even close.   The sad part is, even Massachusetts is mediocre compared to other OECD countries.  As a nation, we are ensuring our populace remains stupid and sated.  Some of this is budgetary (no excuse) and some of it is because it helps get certain folks elected.  It is shortsighted and will end poorly for all of us. Recent trends show Texas trying to lead the charge to the bottom on this front.  At least Massachusetts is carrying its own water.  We can't say the same for our great state.

 

[YGIFS 19,453]

Holy shit, I knew our health care system was in bad shape, but didn't realize we were among the likes of WV, OK, MS, and LA.

https://www.statesman.com/story/news/local/2023/07/31/texas-ranks-7th-worst-health-care-system-list-us-best-health-care/70501611007/

fucking pathetic.  Thank god our fantastic education system will develop a generation of well-read scientists to pick up the slack.  Oh, wait...

[royiv 9,418]

29 minutes ago, YGIFS said:

Holy shit, I knew our health care system was in bad shape, but didn't realize we were among the likes of WV, OK, MS, and LA.

https://www.statesman.com/story/news/local/2023/07/31/texas-ranks-7th-worst-health-care-system-list-us-best-health-care/70501611007/

fucking pathetic.  Thank god our fantastic education system will develop a generation of well-read scientists to pick up the slack.  Oh, wait...

50th in adult dental visits. We have become the slack-jawed yokels. SEC ready!

I think some of those stats highlight just how bad we've let healthcare become in rural areas of the state. Houston is home to the world's largest medical center and boasts MD Anderson, Texas Children’s and world class transplant programs at several other institutions among others. Imagine how bad it would be if we didn't have that to help prop up our stats.

[YGIFS 19,453]

good point, you take out a portion of Houston's complex, a few UT System med schools, and BCOM and we turn to dead last in a real fucking hurry.  Really glad to hear/see that almost none of our state leadership seem to give fuck one about lack of access for most and for many access is there but to really subpar, substaffed care.  We spend $80+ bn or nearly 40% of our budget on health care.  But nobody can tell me where it goes.  We certainly don't look like a healthy populace.  

How do some of y'all go through the day bragging about Texas being the greatest state in America?  When we know we're closer to the bottom in most respects.

[SydneyCarton 48,395]

On 7/23/2023 at 6:25 PM, aggie08 said:

No, they vote at the ballot box. At this point, I think everyone (except some Texans) is cool with your people consolidating in the south. It's yours.

I’m headed north ASAP, so I’m fine with this as the Texan who would take exception. Blow up my property values, maybe I can buy up North before  the climate change migration. Build some more wealth for my son because the next century in this planet will not be easy. 

[Js1 85,825]

1 hour ago, YGIFS said:

How do some of y'all go through the day bragging about Texas being the greatest state in America?  When we know we're closer to the bottom in most respects.

Because we are tops where it matters - votes R, lots of guns, great place for the wealthy and a majority party that supports their pet nanny state causes. 

[CooterBrown 18,099]

1 hour ago, YGIFS said:

How do some of y'all go through the day bragging about Texas being the greatest state in America?  When we know we're closer to the bottom in most respects.

Without the dead dinosaurs, that probably 50% of Texans deny existed, providing the oil reserves, Texas is looking up to Mississippi wondering how to spell it.

 

[BabaYaga 15,413]

5 hours ago, YGIFS said:

We spend $80+ bn or nearly 40% of our budget on health care.  But nobody can tell me where it goes.  We certainly don't look like a healthy populace.  

You can unpack that across almost every major city in America.  It's the dirty little secret that healthcare doesn't make you healthy.

[closetohumping 17,553]

4 hours ago, Js1 said:

Because we are tops where it matters - votes R, lots of guns, great place for the wealthy and a majority party that supports their pet nanny state causes. 

God, guns, Greg  

4 hours ago, SydneyCarton said:

I’m headed north ASAP, so I’m fine with this as the Texan who would take exception. Blow up my property values, maybe I can buy up North before  the climate change migration. Build some more wealth for my son because the next century in this planet will not be easy. 

Where to?

[fattyflattie 4,639]

4 hours ago, CooterBrown said:

Without the dead dinosaurs, that probably 50% of Texans deny existed, providing the oil reserves, Texas is looking up to Mississippi wondering how to spell it.

 

Lulz 

[SydneyCarton 48,395]

12 minutes ago, closetohumping said:

God, guns, Greg  

Where to?

Don't know yet. The stock answer is "Not Here." It'll be dependant on where the boy decides to go to college, I'm getting pretty close to openly rooting against The University of Texas for this reason, which makes me so inexplicably sad. 

North Carolina is a favorite, towards the Smokies, and Colorado is beautfiul but wildfires concern me. I'm Minnesotta and Wisconsin are appealing to me, as I can see where being on a massive body of fresh water might be benefifical in the future. Pac Northwest and San Diego are also in the conversation. The conversation I'm having entirely in my head becuase my wife doesn't want to imagine a world where Texas is bad. 

That being said she did react favocably to this property listing last week:
https://www.zillow.com/homedetails/3756-N-Shore-Dr-La-Pointe-WI-54850/2056814723_zpid/

Caveat: My "ASAP" is likely in 12 more years when the kid goes to college. God fucking damnit. 

Edited August 1, 2023 by SydneyCarton

[closetohumping 17,553]

1 minute ago, SydneyCarton said:

Don't know yet. The stock answer is "Not Here." It'll be dependant on where the boy decides to go to college, I'm getting pretty close to openly rooting against The University of Texas for this reason, which makes me so inexplicably sad. 

North Carolina is a favorite, towards the Smokies, and Colorado is beautfiul but wildfires concern me. I'm Minnesotta and Wisconsin are appealing to me, as I can see where being on a massive body of fresh water might be benefifical in the future. Pac Northwest and San Diego are also in the conversation. The conversation I'm having entirely in my head becuase my wife doesn't want to imagine a world where Texas is bad. 

That being said she did react favocably to this property listing last week:
https://www.zillow.com/homedetails/3756-N-Shore-Dr-La-Pointe-WI-54850/2056814723_zpid/

Caveat: My "ASAP" is likely in 12 more years when the kid goes to college. God fucking damnit. 

Yeah, I'll always root for my alma mater from afar.  My thoughts:

 

North Carolina - politically, assuming that's a reason for you to leave, it's very similar to Texas no?  I think the outdoors are a bit nicer.

Colorado -lived in Denver. Loved it. Perfect four seasons, incredibly nice, not southern nice, people.  Lacks the ocean, diversity and fats.

PNW- lived in Seattle.  Easy yes over any Texas city.

San Diego - Found a spot where I was able to surf for hours and then walk down the boardwalk to get octopus tacos.  Yeah.  It's awesome.

 

 

I'd make my asap a little more asap as the COL in the above places will only go up, despite what middle America tells you.

[PenelopeWitherspoon 19,246]

My income would go 40% further if I moved back to Texas since I pay a shitload in state and local taxes here in NYC which I get no deduction for from a federal perspective (thanks assholes).  However, Texas has basically told women that we do not fucking matter, and that we shout sit down, shut up, and do as we are told.  So fuck Texas.  Signed a multi-generational Texan who thinks the state jumped the shark.

[SydneyCarton 48,395]

1 minute ago, closetohumping said:

Yeah, I'll always root for my alma mater from afar.  My thoughts:

 

North Carolina - politically, assuming that's a reason for you to leave, it's very similar to Texas no?  I think the outdoors are a bit nicer.

Colorado -lived in Denver. Loved it. Perfect four seasons, incredibly nice, not southern nice, people.  Lacks the ocean, diversity and fats.

PNW- lived in Seattle.  Easy yes over any Texas city.

San Diego - Found a spot where I was able to surf for hours and then walk down the boardwalk to get octopus tacos.  Yeah.  It's awesome.

 

 

I'd make my asap a little more asap as the COL in the above places will only go up, despite what middle America tells you.

North Carolina - Weather and scenery is better, and near the mountains it is nice and far enough from the coast that hurricanes and flooding aren't an issue. As for politics, it seems to be trending in a certain direction (run by adults) faster than Texas. 

Colorado: Wildfires spreading is the only demerit.

PNW: I feel like Seattle would be great (I like cloudy weather). But it's expensive.

San Diego: We fucking love San Diego. But see above. It doesn't help that my wife basically would insist on living in La Jolla. So that powerball better hit. 

[SydneyCarton 48,395]

2 minutes ago, PenelopeWitherspoon said:

My income would go 40% further if I moved back to Texas since I pay a shitload in state and local taxes here in NYC which I get no deduction for from a federal perspective (thanks assholes).  However, Texas has basically told women that we do not fucking matter, and that we shout sit down, shut up, and do as we are told.  So fuck Texas.  Signed a multi-generational Texan who thinks the state jumped the shark.

On the other side, they built a low income, subsidized apartment for working poor like a block away from the house you used to rent. The uproar for the NIMBY folks all around you was fucking HIGHLY entertaining to me during covid. I may have poured some bourbon a few times and started trolling all the dog whistlers on some FB pages for shady acres. So, you know, you missed that fun. 

[closetohumping 17,553]

3 minutes ago, SydneyCarton said:

North Carolina - Weather and scenery is better, and near the mountains it is nice and far enough from the coast that hurricanes and flooding aren't an issue. As for politics, it seems to be trending in a certain direction (run by adults) faster than Texas. 

Colorado: Wildfires spreading is the only demerit.

PNW: I feel like Seattle would be great (I like cloudy weather). But it's expensive.

San Diego: We fucking love San Diego. But see above. It doesn't help that my wife basically would insist on living in La Jolla. So that powerball better hit. 

I think anywhere in the western US has to worry about wildfires.  Hell didn't Bastrop burn a few times?  Maybe I'm wrong.

 

Seattle burbs aren't that much more than Austin.  Not sure how much equity you have in your Austin house or maybe you want to keep the house?  

6 minutes ago, PenelopeWitherspoon said:

My income would go 40% further if I moved back to Texas since I pay a shitload in state and local taxes here in NYC which I get no deduction for from a federal perspective (thanks assholes).  However, Texas has basically told women that we do not fucking matter, and that we shout sit down, shut up, and do as we are told.  So fuck Texas.  Signed a multi-generational Texan who thinks the state jumped the shark.

I could sell my California house and almost pay cash for a house that's twice as large in Houston.  I just can't pull the trigger.  I'd retire a lot earlier. 

[crash_davis 23,162]

On 7/23/2023 at 10:35 AM, aggie08 said:

Hint: the keyword in my post was "all".

The parents should be the primary pillar in their kids' lives, but if they're forming all of their opinions and worldviews almost exclusively from you (the royal you), you're raising some sheltered, insulated ass kids. Give them the tools to draw their own conclusions.

As others have mentioned, the younger generation proven to be a hell of a lot more adept at sifting through internet bullshit and misinformation than their parents. 

So your kids will not be attending Texas A&M? I keed, maybe.

[SydneyCarton 48,395]

1 minute ago, closetohumping said:

I think anywhere in the western US has to worry about wildfires.  Hell didn't Bastrop burn a few times?  Maybe I'm wrong.

 

Seattle burbs aren't that much more than Austin.  Not sure how much equity you have in your Austin house or maybe you want to keep the house?  

I could sell my California house and almost pay cash for a house that's twice as large in Houston.  I just can't pull the trigger.  I'd retire a lot earlier. 

Bastrop burned once, and it was pretty bad. I dont want to deal with that on a regular basis. Minnesota seems great, but if Canada burns that's just as much of a concern too, right? 

I...do not live in Austin. I live in Houston. And I don't have that much equity yet. 

 

[crash_davis 23,162]

2 minutes ago, closetohumping said:

I could sell my California house and almost pay cash for a house that's twice as large in Houston.  I just can't pull the trigger.  I'd retire a lot earlier. 

Fuck buying larger. I'm going to downsize. Why pay for bedrooms and space which you have to furnish, heat/cool, and clean when it won't be used 90% of the time. 

[crash_davis 23,162]

1 minute ago, SydneyCarton said:

I...do not live in Austin. I live in Houston. And I don't have that much equity yet. 

I was lucky to move to Austin pre-insanity-boom. I am planning to use the equity from selling my house, downsize, and retire a few years earlier than expected. I realize I am extremely fortunate and lucky in that regard.

Honestly, I am looking to be a f'ing miser in retirement with the idea of leaving my kids as much money as possible. Their generation is completely fucked through no control of their own. If I can help them anyway after I and the wife pass away, I'm going to help.

[royiv 9,418]

22 minutes ago, SydneyCarton said:

Don't know yet. The stock answer is "Not Here." It'll be dependant on where the boy decides to go to college, I'm getting pretty close to openly rooting against The University of Texas for this reason, which makes me so inexplicably sad. 

North Carolina is a favorite, towards the Smokies, and Colorado is beautfiul but wildfires concern me. I'm Minnesotta and Wisconsin are appealing to me, as I can see where being on a massive body of fresh water might be benefifical in the future. Pac Northwest and San Diego are also in the conversation. The conversation I'm having entirely in my head becuase my wife doesn't want to imagine a world where Texas is bad. 

That being said she did react favocably to this property listing last week:
https://www.zillow.com/homedetails/3756-N-Shore-Dr-La-Pointe-WI-54850/2056814723_zpid/

Caveat: My "ASAP" is likely in 12 more years when the kid goes to college. God fucking damnit. 

My wife works remotely for a company based in Wisconsin and travels up there once a month for meetings. I'm warming up to the idea of at least putting it on the list of places to look at. We're headed up to Minneapolis this weekend to visit friends that live there and it's also a place we might consider. As a native Texan, I can't believe I just said that. 

[4th&Five 41,710]

6 minutes ago, crash_davis said:

Fuck buying larger. I'm going to downsize. Why pay for bedrooms and space which you have to furnish, heat/cool, and clean when it won't be used 90% of the time. 

This. We’ll find something around 1,500 sq ft as soon as kids are out. We’re at 2,400 now and have 2 rooms we rarely use. 

[YGIFS 19,453]

Have they devised a financially viable platform whereby  each June 1st-August 31st, I can use a bit of equity in my Austin home to pay for an extended 90-day rental in Colorado or Idaho?  Because I don't that kinda cash just sitting around idle, but I do have it in my home.  

Can I just give somebody 5% on a first lien in exchange for their mountain home usage during our summers?  This is fucking insane.  

Was talking with a new dad at daughter's swim camp yesterday.  They just had a new baby (his oldest is in camp with my youngest).  Baby girl was diagnosed in utero with a duplicate 7th chromosome.  All her digestive tract and related organs are all shoved up in her chest cavity putting enormous pressure on her heart and lungs.  I don't know him well enough, and even if I did-I would not ask, to inquire but I kinda got the impression that may not have carried the baby to term knowing all this now but they were forced to.  They were also gonna have to go to Houston to get the operation done because it's rare and our crap-tastic medical system can't keep up with all the babies being carried to term that need radical surgeries just to have an outside shot at suffering a painful and short life.  But he was telling me because it was getting so bad for baby to breathe, that they were given priority here in Austin at one of the children's hospitals where the one guy in town that can do this made an opening available, basically has to pull the whole digestive tract/organs set down and reorganize them without disrupting the lungs and heart in their infant state.  So we pray it goes well.  His parents are in town from California and taking the kids swimming today and we'll offer to watch them if they need to go visit their daughter and granddaughter in the hospital.  The new dad and his wife, presumably a few years younger than us, moved here from Illinois.  And I got the impression nobody was digging on Texas given what they've gone through this year and that they have to explain it all in a pool that's almost 90 degrees because it never drops below 100 during daylight hours here.  God bless that baby and her momma.  /rant

Edited August 1, 2023 by YGIFS

[SydneyCarton 48,395]

5 minutes ago, royiv said:

My wife works remotely for a company based in Wisconsin and travels up there once a month for meetings. I'm warming up to the idea of at least putting it on the list of places to look at. We're headed up to Minneapolis this weekend to visit friends that live there and it's also a place we might consider. As a native Texan, I can't believe I just said that. 

Yeah, me too. I thought I'd retire here as recently as 3-4 years ago. That being said, no one I know who's visited the twin cities hasn't come back raving about it as a place to live. 

[HenryJames 66,307]

Mosquitoes in Minnesota suck.

[Armybrat 41,022]

On 7/25/2023 at 9:07 AM, Samson's Wig said:

lol. Yes, one school district in MA did something like that in their middle schools I believe,  which made national headlines (particularly among news outlets with a particular bent) but changed course very quickly thereafter as I recall.  This is also the Massachusetts whose students outscore every other state's students in math by a wide margin.  Massachusetts is the #1 state in math with a bullet (and #2 in overall education after New Jersey, go figure).  Texas, by comparison, is #25 in math and #37 overall for k-12 That's higher than I would have guessed, to be honest, but still pathetic given the resources we could sink into educating our kids if we weren't more concerned with football and book bans.  Even Florida does a much better job.  Fucking Florida.  The average Texan is significantly less educated than the average Floridian.  Let that sink in.  It wasn't always this way, but we've very purposefully chosen to make things worse.  Because we're morons.

Perhaps you were tongue in cheek with your comment, but there is absolutely no argument based on any objective measure that Massachusetts isn't by far the #1 state for math and in the top 2 for education overall, and it's not even close.   The sad part is, even Massachusetts is mediocre compared to other OECD countries.  As a nation, we are ensuring our populace remains stupid and sated.  Some of this is budgetary (no excuse) and some of it is because it helps get certain folks elected.  It is shortsighted and will end poorly for all of us. Recent trends show Texas trying to lead the charge to the bottom on this front.  At least Massachusetts is carrying its own water.  We can't say the same for our great state.

 

What’s the % of ESL kids in Massachusetts vs Texas?

Seems that could be a pertinent factor.

Edited August 1, 2023 by Armybrat

[royiv 9,418]

3 minutes ago, HenryJames said:

Mosquitoes in Minnesota suck.

Good point. Texas doesn't have mosquitoes.

[PenelopeWitherspoon 19,246]

25 minutes ago, closetohumping said:

I think anywhere in the western US has to worry about wildfires.  Hell didn't Bastrop burn a few times?  Maybe I'm wrong.

 

Seattle burbs aren't that much more than Austin.  Not sure how much equity you have in your Austin house or maybe you want to keep the house?  

I could sell my California house and almost pay cash for a house that's twice as large in Houston.  I just can't pull the trigger.  I'd retire a lot earlier. 

Houston = Hurricanes.  One was enough for me.  Fuck that.

My next move, if any, is to Europe.  I am starting to have that conversation with work now.  Aiming for May 2025.

[SydneyCarton 48,395]

9 minutes ago, HenryJames said:

Mosquitoes in Minnesota suck.

I'll buy stock in Johnson and Johnson and get over it. That being said...

 

 

 

[crash_davis 23,162]

1 minute ago, PenelopeWitherspoon said:

Houston = Hurricanes.  One was enough for me.  Fuck that.

My next move, if any, is to Europe.  I am starting to have that conversation with work now.  Aiming for May 2025.

If we hated our kids, we would probably retire in Europe. Damn kids.

[Armybrat 41,022]

4 minutes ago, Armybrat said:

What’s the % of ESL kids in Massachusetts vs Texas?

Seems that could be a pertinent factor.

Googled it myself:

9.5% for Massachusetts 

21.9% for Texas 

10.5% overall for the USA. 

Interesting stat to say the least, and is obviously a factor.

[YGIFS 19,453]

2 minutes ago, royiv said:

Good point. Texas doesn't have mosquitoes.

We do, but to HenryJames' point, they're not like they are down here.  Once you get north of about Milwaukee/Twin Cities/Lansing, MI---that whole line up to Ontario, "The North Woods."  The mosquitoes are fucking massive and the bites last about a week.  I get smothered all the time in Texas because my neighbors are fucking lazy and can't be bothered to remove any standing water from their yards and patios and planters or repair errant sprinkler heads unless it involves the one day a week their Mexican yard crews show up.  But if you can avoid scratching them, the bites down here only last about 24-36 hours.  Whenever I go fishing back home in upper WI, those fuckers itch and hurt for a week and you gotta put clinical lotion 'n shit on 'em if you have sensitive skin or you'll bleed like a mother fucker.  You can put on deep woods Off or Deet, that helps but you also stink like ass for the rest of the weekend.  

Still, I'd gladly make the trade on bigger bugs if it means we could get below 100 degrees for ten fucking minutes.