Please give me 10 reasons why NOT to move to the Austin area. (Houston: mortgage, eat)

[twange]

Originally Posted by TheHarvester

so we can't depend on electric or bio-fueled cars any more than we can depend on oil. At some point we have to wake up and realize that our lifestyle is unsustainable and we have to stop building as if cars will be the dominant form of transportation for the next century.

I'm thinking solar power here. Of course it can be done, it's just a matter of making the technology affordable and profitable(maybe that's slightly over-simplified). I heard someone talking somewhere on this forum about the difference between "adjustment" and "correction". The oil crisis will surely be a correction. I'm afraid that then and only then, will most people make the personal changes necessary to move into another direction.

[Jazzedforhim]

I think the whole premise behind our country is the "live and let live" attitude. That is what I liked about listening to everyone post about Austin's welcoming attitude.

I understand how change is happening in Austin that people disagree with. It's happening in my neighborhood too and I hate it personally, but that is the whole thing about having a free market and capitalism. People are free to move where they want to. No builder is going to build where people won't buy. I guess what I'm saying is that change is ineviditable. We can embrace that change or rail against it. In the end things will still change.

[TheHarvester]

Originally Posted by Jazzedforhim

I understand how change is happening in Austin that people disagree with. It's happening in my neighborhood too and I hate it personally, but that is the whole thing about having a free market and capitalism.

In places that aren't changing, people fight about wanting change. People always disagree, we all have different preferences and thank god we all have different choices, as you pointed out. The free market system gives us many options, although it does tend to encourage growth over conservation and capitalism tends to be blind to non-capitalized transaction costs. For example, I want to pay taxes for other people's kids to go to school because I believe that I'll live in a better world if more people are educated. I want gas taxes to be high because I believe that the cost of driving is much higher environmentally, politically and socially than is reflected in the market price for fuel.

Moderator cut: OT

[twange]

Originally Posted by Jazzedforhim

I guess what I'm saying is that change is ineviditable. We can embrace that change or rail against it. In the end things will still change.

Your right, change is inevitable. But that doesn't always make it right. Or sustainable. And I see no reason whatsoever to embrace change that I feel is counterproductive to 21st century needs and concerns. I think what most reasonable people want, is smart change. The kind of change that gives more people more options without losing the traditions or characteristics that make a region unique. I'm not opposed to all suburbs or new housing, but I think the creeping homogeneity I'm seeing across America is really disturbing...and I will continue to rail against it at the risk of sounding like an elitist ogre

[Jazzedforhim]

Originally Posted by twange

Your right, change is inevitable. But that doesn't always make it right. Or sustainable. And I see no reason whatsoever to embrace change that I feel is counterproductive to 21st century needs and concerns. I think what most reasonable people want, is smart change. The kind of change that gives more people more options without losing the traditions or characteristics that make a region unique. I'm not opposed to all suburbs or new housing, but I think the creeping homogeneity I'm seeing across America is really disturbing...and I will continue to rail against it at the risk of sounding like an elitist ogre

We all have a right to our opinions! I agree, I don't like what's going on here (I'm in Nor Cal) locally either. Once you could hear the coyotes and now they are all gone because of the development of houses. The roads cannot accomodate the extra people...it's a mess. Same thing all cities seem to battle.

The thing about America is we can move where we want...locals may not like it, but unless you put a fence around your little area...it's going to happen eventually. I speak from one whose town has been invaded!

Different people like different things and while I think it's awesome to express your individual opinion about what you like I think we should stop short of attacking someone else for their opinions when it is against our own personal thoughts.

[twange]

Originally Posted by Jazzedforhim

I think we should stop short of attacking someone else for their opinions when it is against our own personal thoughts.

I'm sorry if you or anyone else feels personally attacked. That's is certainly not my intention. I'm a really nice guy

But I have strong opinions as well. And believe me, I'm much easier to deal with on a forum like this than in person( I can talk much faster than I can type)...ask my wife

[love roses]

so, here I go off topic again...but anyone hear about the forming depression near northern mexico/south texas? If it stays that weak, we'll probably see nothing of it though. Well, we wouldn't anyway...too far south. It's just interesting because nothings come up that way in many years. (But I would put this in the category of "Why not to move to S. Texas)

[TheHarvester]

Originally Posted by love roses

...anyone hear about the forming depression near northern mexico/south texas?
...(But I would put this in the category of "Why not to move to S. Texas)

And for me it's a reason to move here. I absolutely LOVE the tropical rains.

Can't wait for it to get here. Sorry to be conflicting with your wishes. Maybe it can rain on me and you can have sunshine, then we both win.

[love roses]

Don't get me wrong....I love the storms. When I was a teenager in Clear Lake (years when we seemed to have lots of them) We would go outside to watch it (mostly depressions and tropical storms). We also did some crazy things. One of my friends made up a surfing game with a piece of plywood. She would stand on the board in ankle deep water and the wind would blow you along. Kinda goofy I know, but what else are teenagers gonna do....Or defy authority and go outside during the eye. Luckily, we were too smart to go to the beach.

[Trainwreck20]

Many years ago in Friendswood, when I was just a lad, we would use the wooden bridge (that usually went across our ditch) as a raft. We would float around the yard and play Huckleberry Finn or whatever...never could figure out why my parents did not think the flooding was fun...it never got in our house while we lived there, but real close a few times (within inches) .

As the water receeded, the big kids would water ski in the ditch, pulled by a pickup in the (slightly underwater) road.