Texans VS Californians (Houston, Dallas, Austin: property taxes, transplants, condos)

[edelweiss]

I think on the whole that Texans are more friendly and down-to-earth people than Californians. (of course there are exceptions, both ways). But I say this, and I'm a Californian.

There are too many people here (at least in L.A.) who are so caught up in their little worlds living in places like Hollyweird, and they have no idea what people in other parts of the country are like. They think they are so "open-minded," but don't give any thought to the ways of the good, down home people of this nation. I'm tired of them pushing their agendas in my face all the time. I think that in general the people of Texas still have a good grasp on good old fashioned family values.

[KimK]

Yes, urban sprawl is fairly well known to Californians. I am a third generation Californian and I watched for half a century the influx of people from all over the U.S. and the world. It is for this reason many of us left.

[JesusisLord]

Originally Posted by ;1875729

I think this being an ex-Californian is a bad rap in lots of ways. I have been in the Texas/New Mexico now for about six years. I had avoided bringing up that I moved from California to people.

Why does it matter what other people say about where you come from? I'm not saying your afraid of others opinions, but I'm seeing a reoccuring post on this website. "My state doesn't like people from California, I never tell them I am from California." When planning on moving, or living in a different location, you cannot be concerned about what other people think. They might not be happy about home prices or more people in their county or what not, but it's of no importance to my life or decisions and it shouldn't be to yours either. Stop being an ashamed ex-Californian or ex-Texan or what not!!!! You are always special in God's eyes!

[ladysrodgers]

Originally Posted by nativeDallasite

I hate to bring up a sticky point, but the recent urban sprawl that Californians complain about in DFW is due in large part to new, out-of-state residents. I know people who live in Plano, Frisco, Allen, and Sachse...they say most of their neighbors are from California. It's almost like urban sprawl is a virus that they bring with them when they come here.

It's not COMPLETELY their fault, obviously...but I don't see them helping. You may use your powers for good and I applaud you for that...I just wish more of your fellow Californians thought the way you do.

I'm curious as to what you think Californians "should do"?

I could be wrong, but it seems as though job transfers bring a lot of out of state people to Texas. That in itself would indicate the Texas communities have made it attractive for companies to do business here. The local governments had to have voted in the requirements for businesses and community growth.

Is there a legitimate complaint, or is it just the bias against Californians that seems to perpetuate Texans' frustrations?

It seems as though people just need someone to blame, and Californians are an easy target.

I can't help but chuckle every time I see that commercial on TV where a car dealership is having a seudo election. The man is mocking Californians as being tofu eating, etc. I think it speaks volumes about the prejudice Texans have against Californians.

[nativeDallasite]

Originally Posted by ladysrodgers

I'm curious as to what you think Californians "should do"?

I could be wrong, but it seems as though job transfers bring a lot of out of state people to Texas. That in itself would indicate the Texas communities have made it attractive for companies to do business here. The local governments had to have voted in the requirements for businesses and community growth.

Is there a legitimate complaint, or is it just the bias against Californians that seems to perpetuate Texans' frustrations?

Nope, it's what I have personally observed. The Californians seem to all want new builds in white suburbs with good schools. This excludes most of Dallas proper...but of course if they moved to Dallas proper and supported the public schools, they might improve...as for new builds, they seem to think they're owed 7k sq ft mini-mansions...then they have the nerve to complain about their ridiculous electric bills in summertime. I just laugh. As the suburbs get built out, they move ever further north. I know people who live in Sachse, Allen, Frisco, and Prosper (far-flung northern suburbs)...they say the vast majority of their neighbors are out-of-staters, mainly from California. I don't know any Californians who live inside the 635 loop, and neither does anyone else I know.

It seems as though people just need someone to blame, and Californians are an easy target.

They make themselves such an easy target by acting like Texas mannerisms and slang are a disease, by constantly complaining about the lack of mountains/ocean (you knew we didn't have either when you moved to DFW), by griping about the weather, the food, the politics, etc. If it's so horrible, then leave; but we get sick of the complaining. We happen to love our state just the way it is.

I can't help but chuckle every time I see that commercial on TV where a car dealership is having a seudo election. The man is mocking Californians as being tofu eating, etc. I think it speaks volumes about the prejudice Texans have against Californians.

Never seen it; I suppose I don't watch enough television. Oh, and don't whine to me about prejudice...try being a Texan sometime. I lived in Europe for years and the instant I told anyone where I was from, they docked 30 points from my IQ. Everyone thinks we're a bunch of ignorant hicks.

[Debsi]

ND, you are painting people from a very diverse state with the same broad brush you didn't appreciate when you lived in Europe. Very little of what you just said applies to me, and I am quite sure I'm not the only former Californian that does not fit into your pejorative stereotypes.

I have the feeling you experience more people that act "like Texas mannerisms and slang are a disease" because you are so unwelcoming to those that "got here as fast as we could."

[nativeDallasite]

Originally Posted by Debsi

ND, you are painting people from a very diverse state with the same broad brush you didn't appreciate when you lived in Europe. Very little of what you just said applies to me, and I am quite sure I'm not the only former Californian that does not fit into your pejorative stereotypes.

I have the feeling you experience more people that act "like Texas mannerisms and slang are a disease" because you are so unwelcoming to those that "got here as fast as we could."

I'm not unwelcoming to out-of-state transplants; both of my parents are out-of-staters who were brought here by their carpetbagger parents in the 1950s from Illinois and Connecticut. So...clearly I don't hate out-of-staters in general. I do mercilessly tease my father for being from Illinois; he has lived in Texas since 1951 and it annoys him to be reminded that he wasn't born here and isn't a native. He loves Texas, though, and so did his parents. They embraced it with open arms and became as Texan as you can be without having been born here. So did my mothers' parents...one, a Connecticut Yankee to the core, the other the daughter of Polish immigrants. They not only loved Texas, they were well familiar with its history and could put a lot of natives to shame with their vast knowledge not only of Texas history and geography but of native plants, flowers, birds, and animals.

I dislike the out-of-staters who come here and expect us to change to accomodate them. I dislike the ones who get here and do nothing but complain, complain, complain about how Texas isn't like California and how everything in California is so freaking great. Either shut it and try to make do, or leave. I get tired of hearing that ***** everywhere I go, and I mean *everywhere I go*. "Oh my gawd, there's like...nothing but barbecue and steak here. What do you do if you're a vegetarian? What kind of effed up HICK place is this?" I'm not even exaggerating. I heard that little soliloquy yesterday, from a young woman with a very heavy California accent.

Plenty of people come to Texas and contribute positively to the culture and economy, both from other parts of the USA and other parts of the world. Those people are fine by me. It's the ones who come here and expect us to change our behavior to suit them and who do nothing but ****** that irritate the living hell out of me.

[HappyTexan]

ND..you need to just let it slide by and don't let it eat you up.
I hear it too down here in Austin area. It's actually worse in the smaller surrounding cities. Pflugerville has a single library, which over the past 10 or so years, has grown from being in a residential home to having it's own building with about 10 times the number of books. A few weeks ago I was in HEB food shopping and the folks behind me were complaining about how we only have "a single dinky library and why back home you'd never see this". The "back home" irked me..like they don't consider themselves residents here (I've seen them at school picking up their kids so I know they live here).

I turned around and said.."isn't our library great ? It's grown so much in the past few years and now you can find whatever you need there". That shut them up good..and the guy in front of me chuckled.

[Lakewooder]

My sister lives in CA and she lives on a lake with an active social set, so everytime I'm out there I get these fishing expedition questions about Texas. I think every one of them has been on the internet searching for houses all across Texas - they make sure it's a mini-mansion first (as ND said) then they look at the price. They tend to go for the most expensive ones because they think they are going to get so much more for the same price instead of looking at 'lesser' homes - then they complain to me about high Texas property taxes. I really don't get that mindset. Also a lot of them think we still lynch people.

They are mostly very nice people their ways just seem a little strange to me. I have some other friends in Palm Springs and I always kid them about their '20 questions' for each waiter before they can order food. Another time they went into a 15 minute discourse on how 'fung shui' changed their lives. I finally had to just interject, "I think y'all are full of s**t!).

[KimK]

Thus is the reason that when I travel the state of Texas, I make little mention of my roots! I am beginning to think that we Californians should have walled up our state in about 1960 and prevented the hordes from coming to my homeland, ripping up every citrus tree they could find, paving over that which didn't move and building up on the ocean front so that it was no longer possible to see the surf. Oh, and by the way, lets have wall to wall cars every summer in Yosemite. I don't think it is because we love tofu. I think it is a way of saying, Hey, lets try something different, albeit with less tact.
Oh, and by the way, you can ask my mother about the dust bowl emigrants who traveled to California en masse to try to survive. They moved to the suburbs called Bakersfield.