Wisconsin, Why Live Here ? (Milwaukee, Madison: hotel, house, schools)

[ccjarider]

I am lifelong WI resident who at 47 moved to IL for new job.

To me it seems that the main reason WI taxes are so high is that it is a state of non transient people, Most WI people are from WI. They just have no idea how much they are being raped by Madison/local school systems as they have nothing to compare to.

I think if we are entering a decade of slow/no economic growth, WI could be in some trouble. Companies are going to look very hard to locate in cost effective locals and WI taxes as well as DNR gestapo will not make the state very attractive.

Scenic country/lake views don't pay the bills.

[Milwaukee City]

Why do all these business keep relocating to other places in the US? I can tell you it's not the weather!
There is a reason why Texas has been the number state for biz for the last 20 some odd yrs.

[susancruzs]

Why do Illinois companies cross the border to Wisconsin, I wonder? Is Wisconsin giving them the bank to lure them from Illinois???

[JDCATONSVILLE]

You want to talk about high property taxes. I moved to Wisconsin about two years ago from Maryland, there I had a 3 bedroom townhouse with a postage stamp size yard in Baltimore County and I pay about the same property taxes as I do for my 4 bedroom Victorian that sits on an acre of land in Lincoln County. Not to mention that my home owners insurance is less and there is less crime, less pollution, less traffic and way fewer people. Oh I also bought my house here for about $100,000 less then what I sold my townhouse for there. Wisconsin might have long cold winters but to me it beats the hot humid summers of Maryland any day. It's been in the 90's there and humid for the past 3 days now, it's only April

[Milwaukee City]

Originally Posted by susancruzs

Why do Illinois companies cross the border to Wisconsin, I wonder? Is Wisconsin giving them the bank to lure them from Illinois???

Have you seen the taxes in IL ?

The city of Chicago has the highest total sales tax of all major U.S. cities.It is also one of the most complex. 10.25% is levied on all non-perishable goods purchased, while 2% is levied on qualifying food, drugs, medicines and medical appliances.The Illinois Department of Revenue collects a 3% Chicago Soft Drink Tax and a 1% Metropolitan Pier and Exposition Authority (MPEA) "Food and Beverage Tax", on prepared food and beverage purchases in the downtown area (These "downtown" boundaries are: Surf Street on the north, Ashland Avenue on the west, Stevenson Expressway (I-55) on the south, & Lake Michigan on the east. Furthermore, O'Hare and Midway airports also fall under the 1% MPEA tax district). In addition, the Chicago Department of Revenue collects additional sales taxes on items such as fountain drinks, bottled water, liquor, and cigarettes.

[LML]

Let's face it, not every state is right for every person.....isn't it lucky we have 50 from which to choose? But, for me, it will always be Wisconsin. I was born and raised in Wisconsin (my family has been here since before it was even a state.) But, in my younger years, I thought maybe the grass would be greener elsewhere and I lived in several different states. In the end I came home. Taxes may be higher but the schools are so much better here than some of the other places I lived. The roads are better than almost everywhere else I lived. People are "real" here...they aren't (for the most part) worried about keeping up with the latest trends or pretending to be what they are not. I actually love the different seasons. Hey, you can catch up with a lot of reading and family game nights in January and February. So, while it may not be everyone's cup of tea, I'll stay in Wisconsin.

[ccjarider]

Originally Posted by susancruzs

Why do Illinois companies cross the border to Wisconsin, I wonder? Is Wisconsin giving them the bank to lure them from Illinois???

Susan,
What businesses are you referring to?

[susancruzs]

VW moved its midwest parts warehouse from Lincolnshire to Pleasant Prairie. Of course, Lincolnshire courted us heavy duty when we were outgrowing the Deerfield facility for their new corporate area. Once we got there nothing but grief about the trucks, etc., so they moved to Wisc. a few years ago.

Of course, the big rumor at Abbott's (after Hospira spun off and went north) was that Abbott's is moving to Wisconsin, too. I worked there as a contractor from 2003-2007 and everyone always talked about North Chicago closing. I heard and read that Abbott purchased 400+ acres.

I think U-Line, which was headquartered in Waukegan is moving or has moved, I also heard Rustoleum was going to leave Vernon Hills for Wisconsin and, of course, Jelly Belly left North Chicago awhile ago for a new plant Pleasant Prairie (which has great tours by the way)!

[vdy1985]

To be honest, I don't know why anyone would want to live in FL. WI is good except for the winter weather. FL isn't good, except for being humid..... if you like humidity.

[JoshB]

Susan, I read a while ago in the State Journal about IL companies moving to Wisconsin.