[skytrekker]

Maggie

yes the west coast does have the mildest weather in North America.
The California coast has a nearly perfect climate. San Francisco has a cool water coast Mediterranean climate. The difference between winter and summer in 'The City' is a mere 14 degrees. Temps above 80 are not common, while temps below 32 are also uncommon. Humidity is low, and so are the amount of bugs and other pests.

North Carolina is too hot and humid for my taste.

[salatheel]

I have seasonal affected disorder. I get real depressed in the fall when it starts getting dark and cold. I need the sun and warmth. I'm still not 100% on if NC is sunny and warm enough. I love the Charleston area. But life is compromises. We shall see. Thank you.

[BigHouse9]

Originally Posted by Golden1

I think I'm not alone with saying most people in most generations have a "could of, should of, would of" reflection on life. The internet is giving us a leg up on those generations by giving us intel' reports on places no one ever thought of before. When people got fed up with a place like CT they would wind up in Florida or California, unless for work reasons. Those two states above all seemed to be the place people would leap into on a dream. Now with internet and web sites on real state we're seeing housing costs and taxes in places like Arkansas or Tennessee where the average Northeasterner never considered unless they read an article on it or saw a movie with the town/state as a backdrop. Now with the internet the country and the world opened up. I've learned more about Idaho and even the state I vacation in - Rhode Island - then I ever would without a computer. It's good to go into situations having knowledge.

The one other thing I'm seeing from a web site such as this is the human factor. People can cite statistics and show graphs but who makes these things? Often a lot of us are noticing that numbers and statistics are fudged for any number of reasons. If ten people are saying such and such place sucks because of such and such reasons and one person is saying it's great. you gotta read into that aspect.

Golden,

Good point and dead on. My FIL is constantly quoting things he has read about NC to me however, he does not live where we are on a daily basis and does not see what we have to go through.

When it all boils down to it, all the articles and stats you have are just for the p*ssing contests. Living it is so much more valuable.

[BigHouse9]

Originally Posted by salatheel

I have seasonal affected disorder. I get real depressed in the fall when it starts getting dark and cold. I need the sun and warmth. I'm still not 100% on if NC is sunny and warm enough. I love the Charleston area. But life is compromises. We shall see. Thank you.

Trust me when I say, it is warm enough. Running you A/C from March into Nov/Dec is pretty good evidence of that. And it gets brutally hot in July/August too.

[BigHouse9]

Originally Posted by Iska

Connecticut has a budget surplus now. How much does the car tax contribute to that surplus? What happens when they get rid of the car tax and it begins to affect the budget? People are going to resist a renewal of the car tax. Then what? Real estate taxes go up some more? Is there room to cut govt spending?

I don't think you will ever see government cut spending. It just doesn't happen with the tax and spend of today's economies. The money SHOULD go back to the people and not to some other failed government program, but it won't. Taxes should be reduced, but the won't be. Just makes me think of our infamous Lowell Weicker who campaigned on the platform of "I don't support the state income tax". Of course, he instituted it with the statement "I don't support it, but it is necessary." Spin spin spin.

[JViello]

Originally Posted by BigHouse9

Just makes me think of our infamous Lowell Weicker who campaigned on the platform of "I don't support the state income tax". Of course, he instituted it with the statement "I don't support it, but it is necessary." Spin spin spin.

But...it's for the kids. (Education funding - like the kids actually see it. ) Surely you like kids, how could you not support a tax increase for the children. Shame on you.

[BigHouse9]

Oh yes of course, I know that government run programs are always managed so efficiently and well.

I know that skytrekker has mentioned a state sponsored health care system and I think that is the first step towards disaster. No offense trekker! Taxes will surely increase and we all know the poor state of socialized medicine in Canada.

I really wish more of these things would be returned to the people. I wish CT was more progressive in that sense of achieving that goal.

[skytrekker]

Former Republican national committee head Ken Mehlman said universal health care is needed- why do so many white men not want 'affordable health care?'

And I am white- sad commentary on the selfishness of so many- Who love the great quality of life in CT- but want to go cheap in states like NC- but want the rewards here and not pay for it-interesting to say the least.

Thats why 400,000 people in the state of CT have no health care- and I pay nearly $400 a month for Blue Cross- and buy my meds from Canada at a fraction of the cost- since when is my health at the mercy of for profit companies- the value of any society is the compassion it has- and health care is a necessity- not a privilege.

Governor Jodi Rell has taken the appropriate steps to make decent health care affordable based on a sliding scale- on what your income is. And most of the costs are privately paid for- sad so many have wooden minds regarding this issue.

One can trash the government- but the private sector with CEO's getting huge bailouts, incredible immense amounts of greed - is not free of corruption-
if one thinks the free enterprise system is without faults- and solves all the ills of society they perhaps should go back to the land of Herbert Hoover in 1931. Or move to A Red state

[KirbyJRT]

I may be persuaded to support it. How does it work? How much does it cost? I don't have enough facts.

Currently I am covered for medical/dental/vision and it costs me $105 pay pay period. Plus whatever co-pay. I'm pretty happy with that.

[skytrekker]

Governor Rells program will be mostly privately paid for Kirby- some government money however will be needed-
similar to the one in Massachusetts

That was signed by Mitt Romney- it was a brilliant collaboration between the republican governor and the democratic speaker of the house.

Health care costs are going through the roof- and most fair mined people realize that serious reform is needed. The USA is the only representative democracy on this planet without affordable health care- reform is needed.

Why the richest nation on earth- that has an increasing gap between the haves and have nots allows this to go on- says something about the values of this nation. Yep- I know low taxes for the haves and corporations- and for the rest let em eat cake- talk about an oligarchy.