The perfect place to live in Minnesota (Minneapolis, Duluth: home, shop)

[Mumof3]

Originally Posted by kuan

ECFE, $18/3 year boat registration, clean water act, lifetime fishing licenses, $35/year ski license, roads with shoulders, 72 state parks, free zoo with free parking, free museum passes for the public, free camping on the lake superior water trail, $45 to register your snowmobile, reciprocity agreement with other states on college fees, actual clean restrooms at roadside rest stops

Fantastic!! Wow - sounds like heaven - I really can't wait to move there from were we are now in California with it's exorbitant property taxes and the dreadful over - crowded schools. We were paying $7000 a year on a 2100 square foot house in a bad area and no yard to speak of certainly nothing compared to what you get in MN!!! Can't wait to move to Minnesota now and the more I read the more I want to go - NOW!!!

[SlyFrog]

Originally Posted by kuan

ECFE, $18/3 year boat registration, clean water act, lifetime fishing licenses, $35/year ski license, roads with shoulders, 72 state parks, free zoo with free parking, free museum passes for the public, free camping on the lake superior water trail, $45 to register your snowmobile, reciprocity agreement with other states on college fees, actual clean restrooms at roadside rest stops

None of these things are particularly unique, nor do they have much to do with 7+% state income tax.

[catluvr]

I again agree with sly frog. most places have this, although I have yet to find free museum passes for the whole public, fee camping around lake Superior (state owned so you pay fees), reciprocity agreements...many other states have these and you still have to pay a lot of money. Many other states offer free in state tuition if you have good grades. I've seen many clean restrooms at reststops in TX and in many other states I've traveled. If it says it's "free", usually in Minnesota, it really isn't. If you're referring to free museum passes from the library, please keep in mind that we pay County and City taxes to keep the libraries running. Remember, Minnesota is a "for profit" state! And boy...do they make a profit...a 2M dollar surplus they won't give back to the taxpayers.

So Please do not tell me how great it is to get "free" stuff!

Enjoy. It is a nice state because you WILL pay for everything it offers.

[kuan]

Many things we take for granted here, like shoulders on roads aren't considered normal elsewhere. MO for instance. Try riding your bike or going for a run there. You'll get run off the road. Early childhood education in Illinois? What? Our state trails are the best in the nation. The bike commuter trails in the city are plowed just as well as the roads. My FIL registered his boat in IL. It cost him $100 for just one year.

I guess I view it as a bargain. It takes money and I am certainly uneable to maintain a trail all the way to the MIssissippi headwaters all by myself. Your mileage will, of course, vary.

[stormchaser]

You know, I think the tax thing all depends on where your priorities are. If you value the things that money pays for like the quality of education, good trails, parks, etc then you should stick around. If you don't value those things, then the areas probably not a good fit. That goes for any place.

[roneb]

Originally Posted by catluvr

Remember, Minnesota is a "for profit" state! And boy...do they make a profit...a 2M dollar surplus they won't give back to the taxpayers.

So Please do not tell me how great it is to get "free" stuff!

Enjoy. It is a nice state because you WILL pay for everything it offers.

I'll give you the flip side. Here in Oregon the state returns the "surplus" to taxpayers every year in a "kicker" check. What does that give you? No rainy day fund to bail out schools, social services, and other vital services during economic hard times; a deteriorating infrastructure throughout the state; seriously inderstaffed and underfunded highway patrol... Need I go on? It's nice to get a little extra cash at the end of the year, but I'd rather they keep it and improve a few things. The great parks, services, and other things that Oregon gained a national reputation on happened when, you guessed it, the government had a surplus!

[rcsteiner]

Originally Posted by kuan

Many things we take for granted here, like shoulders on roads aren't considered normal elsewhere.

Tell me about it! Here in metro Atlanta, there are many arterial roads that only have a grass shoulder, if that, and a lot of major roads don't even have right turn lanes at some stoplights! I would hate to ride a bike here.

[skytap]

I lived here for Eight years, 12 weeks of summer are good if it doesnt rain to much but the rest of the eight months with the recent -30 below regular outside temps will get to you maybe not right away but it will. Alexandria MN is where I live and it's ok not much to do. Sometimes we will drive to ST.cloud for dinner or even MSP which is 150 miles away if that doesn't say much then I don't know what does. Oh and be careful for the Mn nice, It's more like MN knife, a lot of clicky people .

[marmac]

One thing I like about Minnesota is that nearly every lake (even most small ones) have a Public Access which means that the person with the small $1500 used boat,motor, and trailer can enjoy fishing on that lake just as much as the guy who has a million dollar mansion on that lake.

[kuan]

Originally Posted by marmac

One thing I like about Minnesota is that nearly every lake (even most small ones) have a Public Access which means that the person with the small $1500 used boat,motor, and trailer can enjoy fishing on that lake just as much as the guy who has a million dollar mansion on that lake.

$1500 for a boat is a luxury to me!