IS Arizona really bad as everyone says???? (Phoenix, Tucson: property taxes, budget)

[humble101]

Let's face it folks. The ones who have been here a while know what I am talking about. I am from a small town back east and there is no comparison between there and here. I've only been here since 1971(can be a Native after seventy two hours by the way), but the place is rapidly deteriorating. Roads, pollution, getting warmer overall. The winters here in Mesa are warm and getting worse. Not good for fruit trees. I used to sit a 5 gallon bucket in the back yard and it would freeze half full. I don't even have to cover my orange trees anymore.
I don't know how anyone can maintain a perception that Arizona is ok. There are so many things going wrong it ain't funny. Everyone has the right to be here but for all intents and purposes, if you think a million more coming in and illegals here, there, and everythere is good for the overall atmosphere of Arizona then your perceptions are very much highly different than mine.
Like one guy said, the neighbors are not friendly, alienate themselves, and all other aspects that are here now that weren't here when I got here render this place less a quality residential location and more of a burden to everything a person would want to accomplish in life.
I cannot in good faith tout a place that is becoming drought stricken, bogged down worse every day with traffic, and fundamentally blah and demoralizing for many people. If you are happy here fine. Name one thing good and I can shoot back three that are bad and getting worse

[movin'on]

Originally Posted by humble101

Let's face it folks. The ones who have been here a while know what I am talking about. I am from a small town back east and there is no comparison between there and here. I've only been here since 1971(can be a Native after seventy two hours by the way), but the place is rapidly deteriorating. Roads, pollution, getting warmer overall. The winters here in Mesa are warm and getting worse. Not good for fruit trees. I used to sit a 5 gallon bucket in the back yard and it would freeze half full. I don't even have to cover my orange trees anymore.
I don't know how anyone can maintain a perception that Arizona is ok. There are so many things going wrong it ain't funny. Everyone has the right to be here but for all intents and purposes, if you think a million more coming in and illegals here, there, and everythere is good for the overall atmosphere of Arizona then your perceptions are very much highly different than mine.
Like one guy said, the neighbors are not friendly, alienate themselves, and all other aspects that are here now that weren't here when I got here render this place less a quality residential location and more of a burden to everything a person would want to accomplish in life.
I cannot in good faith tout a place that is becoming drought stricken, bogged down worse every day with traffic, and fundamentally blah and demoralizing for many people. If you are happy here fine. Name one thing good and I can shoot back three that are bad and getting worse

Ok, I'll play. The Mexican food.

[humble101]

One-- The heat is getting worse here because of the heat island urban effect. Not actually hotter per se but longer to cool down at night making for dreadfully persistent long days of heat
Look at the crime statistics here. Housing costs are disgusting as realting to the median average wage. That is $42,000 and everyone makes $42,000 here. Those averages on anything never ever tell the story do they?
Mexican food? Just one thing. I don't like hot foods and I am having a hard time finding even Chinese food where they don't up the plate with hot, spicy foods. Of course they are catering to the increasing Hispanic crowds. So, if I don't like it leave right? Hope not. If I want something hot in my palate I will swallow some kerosene. I don't get that culture of a phenomenon of nuclear meltdown in the mouth but it is prevalent.

Wal-mart? Hey folks let's get real. There are people here who will condemn Wal-mart and it's employees. Don't want it anywhere around them but they will travel across town to shop at a Wal-mart.. People are basically hypocrites when it comes to the pocketbook for them but they expect everyone else to do what they won't do, like not shop at Wal-mart.
I have talked to literally hundreds of employees at Wal-mart. I have inside dealings. They are not very happy and the point about if they don't like it work somewhere else is ludicrous. Where? General Motors? Ford? Mc Donalds?
It is many employees only chance of somehow fulfilling the American dream which is rapidly losing steam for many people as this is a world wide economy and China and India are dictating many forces including prices and labor.
Myself, I would rather pay a little more and see Wal-mart employees obtain a little more equity. Hard for people to grasp how hypocritical they become when they say things like "They don't have to work at Wal-mart" and "Go somewhere else". They are doing what they need to do as it is not an ideal world and there are not perfectly ideal circumstances and employment for all.

[movin'on]

Originally Posted by humble101

One-- The heat is getting worse here because of the heat island urban effect. Not actually hotter per se but longer to cool down at night making for dreadfully persistent long days of heat
Look at the crime statistics here. Housing costs are disgusting as realting to the median average wage. That is $42,000 and everyone makes $42,000 here. Those averages on anything never ever tell the story do they?
Mexican food? Just one thing. I don't like hot foods and I am having a hard time finding even Chinese food where they don't up the plate with hot, spicy foods. Of course they are catering to the increasing Hispanic crowds. So, if I don't like it leave right? Hope not. If I want something hot in my palate I will swallow some kerosene. I don't get that culture of a phenomenon of nuclear meltdown in the mouth but it is prevalent.

Well, you are talking to someone who cannot eat anything without heat (unless it's cereal). The hotter the better. One gets used to it and then one needs more. I do agree with you about the wages and cost of housing. It's like living in California with none of the benefits. I guess I got lucky in that I came here from CA with cash and was able to buy a very nice place with cash. Only problem is it's located in AZ.

Wal-mart? Hey folks let's get real. There are people here who will condemn Wal-mart and it's employees. Don't want it anywhere around them but they will travel across town to shop at a Wal-mart.. People are basically hypocrites when it comes to the pocketbook for them but they expect everyone else to do what they won't do, like not shop at Wal-mart.
I have talked to literally hundreds of employees at Wal-mart. I have inside dealings. They are not very happy and the point about if they don't like it work somewhere else is ludicrous. Where? General Motors? Ford? Mc Donalds?
It is many employees only chance of somehow fulfilling the American dream which is rapidly losing steam for many people as this is a world wide economy and China and India are dictating many forces including prices and labor.
Myself, I would rather pay a little more and see Wal-mart employees obtain a little more equity. Hard for people to grasp how hypocritical they become when they say things like "They don't have to work at Wal-mart" and "Go somewhere else". They are doing what they need to do as it is not an ideal world and there are not perfectly ideal circumstances and employment for all.

Target's a MUCH better alternative to Walmart and they do hire people. I'll stand on my anti Walmart position.

And who is to blame for the Walmart situation? The folks who vote red. They cut off their nose to spite their face.

[BiggsHomes]

Perhaps this forum should be renamed to "Is Phoenix really as bad as everyone says?" I for one LOVE Arizona. My neighbors are fantastic. Everyone in my community is friendly. They wave at you with all five fingers when you drive by. The weather is great - 90 in the summer 50 in the winter. My property taxes went down from last year. The state budget is balanced with reserves.

[movin'on]

Originally Posted by BiggsHomes

Perhaps this forum should be renamed to "Is Phoenix really as bad as everyone says?" I for one LOVE Arizona. My neighbors are fantastic. Everyone in my community is friendly. They wave at you with all five fingers when you drive by. The weather is great - 90 in the summer 50 in the winter. My property taxes went down from last year. The state budget is balanced with reserves.

Well, that is what I seek to find out. I've been to Prescott and it's nice. There is some beauty in AZ, but how to make a living in that beauty is questionable. I am supposed to be going up north tomorrow with a native Phoenician, born and bred here. We'll see. A move up north in the same state would be much easier than a move to the Pacific NW, but there is still the water issue. I really cannot live anywhere where there isn't a natural water formation nearby. I miss the ocean. I grew up in the land of 10000 lakes. It's hard for me to imagine that anywhere in AZ could meet my requirements.

[BiggsHomes]

Check out Willow Lake Rd off of HWY 89. There is a reservoir there. Across the street is a manufactured homes community. Some of the homes have a view of the lake.

[a1m1700]

Originally Posted by movin'on

Well, you are talking to someone who cannot eat anything without heat (unless it's cereal). The hotter the better. One gets used to it and then one needs more. I do agree with you about the wages and cost of housing. It's like living in California with none of the benefits. I guess I got lucky in that I came here from CA with cash and was able to buy a very nice place with cash. Only problem is it's located in AZ.



Target's a MUCH better alternative to Walmart and they do hire people. I'll stand on my anti Walmart position.

And who is to blame for the Walmart situation? The folks who vote red. They cut off their nose to spite their face.

I can name at least 7 blue families that I know personally that shop at Walmart. Big time liberals too who are not afraid to tell you they are liberals and are proud Walmart shoppers. I know some red folks that won't step into one though.

[humble101]

You are right. Let's just hope you are not like some people I know. For example the heat. I am older now but I worked in Construction from 1971 till I got laid off on Christmas Day 1979. I was tired of the six months here and the 1 year there and I wasn't union and this is a right to work state and people in a beat up pickup back then outbid my quality concrete and stucco by ten cents a square foot. That's another topic.
I worked a lot in the heat. But when I came here my cousin told me. "You'll get used to the heat". She was telling me that in her air conditioned home of which she drove to the store in an air conditioned car and went in an air conditioned store to buy things to go to her air conditioned job. She didn't do hardly anything outside. Yes, people are like that.

I am not a Wal-mart shopper at all. I also prefer Target and any other place. I make no bones about it because I talk to a lot of Wal-mart employees and they know I empathize with them. The only connection I have with Wal-mart is I pick up donated goods from them to take to charity on a regular basis. Lord knows any store could donate damaged goods to charities and help people and animals.
But I stand by my attitude that not everyone can work at Target or any other good place and I don't condemn people who work at lower class places and in doing so try to improve their lot in life.
There is a profound difference between Sam's Club and Costco. Sam's Club is a little cheaper on items but Sam's Club has less help. Costco has a person who helps with the boxes and puts stuff in people's carts, thereby speeding up the service somewhat. Sam's Club doesn't. Myself, I would rather pay a little more at Costco where the people are paid better than to save a nickle where people are trivialized and their tactics in the marketplace are questionable.
I have never been able to dismiss people as easily as some can, and especially the ones who are more fortunate, for whatever reason, seem to do it the most.
I've heard all I can stand about how hard successful people have worked to get where they are. So, So hard to get where they are. As if nothing else had anything to do with it. Like friends, luck, a good idea of course, but fortunate in ways that a lot of people aren't.

[humble101]

What you are saying is on a lot of people's minds but they never express it for fear of being labeled a racist or something.

You must never mention race in this day and age no matter how strongly you feel about something such as illegal immigration or whatever the case may be. You will just start a hornet's nest. People are sensitive about things like what you are saying where the problem will never be solved unless it is allowed to be solved in the lawbreakers favor.