What is most appealing about living in AL? (Birmingham, Huntsville: house, rent)

[TheLastMove]

for us will be back to the Midwest (which will be in June of 2008). It's like lodger said, "different strokes for different folks". Apparently there are some great places to live in AL such as the Huntsville area and the beach. Instead of friendly, as posters have mentioned about other communities, we have found Tuscaloosa to be very cliqueish and clanish. We also miss having 4 distinct seasons more than we thought we would. Oh well, live and learn.

[Lodger]

In regards to low property taxes, it is almost embarrassing. I hate taxes as much as anyone but the money has to come from somewhere. Property tax increases in Alabama have to be voted on and even if your schools are getting their electricity shut off and falling to pieces due to lack of funds some folks will never vote for a tax increase. The city of Tuscaloosa has a tax rate close to twice what the county of Tuscaloosa pays. I voted for that increase back in the mid 80's while still a college student because I believe in education. It's a miracle it passed. The city system just built three new high schools, paid for partly with a (temporary) sales tax increase. I've heard the city system is pretty good but I still send my kid to a private school.

One bad thing about Alabama is the sales taxes are on everything. In Tuscaloosa now I think the sales tax rate is 9%.

[TheLastMove]

Yes, it is 9% on everything and you're right - that probably does make up for the low property taxes. We opted to send our kids to private school as well even though we have heard some good things about the elementary schools and the high schools (Northridge in particular). However, we've heard nightmare stories about the middle schools here and two of our three children are in middle school now.

[RonHei]

I'd like to address that as a shoe that doesn't fit and a dog that won't hunt.

I was raised and "edumacated" in Gadsden, AL. I poorly applied myself to anything that didn't have a skirt. Ran with the pack. Barely, barely graduated from High School with what today would be a "D" average.

It wasn't like I wasn't "listening" though, or being educated. I just didn't care. I had a punk's attitude.

The short version is that 5 years out of high school, I convinced Chapman University that all that was a fluke and that I should be admitted to college. AFTER, of course, scoring high on the college entrance exam.

18 Months later, I had a Bachelor of Arts degree in Psychology and Social Science, Summa *** Laude and graduated first in the class of 1,000 students in Feb 1973. Mid year.

Later earning an M.B.A, law degree, and Ph.D. But.... it's foundation was not that I was some kind of genius. It's that my educational foundation was so strong. Yes, an Alabama education. I've taught at Golden Gate University, CA, my alma - Chapman University, Troy State, Embry Riddle, LSU, and the University of Nebraska, both undergraduate and graduate.

Alabama gets an unfair rap on its education because of, what I see, is a Northern predisposition to want to feel superior to southeners, thereby devising their own ranking methods.

[TheLastMove]

I'll keep this in mind as I review the data.

[brandoni57]

I just graduated from UA with a degree in Finance, minor in Economics and core in real estate. Overall the city of Tuscaloosa is bass ackwards and the school system is probably horrible. My high school (grissom high) in Huntsville had one of the highest concentration of PHD proffessors and the most Advance placement /college credit courses in the state. Our cross town rivals Bob Jones (the largest school in the STATE) also boasts similar numbers. Economically Huntsville has the best to offer in the state (most affordable city in US, fastest growing metro in state, 1 in 10 people have PHD, highest concentration of engineers in US).. do you know why??? Because we have leaders and politicians who get stuff done through marketing, lobbying and incentives by creating the most diverse and prosperous economy in the state with the highest concentration of educated people... all with a measly 8% sales tax and low property taxes and still Nationally we are always in the TOP 15 or 10 in every shape or form. So to tell me that the money has to come from somewhere and that people are suffering because of a lack of higher taxes you are ignorant... your cities just don't know how to get it done. Peace!

[Lodger]

Watch out before you call folks ignorant. First, you really can't compare Huntsville with the rest of Alabama since the education level is so much higher than the rest of the state. Education begins at home. It helps to have parents that can read and value education. Second, the Huntsville property tax rate is 58 mils, according to what I've found. Pretty cheap but he city of Tuscaloosa has a rate of 45 mils, while good ole Tuscaloosa county gets by with 20 mils. Cut your education budget to a third of what it is now and see how your schools rate.

[brandoni57]

my apologies, I can word my opinion better. The fact is I have a problem with Tuscaloosa in that their economy is solely based on a football team. So basically Ttown relies on 8 saturdays every fall to fund their budget. The city can experience great economic benefits from electing politicians who actually know how to lobby and market the city. You mentioned low taxes, as a matter of fact people from other parts of the country are attracted to low costs of living... so make it work to Tuscaloosa's advantage, entise companies to bring jobs through lobbying and incentives, build and market anything that is risky to keep the 90% of the 22,000 college students who in surveys say they can't wait to leave tuscaloosa!! They can do a lot of this without liberal taxation or jeapordizing the cost of living. Tuscaloosa has an educated population that chooses to move somewhere else after four years of school, they just have to offer something to this educated 20 something crowd to build that education base

[Lodger]

To keep on topic, northeners I know who have moved to Alabama like the low property taxes, the lack of cold weather, and people are pretty friendly here. Myself, I'd be gone tonight if I didn't have such a good job and a bunch of friends and relatives living here.

Now, a few things about Tuscaloosa.

Tuscaloosa's economy may seem to be based on football games, but until just a few years ago the university played most home games in Birmingham. Tuscaloosa saw only 3 games a year until the mid-90's. Tuscaloosa's economy used to depend primarily on hospitals and people employed by the university, plus BF Goodrich as our large manufacturer. Now we have a Mercedes plant that has about 4000 employees, I believe, Goodrich is still here with their 1500 to 2000 employees, and the university has several thousand employees as well. We have numerous small manufacturers that supply Mercedes, two or three roofing shingle plants, an oil refinery, a spandex plant, a couple of small paper mills, the largest hospital in west Alabama, we are one of the main retail centers for west Alabama, etc. etc. It's not hard to find a job here if you want one, and this is a pretty cheap place to live.

As far as Tuscaloosa's government, they have really gone nutso in the last few years and have started passing laws on everything, like what kind of furniture you can have on your front porch. You would not believe some of the stuff that comes out of council meetings. I've always believed in the less laws, the better, but Alabama in general and Tuscaloosa in particular seem to think it's their duty to butt into everyone's personal business. But, at least they are sincere and don't seem too corrupt.

[brandoni57]

Originally Posted by Lodger

As far as Tuscaloosa's government, they have really gone nutso in the last few years and have started passing laws on everything, like what kind of furniture you can have on your front porch. You would not believe some of the stuff that comes out of council meetings. I've always believed in the less laws, the better, but Alabama in general and Tuscaloosa in particular seem to think it's their duty to butt into everyone's personal business. But, at least they are sincere and don't seem too corrupt.

exactly... they are bossing around and annoying the very thing that keeps them afloat, the students, maybe build some cool places to live and hang out and be entertained and they students may stay and build that economic base through a highly educated population. but no.. Instead they city tells them where to park and where to sit.