Wisconsin, Why Live Here ? (Milwaukee, Jackson: motel, tornado, earthquakes)

[geekduo]

Originally Posted by EnjoyEP

Really though, beyond WI / IL, the true movement of business and industry has been severely AWAY from us up here in WI to other regions of the nation...not INTO the region. Taxation, an oppresive and hostile government climate towards business, and a self-defeating union heritage of business up here are all significant and predominant reasons why this is occurring.

So sad, but true.....

I love Wisconsin because of all of it's natural beauty, especially along the bluffs on the western side of the state. I grew up with a big sledding hill and bluffs behind my house and fields in front. There was plenty of forest in sight in all directions. I developed a love for hiking in that terrain and still love to go camping whenever I can. While I need easy access to a city for work and shopping, I would never want to live in one.

[Geechie North]

Originally Posted by Milwaukee City

Okay I love WI and Milwaukee but when it comes to two factors; Weather and Taxes why live here?

Property Taxes on a 200K Home

MKE: 6,000 after 50yrs 300,000
Delray Beach,FL 2k after 50yrs 100,000

Sales Tax

MKE 6%
DB, FL 6.5%

State Income Tax assuming 80k household income

WI 7% after 50yrs of working 280,000
FLA 0% after 50yrs of working 000,000

Just using basic taxes why would you live in WI when it's better weather and cheaper to live in FLA?

Is everything else in Florida so expensive that it makes up a lot more of the difference of income tax and property tax? if so then you would have to make up 464,000 in a lifetime to equal or property taxes and income taxes

You have to pay $480,000 more in a lifetime to live in WI vs FLA in just income tax and property tax. That's $800 more a month over a lifetime 18-68.(50yrs).

Delray Beach, Florida - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Using tax rates alone, and looking for the lowest rates, will put you in an area with low quality of life 10 times out of 10.

[Milwaukee City]

Yeah Boca Raton, Delray Beach are just the pits. So there is no place in america with cheap taxes that's a good place to live, huh? Oh yeah dallas is terrible also.

[Geechie North]

Boca and Delray ARE pits compared to Bahamas, etc.

But depends on how you "live".

If you like good schools/public services, then ya gotta pay taxes.

Low tax states are those at bottom of quality of life rankings.

[GraniteStater]

This is somewhat related to the topic being discussed. I have to agree with the schools. You have to generally pay a decent amount in property taxes to get a better educated populace which makes the area more enticing for entrepreneurs and employers to set up shop. This allows for solid job growth as well as wage growth. I am also a strong advocate of fiscal responsibility in the school system, but a solid base level funding has to be a paramount objective of any community. If you scan the statistics you will find that the areas of the country that struggle with persistent poverty also have educational attainment rates well below the national average. These stats hold true regardless of geographics, etc.
I was just doing a real estate search the other day in an area of middle TN, and I found it shocking that only 45% of the population had a high school diploma. I quickly figured out why the property taxes on the house were $350!!!!!

[notmuch69]

I'm glad that big businesses aren't flocking to Wisconsin, overpopulating the state, and driving up real estate prices.

[ccjarider]

The concept that Wisconsin's "highly touted" and expensive school system creates job growth and good wages does not compute.

WI is a low wage state.

[Geechie North]

But if one factors in cost of living, and real wages (only source for 80% of workers) vs the hyped by corporate media "income", which as defined by economists applies to only about 20% of the population, Wisconsin does quite well.

For a quick check on this, look at child poverty rates, which are increasing here, as they are nationwide, as good jobs go overseas, and the Middle Class dies:

You'll find Wisconsin's child poverty rate (an indicative measure of how Middle Class families are doing) is below such "high Wage" states as Illinois and Indiana, yet higher than "lower wage" states like Minnesota and Iowa.

Why is this? Well, because the way income is factored into the wage equation completely distorts the picture.

[Ron Burgundy]

Originally Posted by EnjoyEP

Remember, for any "Company X" that headed from IL to WI, you'll have a MillerCoors, etc., that chooses Chicago for its HQs over MKE.

I'm sorry, but that is an invalid example. MillerCoors was looking for an outside location from the onset, hence Colorado and Wisconsin were never considered in their search for a new headquarters. And the fact that they chose Chicago over every other location (Illinois corporate tax rate of 7.3% is above the national average of 6.6%) kind of shoots a hole in the tax rate theory with regards to business location, at least in this case.

[Capt. Dan]

Originally Posted by Milwaukee City

Okay I love WI and Milwaukee but when it comes to two factors; Weather and Taxes why live here?

Property Taxes on a 200K Home

MKE: 6,000 after 50yrs 300,000
Delray Beach,FL 2k after 50yrs 100,000

Sales Tax

MKE 6%
DB, FL 6.5%

State Income Tax assuming 80k household income

WI 7% after 50yrs of working 280,000
FLA 0% after 50yrs of working 000,000

Just using basic taxes why would you live in WI when it's better weather and cheaper to live in FLA?

Is everything else in Florida so expensive that it makes up a lot more of the difference of income tax and property tax? if so then you would have to make up 464,000 in a lifetime to equal or property taxes and income taxes

You have to pay $480,000 more in a lifetime to live in WI vs FLA in just income tax and property tax. That's $800 more a month over a lifetime 18-68.(50yrs).

Delray Beach, Florida - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Why live in Wisconsin? The best beer in America-Leinies! Real Bratwurst! Fantastic fishing! Fantastic hunting! Forests. Rivers. Thousands of lakes. Door County! And last but certainly not least--some of the finest ladies in America! Whats a few extra tax dollars when you get all that in return??