No growth in Corpus Christi (Houston, Portland: best city, condos, crime)

[CalallenMom]

The area's population isn't growing, but it can » Corpus Christi Caller-Times

Figured I'd put this up for discussion/opinions since it's come up in numerous conversations on this board.

[crisan]

Thanks for the article. It is great that they are focusing on the younger generation and not just on retirees. I used to live in that area and left for many reasons. However, I do have a huge family left over there so the thought about moving back does creep up from time to time. A woman from Fort Lauderdale moved there a couple of years ago and asked for my opinion on the best city for her family (2 elementary aged children). I told her to move to Portland because my first thought was education. She ended up moving back to Florida and told me that I recommended the worst place. I should have recommended CC because Portland was sooooooo boring. Back to the thread topic.

I do wonder about voting habits in CC. I will take a guess that it is not the younger people (singles) and perhaps not so many families. This leaves retirees.

Retirees have limited income and some have plenty of time. Their limited income means that they will oppose a rise in taxes when it is not in their interest. I know, who will vote for something against their interest. This is why I ask if anybody knows of the voting habits of the city.

Of course, I don't advocate taxing citizens for unnecessary projects but I do think that education should take priority. It is my opinion that retirees don't see education as a priority as opposed to a family with children. Professionals with families may not see CC as a desirable place because of the quality of schools. I know that I would not move my family there but maybe a nearby city. That is easy for me to say because I know the area but not a transplant. Keep in mind that some of these retirees may have migrated to CC and have no ties there. They may also vote against other projects that younger people might have an interest in.

I was recently told that a dog park was voted down. If this is true, why? I am not saying that retirees voted this down or that I am for the parks, but it makes me wonder about who is voting.

[no cigar]

Oh no! But the museums, the Columbus Ships... the HOOKS! What are these people thinking?!?! I mean at least hang around for PF Changs for crying out loud. I mean what about all the trendy condos?

I can hear the pundits now... Welp, looks like people are voting with their feet and the proof is still in favour of CC being absolutely inferior.

I found this to be hillarious

“I don’t think the Corpus Christi area wants to be Houston,” Miller said. “I think we would be happy keeping our youth here and luring companies that would appeal to them. A good start, which we’ve been working on for the past few years, is taking industry into the classroom and showing kids what job opportunities are available.”

Yes... Please lure more heavy industry and refinfery jobs. HELLO. Finance? Healthcare? TECH?

OK OK... Even for blue collar, Corpus has about the most insiduous job climate around. Fail.

[no cigar]

What Does It Mean to Be a Blue-Collar Worker?
Blue-collar jobs are typically classified as involving manual labor and compensation by an hourly wage. Some fields that fall into this category include construction, manufacturing, maintenance and mining.
What It Does Not Mean
Do not mistake blue-collar jobs for easy to land, easy to keep or low-paying ones. Although some blue-collar jobs do not require a four-year degree, many of them require additional education by way of specialized training, a certification or an apprenticeship.
There are several blue-collar jobs that offer competitive compensation packages, relative to their white-collar counterparts.
Elevator installers and repairers sit atop the list with an average hourly wage of $42.08. This hands-on occupation involves many tasks, including assembly, testing, maintenance and repair of elevators, escalators and moving sidewalks. On average, an elevator installer or repairer can bring in over $87,000 per year.
Ship and boat captains and operators earn an average of $24.86 per hour for navigating their vessels through a variety of waterways. On average, a captain or operator brings in almost $58,000 each year, but these captains have to work a bit harder for the money -- the average work week is 51.8 hours.
The pressure is on, literally, for gas plant operators who control compressors to keep gas flowing through pipelines. This essential job pays workers just under $64,000, or approximately $30.71 on an hourly basis.
There are several specialties within the electrical and electronic repair industry. The most lucrative area involves inspecting and repairing electrical equipment at generating stations, substations and in-service relays. These workers bring in an average salary of $68,000 per year.
The Top 10 List
1. Elevator Installer and Repairer
Average salary: $87,518
Average hourly wage: $42.08
Average work week: 40 hours
2. Electrical and Electronics Repairer -- Powerhouse, Substation and Relay
Average salary: $68,084
Average hourly wage: $32.75
Average work week: 40 hours
3. Power Plant Operator, Distributor and Dispatcher
Average salary: $65,846
Average hourly wage: $31.50
Average work week: 40 hours
4. Gas Plant Operator
Average salary: $63,872
Average hourly wage: $30.71
Average work week: 40 hours
5. Locomotive Engineer
Average salary: $63,125
Average hourly wage: $28.27
Average work week: 42.5 hours
6. Electrical Power Line Installer and Repairer
Average salary: $60,354
Average hourly wage: $29.02
Average work week: 40 hours
7. Structural Iron and Steel Worker
Average salary: $59,224
Average hourly wage: $28.55
Average work week: 39.9 hours
8. Construction and Building Inspector
Average salary: $59,144
Average hourly wage: $28.31
Average work week: 40.2 hours
9. Ship and Boat Captain and Operator
Average salary: $57,910
Average hourly wage: $24.86
Average work week: 51.8 hours
10. Radio and Telecommunications Equipment Installer
Average salary: $57,149
Average hourly wage: $27.48
Average work week: 39.9 hours
About the List
The jobs are ranked by annual salary, from highest to lowest, excluding overtime. The data was pulled from the National Compensation Survey: Occupational Earnings in the United States, 2008, which is published by U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics.

[ocean2026]

Drive into corpus on I-37 the same way a majority of Corpus auto visitors enter. What do you see? Ugly refineries - fined many times for pollution. Who would want to move business there? Places that have refineries as a major employer have low educational attainment and gang violence.

Compare that to Rockport -which has no polluting industry and never will allow any. Rockport is fast growing and the schools are way better - crime way lower.

[rturpin]

Originally Posted by ocean2026

Drive into corpus on I-37 the same way a majority of Corpus auto visitors enter. What do you see? Ugly refineries...

The Corpus Christi ship channel is far too opportune a nexus of a deepwater port with good rail and highway connections, the use well established. The auto visitor staying in the city won't notice the refineries at all for the rest of their stay, except indirectly by watching the tankers in the ship channel. Those who are cognizant of such things, when seeing them again on leaving, might note the refineries are all nicely leeward to the city and the bay. Yes, we need to monitor and control their pollution. But the refineries will be there for decades to come. If their negative aspects are your bottom line, then you never will be happy with the city. It would be like someone who hates computers trying to reconcile themselves to San Jose, or who hates banking trying to reconcile themselves to Manhattan.

[ocean2026]

and what about all the fines and penalties the refineries had to pay. What about the benzine in people's blood. Why don't you live near them!