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I was a physical therapist. We did not have parity with the private sector, but did have good benefits. Although our pension plan is not generous, at least it is a fixed benefit plan, which is rare. Still, I could have been making much more if I had not chosen public service.
The largest single group with the widest variance in my area is Registered Nurses...
SF County was starting new grad RN's at more than 100k... yes 100k plus, as the county stated most generous benefit package...
I realize, SF General is at the forefront of Nursing in areas such as AIDS... still, no private facility could come anywhere close to the $50 an hour wage for new grads...
Other RN's I know that work in Santa Clara Trauma make more... but, they have a ton of experience and work all nights, weekends and holidays...
First of all, having moved to TX recently from CA (I was only there 2 years and am *NOT* a Californian thank God), here's why CA is screwed:
1. Conservative/libertarian voters are fleeing the state in massive numbers.
2. Every non-Democrat voter I know who still lives in CA claims residency elsewhere for tax reasons.
The result? State politics will continue to move further to the left, spending & taxes & welfare will continue to increase, and there's no hope. CA will self-destruct.
As for Texas, my worry here is that I fear it will be a repeat of what happened to places like Phoenix. When I moved to Phoenix in the late 90s it was almost exactly like San Antonio & Austin today. Within a few years, however, hundreds and hundreds of thousands of bottom-feeders moved in for the cheap housing and turned the city from a nice friendly place into the new Los Angeles full of crime and rude people.
I really hope San Antonio and Austin don't suffer the same fate....
First of all, having moved to TX recently from CA (I was only there 2 years and am *NOT* a Californian thank God), here's why CA is screwed:
1. Conservative/libertarian voters are fleeing the state in massive numbers.
2. Every non-Democrat voter I know who still lives in CA claims residency elsewhere for tax reasons.
The result? State politics will continue to move further to the left, spending & taxes & welfare will continue to increase, and there's no hope. CA will self-destruct.
As for Texas, my worry here is that I fear it will be a repeat of what happened to places like Phoenix. When I moved to Phoenix in the late 90s it was almost exactly like San Antonio & Austin today. Within a few years, however, hundreds and hundreds of thousands of bottom-feeders moved in for the cheap housing and turned the city from a nice friendly place into the new Los Angeles full of crime and rude people.
I really hope San Antonio and Austin don't suffer the same fate....
Some would view Conservative/libertarian voters fleeing the state in massive numbers as a positive...
Wasn't it the Governor or Mayor in New York saying he would have raised taxes sooner had he known it would drive people like Limbaugh out...
What some see as a disaster... others view as an opportunity...
This week, Chevron has announced a review with the possibility of closing the Richmond Oil Refinery... the announcement immediately caused elation for many... saying it could not happen soon enough.
Others pointed out that Chevron is the single largest Taxpayer and Employer in the region and the closing would mean bankruptcy for the city...
How can some be overjoyed and others not?
Chevron has been stymied at every turn in trying to modernize the plant... and it looks like the last go-round has started Chevron to think outside the box...
NUMMI tried to expand and was stopped... now, 5,000 auto jobs are being lost in Fremont...
First of all, having moved to TX recently from CA (I was only there 2 years and am *NOT* a Californian thank God), here's why CA is screwed:
1. Conservative/libertarian voters are fleeing the state in massive numbers.
2. Every non-Democrat voter I know who still lives in CA claims residency elsewhere for tax reasons.
The result? State politics will continue to move further to the left, spending & taxes & welfare will continue to increase, and there's no hope. CA will self-destruct.
As for Texas, my worry here is that I fear it will be a repeat of what happened to places like Phoenix. When I moved to Phoenix in the late 90s it was almost exactly like San Antonio & Austin today. Within a few years, however, hundreds and hundreds of thousands of bottom-feeders moved in for the cheap housing and turned the city from a nice friendly place into the new Los Angeles full of crime and rude people.
I really hope San Antonio and Austin don't suffer the same fate....
I'm sort of worried about that too. That's why I haven't moved back to Texas yet. So, if that's the case, why did you move to Texas? Did you consider other states that aren't having the influx of people from CA and other states?
Theres so much wrong with that post I dont know where to start so I wont bother. Heres a tip though, go live with the largest concentration of Conservatives in the world. Go move to Alabama.
I am see California lic plate daily now. Is Austin doing great, well you dont hear all the bad new about its house market but I would say better then most states. People are loosing jobs but not like other places as well. Would I leave Austin to go to California, I dont think so. As a realestate investor I dont hear other investor crying about hard time at all. But again you have to be sure job security is within the area you are doing business. hope that help.
I am see California lic plate daily now. Is Austin doing great, well you dont hear all the bad new about its house market but I would say better then most states. People are loosing jobs but not like other places as well. Would I leave Austin to go to California, I dont think so. As a realestate investor I dont hear other investor crying about hard time at all. But again you have to be sure job security is within the area you are doing business. hope that help.
At one point during the last 2 years you could use up both hands counting license plates from various states just on the daily drive to work.
The recession hit us very late into the cycle; we were actually not even feeling it when other states did and thus started the great exodus to Texas.
One of the major reasons Texas, as a whole, is doing better than so many states in the country is because of the Sunset Provision. Ever hear of it?
"The Texas Sunset provision was established in 1977. Under Texas law, all agencies – except universities, courts, and agencies established by the Texas Constitution – will be abolished on a specific date, generally 12 years after creation or renewal, unless the Texas Legislature passes specific legislation to continue its functions."
One major issue with states like CA is that they've built layer upon layer of bureaucracy for decades and decades with no accountability and no "reality check" on whether they actually contribute to the states well being and bottom line. Its a snowball type effect...more government agencies and employees lead to higher taxes to pay for all of them which eventually cannot be sustained...thus the situation CA finds itself in today.
Texas (mostly) has a conservative political framework...all state agencies (with noted exceptions above) must prove why they should exist and have a taxpayer funded budget every 12 years. Texas and Alabama are the only two states in the country that employ this tactic to keep some measure of accountability in the state government.
Whether this type of regulation can actually be directly correlated to the relatively healthy position Texas finds itself in can be debated but, I think most will agree that having this sort of legislative check/regulation is a good thing.
Texas isnt well run. The education system is terrible, the metrics bear this out. We cant pay for basic infrastructure as evidenced by the toll roads. Corruption is rife aka electricity deregulation among other things. Look at the rape scandal in the juvenile justice system.
Yet property taxes go up and up and more of the burden for running the state is put on the back of the middle class while the rich and corporations are given more and more ways out of paying their fair share of tax. The middle class if they ever lose their jobs after a lifetime of supporting the state are treated like lepers and the state attempts to deny them what meager social services are available.
If this state is a supposed exemplary example of how 'conservatives' run things. I'm not impressed. A lot of right wingers seem to equate 'cheap' government with well run government. That simply is not the case.
Texas isnt well run. The education system is terrible, the metrics bear this out. We cant pay for basic infrastructure as evidenced by the toll roads. Corruption is rife aka electricity deregulation among other things. Look at the rape scandal in the juvenile justice system.
Yet property taxes go up and up and more of the burden for running the state is put on the back of the middle class while the rich and corporations are given more and more ways out of paying their fair share of tax. The middle class if they ever lose their jobs after a lifetime of supporting the state are treated like lepers and the state attempts to deny them what meager social services are available.
If this state is a supposed exemplary example of how 'conservatives' run things. I'm not impressed. A lot of right wingers seem to equate 'cheap' government with well run government. That simply is not the case.
Never have lived in Texas and having friends that love living there makes me wonder if Texas is so bad for those of modest means... why did so many Katrina Refugees, especially from Louisiana move to and decide to stay in Texas?
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