Thinking about leaving Ohio??? Get in line and fill this out (Cleveland: tornadoes, subsidized)

[JR_C]

Originally Posted by Joe 4520832257

As a recent transplant from Florida to Ohio, I have been surprised at local reactions. The vast majority of people who find out where I came from ask me: "Why [the hell] would you move here from Florida??" This is totally unsolicited, and I have heard this from dozens upon dozens of people. If not hundreds. To me, that's a very odd thing to tell a stranger, but I hear it over and over and over again.

Clearly Ohio is full of people who would leave if it were practical (i.e. jobs, family, or something else is keeping them here). So there's no need for people to bury their heads in the sand about it.

I understand your point, and I'd probably ask you why you moved here, too. But that doesn't mean that I want to leave. I would simply be curious about what made you ignore the hype that Ohio is such a terrible place to live.

I also agree that taxes are probably too high. (Although, only about 5% of my income goes to Youngstown and Ohio, and that's well below what it would take to become problematic for me.) But, part of this is caused by an unwillingness by communities to cooperate and regionalize. Every little township, village, city, etc. have to collect their own taxes to support the services they provide. Taxes in cities here are so high because people have been leaving for the suburbs for decades, leaving the cities with an ever-shrinking tax base. I think Columbus has been able to remain somewhat healthy through annexation of some of its surrounding suburbs.

[Ohiogirl81]

Originally Posted by Donna7

I'm tired of seeing scraggly-toothed people who say "warsh" for "wash", their Bingo Troll dolls, their Ohio Lottery tickets, cigarettes, and greasy hair.

My goodness. What have these human beings ever done to you? People like you've described live everywhere. The only thing that changes is the name of the state on the lottery ticket.

[gman5431]

TELL IT LIKE IT IS

1) Current or former Ohio location: Cincinnati (current)

2) Why do you want to leave or have left?: Weather - Cincy is a great city with nice people and especially good for raising a family (which i dont have yet) - but i hate winter and cant take many more

3) Where outside of Ohio and why: Some place warm, possibly Florida

4) 2nd and 3rd Place Choices: Considered South Carolina, Georgia, Texas, AL

5) What’s currently holding you back from moving if you haven't already left?: Friends and family. My job is great and it would be tough to leave it. I also own a house

6) Anything else you want to say? Hope i'm in a warmer climate within 5 years.

G Rizzle

[Donna7]

Originally Posted by Ohiogirl81

My goodness. What have these human beings ever done to you? People like you've described live everywhere. The only thing that changes is the name of the state on the lottery ticket.

Not everybody in Ohio is in love with it, so I am starting this post for those who want to leave, or have left to tell us why.

TELL IT LIKE IT IS

1) Current or former Ohio location:

2) Why do you want to leave or have left?:

3) Where outside of Ohio and why:

4) 2nd and 3rd Place Choices:

5) What’s currently holding you back from moving if you haven't already left?:

6) Anything else you want to say?

[tdog4891]

1. Current or former Ohio Location: Springfield Ohio
2.Why you want to leave or have left? The number one reason I want to leave Springfield Ohio is because they are not doing enough to attract new jobs to the city, plus there letting the city get really bad just like Youngstown a lot of old abandon factories, people are not very nice here at all, if anything there *******s.
3.Where outside of Ohio and why? I would either move to Richmond Virginia or somewhere out west like Washington or Oregon even though its very liberal thinking out there, they have a lot more to offer than what Ohio does.
4. 2nd and 3rd Place Choices: Arizona, or Colorado
5.Nothing is really holding me back I can job here and save up some money, I would be out of Ohio in a heart beat, I would take the risk anyways of moving
6. Ohio sucks I have lived in Springfield for 5 years and it sucks, I rather live were I was before and that in Yellow Springs OH I love it there, the people are a lot nicer.

[leaving513forever]

Originally Posted by Donna7

Good, then you stay here. The rest of us who want to leave are taking our jobs (and tax money) elsewhere (My husband is a pharmacist and I am an accountant) - to a state where we're actually going to enjoy living in vs. living in bad weather and supporting second and third generation welfare mongers. I spent my 20's and 30's holding out hope for generational welfare mongers, but I realized in my 40's that some people are just going to milk the system for all it's worth generation after generation. By the way, don't go accusing either of us of "elitism". My husband comes from a very large family who was able to provide food, shelter, and love, but not much more as far as tangible items are concerned, including cash, college educations, cars, etc. Same for me. Everything we have, we worked very hard for and we're raising a larger than average family. I'm tired of seeing scraggly-toothed people who say "warsh" for "wash", their Bingo Troll dolls, their Ohio Lottery tickets, cigarettes, and greasy hair.

Secondly, I'll be personally darned if I'm going to have our younger children pay $6,000 to $8,000 per semester at a lower tier state college in the state of Ohio because Ohio keeps cutting funding to state colleges. Our older children have already either graduated from college or are going to finish this Spring. One is already living in S. Korea for a year, the other one will be leaving the state and moving to where there are more job opportunities in his major.

We're also sick of businesses leaving the area and leaving the tax burden all to property tax owners. By the way, while our home values have fallen significantly the last few years, we just got a tax assessment in our county stating that our taxes will be rising because our homes are being taxed on a higher value. Are the county tax assessors smoking something? We've been here almost 40 years; I think that we know what we're talking about.

Again, you (and others) like it here? Then stay here and enjoy. For us, it's bye-bye-o to Ohio.

You totally get a high five for this one

[leaving513forever]

Originally Posted by Donna7

We DO NOT want someone else to pay for our children's education, that's why we sent our kids to Catholic Parochial school and pay private tuition AS WELL AS pay property taxes to support the public school system.

And to answer your last question, why don't YOU and OTHERS who don't want to leave Ohio stay OFF of this thread and quit your bullying. Obviously, it's NOT fine that people want to leave Ohio, because you (and others) keep telling them that they're stupid or crazy for wanting to do so. Then if that isn't enough, you have the nerve and audacity to accuse those who are working and paying taxes as being the leeches, the ones that want something for nothing.

Then you say that I'm angry and bitter that others like it and have actually found ways to be happy here? Really, is that so? Obviously, YOU and the other bully posters are angry and bitter that others who have lived here for 40 years plus want something different than what Ohio has to offer at this point. Did you EVER think, that just perhaps, people move on at some point in their life???

And "Ohio isn't doomed to failure" - who said that it was? Sounds to me like you're the one that's insinuating that someone said that. Maybe you're the one that secretly believes that it is and now you're transferring your belief onto other people. At this point, I do NOT care what the state of Ohio does or does not do. My husband and I have gone to school in Ohio our whole lives, have gone to college in Ohio, have graduated college in Ohio, have worked faithfully in Ohio and paid our taxes since I was 14 and he was 16 (the time we started working and paid taxes). So that means that we've paid Ohio taxes for 32 years. If that isn't enough "support" for Ohio, then that's too bad. Maybe the 2nd and 3rd generation Ohio welfare leaches have done much better than we have; they've offered Ohio so MUCH support. If "leach off the system" = "we support Ohio" - then by golly, we ARE the problem because we aren't leaching off of the system enough.

Finally, I thought that this thread was for the people "who are thinking of leaving Ohio." Who wants to post when they're going to get attacked? Perhaps that's your MO (and the MO of those like you). If Ohio works for you, fine. You have no right to attack and belittle those who post on this thread. I have no clue why you take it so personally or why it matters. Maybe you just need to know that you're right. If that's so, then fine, "Oh, you're right, oh you're so right, yeah, you're right" (done in the Marissa Tomei voice from "My Cousin Vinny&quot.

This thread was going fine with a few interruptions from those who couldn't handle other people's comments. Now the people that are posting (that want to leave) have to have a running debate with the ones that want to stay. Why don't you (and the other Ohio die-hards) go to the Cleveland thread entitled "Are you staying or are you going"? That thread will at least offer you a voice and opinion on staying in Ohio.

Excellent Post!! (and another online high five)

[west5548]

Today's weather in yet what seems to be over the last several years a parade of endless snowstorms is the main reason I'm leaving Ohio this year.

[west5548]

Originally Posted by Donna7

We DO NOT want someone else to pay for our children's education, that's why we sent our kids to Catholic Parochial school and pay private tuition AS WELL AS pay property taxes to support the public school system.

And to answer your last question, why don't YOU and OTHERS who don't want to leave Ohio stay OFF of this thread and quit your bullying. Obviously, it's NOT fine that people want to leave Ohio, because you (and others) keep telling them that they're stupid or crazy for wanting to do so. Then if that isn't enough, you have the nerve and audacity to accuse those who are working and paying taxes as being the leeches, the ones that want something for nothing.

Then you say that I'm angry and bitter that others like it and have actually found ways to be happy here? Really, is that so? Obviously, YOU and the other bully posters are angry and bitter that others who have lived here for 40 years plus want something different than what Ohio has to offer at this point. Did you EVER think, that just perhaps, people move on at some point in their life???

And "Ohio isn't doomed to failure" - who said that it was? Sounds to me like you're the one that's insinuating that someone said that. Maybe you're the one that secretly believes that it is and now you're transferring your belief onto other people. At this point, I do NOT care what the state of Ohio does or does not do. My husband and I have gone to school in Ohio our whole lives, have gone to college in Ohio, have graduated college in Ohio, have worked faithfully in Ohio and paid our taxes since I was 14 and he was 16 (the time we started working and paid taxes). So that means that we've paid Ohio taxes for 32 years. If that isn't enough "support" for Ohio, then that's too bad. Maybe the 2nd and 3rd generation Ohio welfare leaches have done much better than we have; they've offered Ohio so MUCH support. If "leach off the system" = "we support Ohio" - then by golly, we ARE the problem because we aren't leaching off of the system enough.

Finally, I thought that this thread was for the people "who are thinking of leaving Ohio." Who wants to post when they're going to get attacked? Perhaps that's your MO (and the MO of those like you). If Ohio works for you, fine. You have no right to attack and belittle those who post on this thread. I have no clue why you take it so personally or why it matters. Maybe you just need to know that you're right. If that's so, then fine, "Oh, you're right, oh you're so right, yeah, you're right" (done in the Marissa Tomei voice from "My Cousin Vinny").

This thread was going fine with a few interruptions from those who couldn't handle other people's comments. Now the people that are posting (that want to leave) have to have a running debate with the ones that want to stay. Why don't you (and the other Ohio die-hards) go to the Cleveland thread entitled "Are you staying or are you going"? That thread will at least offer you a voice and opinion on staying in Ohio.

I love your posts, keep them coming. And your right, the title of this thread clearly states "Thinking about leaving Ohio??? Get in line and fill this out" There are plenty of other threads for the Ohio lovers.

[Clevelander17]

Originally Posted by Joe 4520832257

That's a fair observation. You'll find this attitude all over the city-data forums anyway. You should look at the Florida or even Hawaii forums. Plenty of people who absolutely hate the lifestyle and can't wait to move back to their respective home states. To each his own.

HOWEVER ... I do think it would be foolish to ignore the huge number of people want out of Ohio. It's not some mirage or the work of malcontents. A seemingly disproportionate number of people want to leave, and it must be for a reason.

As a recent transplant from Florida to Ohio, I have been surprised at local reactions. The vast majority of people who find out where I came from ask me: "Why [the hell] would you move here from Florida??" This is totally unsolicited, and I have heard this from dozens upon dozens of people. If not hundreds. To me, that's a very odd thing to tell a stranger, but I hear it over and over and over again.

Clearly Ohio is full of people who would leave if it were practical (i.e. jobs, family, or something else is keeping them here). So there's no need for people to bury their heads in the sand about it.

Ohio can't fix the weather, but it can fix the taxes. Again, as a recent transplant I actually got a little physically ill as I compared the hard numbers of how much more tax we are paying here as opposed to Florida. It's a huge lifestyle changing difference. I don't care what other people say when they rationalize ... the taxes here (at least in the cities) are very high. They counteract the supposedly low cost of living, and make people more likely to leave.

When most people think of Florida, Arizona, California, etc. they think of great vacations they've had in those places. They don't realize that the weather and climate in those areas can, in certain times of the year, be comparable (in their own terrible ways) to Cleveland's winter. Furthermore, they don't take into consideration the cost of living and inflated prices (like on home values). I think when making monetary comparisons, tax rates are just a small part of the whole picture. That said, you're right that Ohio could do a lot to try to lower its tax rates.

I'm not ignoring the problem as I realize that people want to move out of Ohio. However I think it's blown out of proportion here. And I think this issue has more to do with economic forces than anything that is inherently wrong with the state or its cities. There are things about the state like its natural resources, culture, and institutions, that are still in many cases better than anything cities of the Sun Belt could offer. We just need to fix some of the other problems, in particular moving beyond our industrial legacy and the big government that came with it.