What do you like or dislike most about Arizona compared to California or surrounding states, temperatures and climate no (Phoenix: transplants, sales)

[citizensadvocate]

Not withstanding.

What do you think of living in Arizona? What do you think about Bureaucracy, policies, legislation, the people, traffic, driving, police, municipalities, political views, local control policies? Other issues that comes up with everyday living?

For California transplants what do you like about Arizona as compared to California? And what do you dislike compared with the state you left? What about when compared with Arizona’s other non California neighbors such as NV, UT, NM, CO, etc

Please don’t include topics about the wind, blowing sand/dust, the intense heat, or other weather and climate issues, as surrounding states also have significant similar climate zones, and Arizona has places where this is not an issue as well.

[Hal Roach]

I have owned five homes in Arizona, between 1995 and 2013. I moved to Phoenix from the East Bay. I thought a big negative was always the "part-time, retiree, great for student" mentality was overly prevalent.

[Hschlick84]

I grew up in Denver, CO during the late 80s, lived there since 3 years ago. After living here in AZ and Yavapai county specifically, I've noticed a lot of things.

- Too much emphasis on tourism, retirees, baby boomers. It's not exclusive to here, but the entire state.
- Not a diverse economic landscape. Mostly construction, medical, retail, realtor. Outside Phoenix, there's not many white collar jobs.
- Not enough incentive for small business start ups and local business advertising.
- NIMBYs, anti-development, anti business small towns in AZ. Lack of entrepreneurial mindset.
- Redneck culture, lifted trucks, Confederate pride. That's a big turn off to some people and they appear philistine.
- Above average population of single mothers, either on SNAP or leeching off the government.
- AZ not maintaining it's own native American, southwestern, cowboy culture. Adopting too much from California, such as clothing styles, attitudes, flakiness, pretentiousness. The state should be unique, not copy other geographical areas.
- Wrong way interstate drivers
- Keep right, pass left. This needs to be enforced on all the freeways, I-17, I-10, I-8, I-40.

What I disliked about CO

- Cost of living increase due to migrates from more expensive areas.
- Traffic, and poor infrastructure that cannot keep up with demand.
- Toll roads, Lexus lanes such as E-470, C-470, Northwest Pkwy.
- How far left the state moved on the pendulum. Needs to swing back towards the center-right.
- Pretentiousness attitudes, flakiness, lack of conversing people.
- Politicians attacking gas & oil producing companies, fracking.
- Anti 2nd Amendment policies.
- Not a right to work state

[veritased]

I have barely started living in AZ, came from CA, so take with a grain of salt:

Relative to Bay area :

Pros:
- much less tension, more relaxed, slower pace, due to less intensity and density of people
- less traffic, less lines at restaurants, more parking everywhere
- less rain overall
- much much less use of the word 'ban' in the law, starting with absence of common sense-less gun bans
- more traditional USA culture, feels like America and CA used to be, before 2000s. Like they might celebrate 4th of July here actually ... how crazy !
- less virtue signaling with bumpers stickers and such nonsense
- much cleaner streets and highways, much less graffitti
- less homeless, but seeing it a bit here too now
- perception of less crime, at least of the violent type

Cons:
- missing out a bit on the entrepreneur wave, other cities are cultivating startups and tech development. AZ should do more here.
- along same lines, not enough high tech business, I think due to lack of good STEM universities and high schools.
- the appearance of a strong city skyline, not a huge con, just something that can be nice to look at

[Adamson865]

I can't see the original question but I get the general gist of it from the answers so far.

I've been in Tucson one year this coming week, having moved from Orange County (I'm not native to CA)

PRO:
- MUCH less traffic. OC was gridlock 24/7. It took me nearly an hour each way to crawl 9 miles on surface streets to and from work.
- Vastly better weather here (IMHO) except for the monsoon. (I grew up in Oregon so if I never see rain again, I'd be happy)
- Slower pace.
- Not having to jerk the clock back and forth twice a year!
- Basic services are provided more efficiently and at lower cost. My car registration was considerably lower than in CA, and I was in and out of Tucson DMV with new registration/title/plate in under 40 minutes. This year I had to file part-year tax returns in both states, and my AZ refund came in 9 days but my CA refund took 7 weeks.

CON:
- Much-hyped "libertarian" political culture here isn't nearly as libertarian as folks advertise. Republicans in the Legislature want to get just as much up in our lives as the Democrats do.
- Can't find a gay person between the ages of 22-72 anywhere in Tucson. They're either all university students or retirees. They should have told me that before I moved here; I didn't want to be the only one!
- Amtrak service sucks!

[Mac58]

That's a bummer about the Amtrak service. In my mind that was a selling point to Tucson. I don't imagine it's going to get better, either.

[citizensadvocate]

Thanks for your replys

Its truly a drawback that Amtrak now skips Phoenix the most important city in Arizona. Interestingly there is no bus connection from the nearest Maricopa, AZ station. Yet there is a bus connection from Flagstaff much much farther and high on the mountain.

I also notice that Arizona is not as libertarian as one would think. The biggest advantage of Arizona over California is how Arizona is able to stop its cities from becoming agents for ICLEI goals. The source of the ban ban ban movements that are spreading all over. And forbid bans and forced charges for certain use of certain products on retailers. And forbid local bans on retail of state permissible fireworks other than in extreme cases such as when fire danger is extreme that summer and obviously any fires would be catastrophic and all other fires would be restricted too. Local governments can run away easily even in less meddling states these days. Particularly in ones that give them too much autonomy. Interestingly Arizona otherwise gives municipalities even more autonomy than its western neighbor except on the above too matters.

I am not that into guns but I know that they are much looser compared to their neighbors on this. I don't like how they gave in to the radical stand your ground movement that started in Florida since 2005.

What concerns me is that fines and fees are not much better than in California(Which has among the highest in the country) some are even higher. Taxes just slightly lower overall(Except in certain areas like Parker, AZ) The state is not as strict on speed traps compared to its neighbor. Though its easier to find bargain prices on fuel and some other goods in Arizona compared to CA.

Streets are actually much cleaner in Arizona I noticed, especially due to the lack of policies that severely cut down on resident access to the viable tool that ties down garbage and keeps streets cleaner from trash flying out of garbage trucks.

Its true that I agree Republicans can be just as power hungry just like their Democrat counterparts just in different ways. Severe penalities on use of certain recreational drugs can actually hit them back in the head.
Though at least Joe Arpaio is gone. While I am surprised at how this guy is not in prison yet, but at least he is off the position of power.

Interestingly I be curious as it appears the states surrounding Arizona maybe with exception of Utah is now blue. Nevada used to be Purple but is now blue. I know that Colorado had been blue for a long time. But they seem an amazingly pro gun blue state.

[Tall Traveler]

Originally Posted by citizensadvocate

Not withstanding.

What do you think of living in Arizona? What do you think about Bureaucracy, policies, legislation, the people, traffic, driving, police, municipalities, political views, local control policies? Other issues that comes up with everyday living?

For California transplants what do you like about Arizona as compared to California? And what do you dislike compared with the state you left? What about when compared with Arizona’s other non California neighbors such as NV, UT, NM, CO, etc

Please don’t include topics about the wind, blowing sand/dust, the intense heat, or other weather and climate issues, as surrounding states also have significant similar climate zones, and Arizona has places where this is not an issue as well.

Coming from Washington state, I like:
- Low cost
- Moderate politics
- Sunshine (should have been 1st)
- Long period of swimming and warmth
- Great place for middle class
- The mountains
- Traffic flow and good roads

Don't like:
- Not as pretty as Washington
- Less good paying jobs and lower income all the way around
- Educations system not as good as Washington
- having a state income tax and taxes on autos
- Seems to like there is less healthy eating, exercising less and heavier people than Washington

[citizensadvocate]

Originally Posted by Tall Traveler

Coming from Washington state, I like:
- Low cost
- Moderate politics
- Sunshine (should have been 1st)
- Long period of swimming and warmth
- Great place for middle class
- The mountains
- Traffic flow and good roads

Don't like:
- Not as pretty as Washington
- Less good paying jobs and lower income all the way around
- Educations system not as good as Washington
- having a state income tax and taxes on autos
- Seems to like there is less healthy eating, exercising less and heavier people than Washington

I guess Washington is much more progressive, as with other west coast states.

Interesting you mentioned education system, it’s hard to understand why most school districts in Arizona insist to begin their school year in July rather than in September like in Washington state. Starting early doesn’t really give a good head start for academic performance at all.

I be curious how is the overall tax burden in Arizona vs California, Nevada, Oregon, and Washington State.
Of the five states two lack income tax, and one lacks sales tax, but what is the total tax?

[eddie gein]

Originally Posted by Hschlick84

- AZ not maintaining it's own native American, southwestern, cowboy culture.

I moved to Arizona almost 40 years ago (and left 30 years ago). When I first got there that was the first thing I noticed compared to what I was expecting. What their was of it seemed like tourist fodder and was acknowledged to be from days gone by.

MUCH less traffic. OC was gridlock 24/7. It took me nearly an hour each way to crawl 9 miles on surface streets to and from work.

LOL.

In Tucson it's almost the opposite problem.... People barreling down the surface streets at 60 miles an hour in the right lane while you are trying to pull out on to the street from a Quick store.

A couple of my other favorites are when two different cars going in opposite directions pull into the middle turn lanes simultaneously this inviting a head on collision at 45-55 mph.

And finally, the suicide mission of trying to turn left from a side street onto a major street where there is no stoplight.