Anti-Business States Hurting, Pro-Business Texas Doing Well (jobs, economic, country)

[aaauger]

I would not make the blanket statement that all of Texas is business friendly. It depends on the area. Austin isn't business friendly all around. I've heard a number of first hand accounts about small businesses not being able to afford rent or property tax, small landlords being disregarded by COA, manufacturers being unjustly treated by COA regulatory agencies, business districts struggling with high crime (especially theft of copper and A/C units right now) after hours. I've personally attended zoning meetings where zealot residents (or resident zealots) wanted to persecute specific (absent) businesses with zero proof of wrong doing and COA representatives did nothing to diffuse the hysteria. There was a COA sponsored / taxpayer funded marketing campaign to foster small business after the dot com bust but it was only for pet local businesses. True small businesses were told that they were too small to participate.

You need to define "business friendly" AND you need to apply that definition to very segmented regions with their regulations and politics.

[texdav]

Ireally doubt hat he was talking about the really small businesses. Afterall even in the past 90% of small businesses failed within the first year.Most zoning meeting I have been to are businesses asking for a change and the residents not wanting the change;that's representative government.From what I have seen local governamnts are too quick to extend loans to samll businesses thru federal grant money when the businesss has like hope of being able to replay the loans.Looking at Austin I see amny companies moving to the area because they want to be in austin. Thye looking at the stae overall it is doing very well in attrating businesses. It is thios draw from larger businesses that allow smaller supplier businessses to be successful.It is the money they pay that allows the really smal local businesses to succeed if they are wanted by the consumer.

[Philip T]

Originally Posted by texdav

Ireally doubt hat he was talking about the really small businesses.

I would agree. They are not talking about small business.

This is more along the lines of what is good for CorpRat types.

Texas has it all -- Weak worker's rights and weak worker's comp. Tax abatements for large corps -- but small biz pays full fare. Lax environmental laws. Easy to exploit workforce between poor Mexicans and ill educated lower-end Blacks and Whites. Low wages and few union issues. If you are looking for a place to put the Big House for the Corporate Plantation . . . what is not to love?

[texdav]

I really doubt that I would classify those states that have had failing businesses for years as samrt. In fact it is like the investor who put all his money into one stock and now is paying the price.That is evidenced by looking over the last decde and where people are moving. They want off a sinking ship no matter how samrt the captain thinks he is .

[Niners fan]

This article rings true with me. We are moving our manufacturing company and its 30+ jobs from California to Idaho. We are building a warehouse and don't want to make that kind of investment in California. It is not just the current regulations and taxes but the constant threat of new regulations and taxes. The irresponsible spending in the legislature would border on criminal in the private sector. I don't seen it changing anytime soon.

[KevK]

Originally Posted by TexianPatriot

I'm gunna have to object here. Dell, Texas Instruments, AT&T, Continental & Southwest (okay the airlines aren't doing great), Whole Foods (I know how you leftists love paying too much for food), Radio Shack, Clear Channel (I can't stand those guys), and a bunch of others outside the petrochemical industrial complex call Texas home. If anything, America has been nothing but dead weight for us. An independent republic of Texas would be much more prosperous than one going down with the sinking ship known as America.

Somehow I doubt that.

[KevK]

Originally Posted by aaauger

I would not make the blanket statement that all of Texas is business friendly. It depends on the area. Austin isn't business friendly all around. I've heard a number of first hand accounts about small businesses not being able to afford rent or property tax, small landlords being disregarded by COA, manufacturers being unjustly treated by COA regulatory agencies, business districts struggling with high crime (especially theft of copper and A/C units right now) after hours. I've personally attended zoning meetings where zealot residents (or resident zealots) wanted to persecute specific (absent) businesses with zero proof of wrong doing and COA representatives did nothing to diffuse the hysteria. There was a COA sponsored / taxpayer funded marketing campaign to foster small business after the dot com bust but it was only for pet local businesses. True small businesses were told that they were too small to participate.

You need to define "business friendly" AND you need to apply that definition to very segmented regions with their regulations and politics.

Dallas is business friendly. Unless you have to pay utilility bills there.

[aaauger]

Small business is business. It contributes substantial revenue to the tax base, substantial jobs to the labor market, etc. Small business can innovate. Small business is around when big business outsources its labor and profits to a foreign country.

Interest in small business is cyclical. Ex. After the dotcom bust in Austin, the city council sang the praises of small business in keeping Austin's economy going. Well, guess what happened when the economy revived. Now that the economy is poor - again, it won't be long before the other shoe drops - again.

PS KevK hit on another disadvantage of doing business in Austin: the Austin Energy monopoly preserved by the City of Austin. I'd be curious to know if it gives big business a discount.

[StillwaterTownie]

Originally Posted by KevK

Dallas is business friendly. Unless you have to pay utilility bills there.

But the property taxes in Texas are much, much higher than in most other states. Oklahoma politicians once wanted to imitate Texas by abolishing the Oklahoma state income tax. But forgot about it when they saw how sky high the Texas property taxes are. It's like home owners are renting from the state of Texas. But it's the high price Texans must pay in return for not having a state income tax.

[dc1225]

Can someone please tell me which states are anti-business and which are pro-business? Really, I did not realize such thing existed(I am aware of states that give you more tax breaks, etc... Delaware, etc...) but really no one ever says hey im going to start a business in this state because of they're pro business.