Houston: Mainly Conservative? (Austin, Pasadena, Deer Park: fit in, theatre, university)

[kpoeppel]

So far I like what I hear, thanks to all!

I'm no fan of illegal immigration, but I understand mjewell's point. I have a lot more respect for an illegal immigrant working his/her tail off to get ahead than I do for some of the people around here who make $30/hour doing an easy job that anyone could do for far less. The only reason they make $30/hour is because of government regulations, unions, nepotism, etc. Meanwhile people like me who don't have the right "connections" are stuck working local McJobs, which are about the only jobs left around here thanks to the "profit is evil" mentality.

Then I read in the Houston Chronicle that a 20 year-old cattle rancher near Houston is being lured off the ranch by the prospect of a 60k/yr salary as a nuclear technician after he completes two years of training. I see ad after ad begging for engineers and skilled labor to work in everything from energy to construction. Wow. You don't see economic activity like that here in western PA, that's for sure.

[Beachhand]

Originally Posted by jfre81

There is a bus system. You can ride the bus to the rail line. I do this. Anyone can.

Oh Please! This project had little forethought to where the most benefit would occur...Gulfgate to the Med Ctr??? They would much better to work lines with the existing railtracks similar to Silicon Valley....people use that from the bedroom communities and continue on to BART if needed.

[pacific_trader]

Down here in Clear Lake it's ultra-conservative, almost to the point of creepiness. The suburbs out here are pretty "Stepford". Maybe that's why Clear Lake women have a habit of murdering their families.

[KerrTown]

Originally Posted by pacific_trader

Down here in Clear Lake it's ultra-conservative, almost to the point of creepiness. The suburbs out here are pretty "Stepford". Maybe that's why Clear Lake women have a habit of murdering their families.

It's more like Desperate Housewives.

Originally Posted by mjewell

Houston is extremely pro-business. It's called the "right to work", which basically translates to "no unions allowed" and little in the way of business taxes to the big businesses that decide to move headquarters here, therefore we have a booming job market and when you hate your boss you can usually find somewhere else to go pretty quickly.

I'm going to take heavy heat for this, I know. Go easy guys.

Pro-Business = Anti-Consumer. I hope your new home in the suburbs won't fall apart a few months after it's built because the new home builders have bought out the legislators. Don't try to sue them, it's really hard! Good luck trying to find the lowest price ever offered for an item at a store. When I visited department stores in Los Angeles, there was a yellow sign from the County Department that would provide the lowest price for an item sold at that chain.

"Right to Work" is another misnomer. Its really the "Right to Work for Less." It's Anti-Worker in its true form. Apparently pro-business people support ever increasing compensation for CEOs and reducing compensation for ordinary workers. Unions provide a needed check and balance to management. We need checks and balances back at work and in the state house.

[houstonman]

Originally Posted by Willys

There was a time when Texas was largely democrat, run by democrats with a constitution written by democrats....

Agreed. What caused that change is an even more interesting topic. Prior to Ronald Reagan, a more fiscally and socially conservative idealogy, a republican could not get elected statewide. Boy!, have times changed. Just ask Phil Gramm

So the mentality hasnt changed much because the terms "republican" or "democrat" are simply just LABELS.

Originally Posted by Willys

... but just last century Houston was the largest metro in the US with no zoning. You'll recognize that when you get there.
...

Please add, it was the largest city in North America with out mass transit (dont even attempt to include the bus system where wait you can wait a whole hour for the next bus and still walk ten blocks to your destination neither include those dreaded HOV lanes)

[kpoeppel]

Originally Posted by KerrTown

"Right to Work" is another misnomer. Its really the "Right to Work for Less." It's Anti-Worker in its true form. Apparently pro-business people support ever increasing compensation for CEOs and reducing compensation for ordinary workers. Unions provide a needed check and balance to management. We need checks and balances back at work and in the state house.

KerrTown,

Wow, you should move to western PA. You'd fit right in around here. And because of that mentality, you'd have your pick of our excellent job market: Mcdonald's, Wendy's, or KFC.

So which is more "anti-worker"? A right-to-work law that says price-fixing by employees (a.k.a. unions) is illegal, or laws favoring unions which results in businesses (and all of their jobs) moving to right-to-work states? It's not "right to work for less", it's "right to work at the market rate like everyone else". No occupation deserves special privaleges. Supply and demand for labor determines the price of labor, just like the supply and demand for watermelons determines the price of watermelons. If you want more money for your labor, get skills that are in demand. Or even better, take advantage of inexpensive labor and start your own business and make, dare I say, a profit? Starting a business is also known as "creating jobs"...something that people in western PA expect politicians to do instead.

I have here in my hands the July 15, 2007 issue of the Houston Chronicle, specifically the "City & State" section B. "Jobs Waiting on Workers" is the headline. Skilled workers are in high demand. Tyler Adams, age 19, works at a cattle ranch in Matagorda County. He plans on taking classes to become a nuclear power process technician, starting at $60,000 a year.

When I first read the article, I couldn't believe what I was reading. What? A shortage of workers? Thousands of good paying jobs waiting to be filled? Incredible. There's nothing like that in western PA. Here in PA, the business climate is so pathetic that our state government is giving away millions of dollars to existing businesses for the sake of "creating jobs." Read about it here: http://www.alleghenyinstitute.org/briefs/vol7no36.pdf

So yes, I'll take a "right-to-work" state where I can actually find a good paying job (since businesses are actually thriving), rather than a pro-union state where my most lucrative career path is becoming a manager at Burger King.

[Spade]

The CITY of Houston is not as conservative as many thinks. In fact, the CITIES of Texas are not as conservative as many thinks. They are moderate slightly leaning towards the left and leaning more towards the left by the year. If you are looking for a conservative atmosphere, look to the suburbs or rural areas because you won't find them in the core of the big cities of Texas except maybe Ft. Worth.

[KerrTown]

Originally Posted by kpoeppel

So which is more "anti-worker"? A right-to-work law that says price-fixing by employees (a.k.a. unions) is illegal, or laws favoring unions which results in businesses (and all of their jobs) moving to right-to-work states? It's not "right to work for less", it's "right to work at the market rate like everyone else". No occupation deserves special privaleges. Supply and demand for labor determines the price of labor, just like the supply and demand for watermelons determines the price of watermelons. If you want more money for your labor, get skills that are in demand. Or even better, take advantage of inexpensive labor and start your own business and make, dare I say, a profit? Starting a business is also known as "creating jobs"...something that people in western PA expect politicians to do instead.

So yes, I'll take a "right-to-work" state where I can actually find a good paying job (since businesses are actually thriving), rather than a pro-union state where my most lucrative career path is becoming a manager at Burger King.

Ironically N.Y.C., Chicago, L.A., and S.F.--the cities that drive this nation and the world economy are located in Union states. California is in the top ten of largest economies and a UNION state.

[kpoeppel]

KerrTown,

Correct, because nobody on Wall Street or in Silicon Valley is a member of a union. Thus it doesn't really matter if industries like finance/high tech are located in union states.

Look at what unions have done to the Rust Belt, on the other hand. Also look at the outmigration statistics of California, Illinois, and New York. Look at how fast cities like Phoenix, Charlotte, Houston, Dallas, and Atlanta are growing compared to those in union states.

Compare Charlotte, NC with Pittsburgh, PA:http://www.alleghenyinstitute.org/briefs/vol6no36.pdf

Look at a newspaper from Cleveland or Pittsburgh. You won't find a headline titled "jobs waiting on workers," that's for sure.

If you think the economy of western PA and other Rust Belt areas is so lucrative, by all means move here.

[mjewell]

Originally Posted by kpoeppel

KerrTown,

Wow, you should move to western PA. You'd fit right in around here. And because of that mentality, you'd have your pick of our excellent job market: Mcdonald's, Wendy's, or KFC.

So which is more "anti-worker"? A right-to-work law that says price-fixing by employees (a.k.a. unions) is illegal, or laws favoring unions which results in businesses (and all of their jobs) moving to right-to-work states? It's not "right to work for less", it's "right to work at the market rate like everyone else". No occupation deserves special privaleges. Supply and demand for labor determines the price of labor, just like the supply and demand for watermelons determines the price of watermelons. If you want more money for your labor, get skills that are in demand. Or even better, take advantage of inexpensive labor and start your own business and make, dare I say, a profit? Starting a business is also known as "creating jobs"...something that people in western PA expect politicians to do instead.

I have here in my hands the July 15, 2007 issue of the Houston Chronicle, specifically the "City & State" section B. "Jobs Waiting on Workers" is the headline. Skilled workers are in high demand. Tyler Adams, age 19, works at a cattle ranch in Matagorda County. He plans on taking classes to become a nuclear power process technician, starting at $60,000 a year.

When I first read the article, I couldn't believe what I was reading. What? A shortage of workers? Thousands of good paying jobs waiting to be filled? Incredible. There's nothing like that in western PA. Here in PA, the business climate is so pathetic that our state government is giving away millions of dollars to existing businesses for the sake of "creating jobs." Read about it here: http://www.alleghenyinstitute.org/briefs/vol7no36.pdf

So yes, I'll take a "right-to-work" state where I can actually find a good paying job (since businesses are actually thriving), rather than a pro-union state where my most lucrative career path is becoming a manager at Burger King.

The real problem with the "right to work" theory and no unions is that some employers feel like they own you for a salary that doesn't come close to justifying it. Although I think overall we've got a system that works well for many, many others get stuck in jobs where they get seriously taken advantage of and there isn't any recourse except quitting. I've been made salary, raise, training and promotion promises in the hiring process that never happened and since a contract is practically unheard of, there is no way to enforce the promises. I've heard the same from several other people as well. For instance, I was talking last night to a very intelligent lady in her 50s that has been working for the same company for 20+ years, thanks to a buy out she now has no medical benefits, no 401K and the new boss expects her to be at his beck and call for 12 hour days 6 days a week, and now he wants her evenings too for his new catering business. She's not stupid, this isn't what she was promised. She's been out of the market for so long that she has no clue how valuable her experience is to someone else, no savings to fall back on while she takes classes and she has no time to interview.

Although I see the union strikes in northern states as largely benefitting the union management, I can see that maybe there's a bit of improvement to be made here. A mandatory contractual agreement when hired based on the agreed upon terms would be a great start.

The good news is that the job market is so good here that you can tell the boss to *&%^ himself and go somewhere else pretty quickly. The bad news is that the bad bosses are never accountable and just get another victim after you've left. The thing to remember is that you are NEVER as stuck in a job as the boss wants you to feel you are.