California Losing To Texas (El Centro: community college, living in, shop)

[hoffdano]

user_id - I think from your vantage point you don't see much of the new "tech" development occuring in Texas. I will never claim it is close to what happens in Silicon Valley but it is happening in Austin, Houston, Dallas, and even in College Station. Tandem, Compaq, Dell, Texas Instruments, BMC Software, etc. all started in Texas. Many Austin based companies (such as Tivoli and Tandem) were acquired by others and are no longer visible. But their R&D and original work continues. Is it Google? No. But you shouldn't underestimate how much occurs here. AMD designs AND manufactures in Austin. Silicon Labs is completely and Austin company and their work in Austin is all design. Most iPhones have a Silicon Labs chip (fab'd overseas).

Work in oil/gas is very "tech" but a different kind.

California is a tech powerhouse and nothing will change that soon. The momentum was established years ago and will continue.

That doesn't mean California should be complacent though. If the universities deteriorate, the cost of living is too high, and the cost of doing business is too high, companies will leave - not just after they are stable and operational.

[allenk893]

Originally Posted by .highnlite

what does Texas have, that California does not also have, better, but with weather tolerable enough to actually enjoy it?

Jobs.

[allenk893]

Originally Posted by ZhugeLiang

California never has heat waves or heat related deaths ever. This only happens in Texas.

Really? Considering that over 20% of California is desert, I find it hard to believe there has never been any heat-related deaths with the combination of heat and smog in So.Cal. Let's not forget those yearly wildfires.

[user_id]

Originally Posted by jifie

I was stating that the corporations I listed from Dallas didnt say where they started off. No meniton of them being anywhere else, so I would have to assume they started in Texas as a Texas company. There are plenty of good comapnies in that list.

As I stated, Texas has a number of home grown energy companies and you'll notice many of the companies on your list are energy companies. Outside of energy, most of the companies are "imported" from other areas. But, again, a headquarters is just a headquarters. Sure, it will create some local jobs, but most of the jobs these companies create are in their various operations and the operations are throughout the country.

So the point here is that, having a home grown company that goes from no revenue to billions in revenue is dramatically different, in terms of your local economy, than attracting an established business to relocate their headquarters to your state. The former, creates a lot of value for the local economy the latter depending on the tax package used to get the company there may a small positive impact to a negative overall impact.

Originally Posted by jifie

I went through and, maybe I'm missing something, but I never read anything from you praising tech jobs in TX.

Right, why would I praise tech jobs in Texas? The only areas that does well in tech is Austin, but its not a large area. Any large city is going to have a number of tech jobs, technology is just part of the modern economy and each area needs a certain number of "tech" people to keep it running.

My point about jobs is that most of the jobs created in Texas are lower-tier jobs and that is true whether you are talking about manufacturing or tech.

Originally Posted by jifie

What exactly are you referring to with "social institutions"? If you are referring to colleges, well, the University of Texas is right up there in the rankings with your CA schools, and that is a major reason Austin has become a hotspot for tech jobs.

Its universities among other things, library systems, the public education system, grants, etc. In terms of Universities, no....the University of Texas isn't "right up there" with California schools. California has 9 universities ranked in the top 50, Texas has 2 one of which (Rice) is a small private university.

UT Austin is a decent school, but its the only public university in the top 50. And yes, the reason why Austin has a larger tech sector than other areas in Texas is directed related to UT Austin....which is just the point. How is Texas going to be "the future", or the "next hotspot" when it lacks the social institutions for these things to occur? Its not, its going to remain a low-income state.

The interesting question is, what happens to Texas when the energy sector shifts to alternatives? This could kill Texas as there is nothing to replace it and Texas is doing nothing to develop institutions to create new economies, indeed, they refuse to even raise taxes to fund basic social services in the state!

[user_id]

Originally Posted by hoffdano

Somehow milllions of people live in Texas, and in climates even hotter and less comfortable around the world. Somehow they get used to it. They adapt, as humans do.

Yes, they adapt, they sit in rooms with the AC on. The body can't deal well with 100+ temps with high humidity.....the only way to really adapt is to avoid it.

People adapt to the cold too, but again, the adaptation usually involves being indoors. In this sense the weather in Texas is just as undesirable as the weather in the coldest states, there are large parts of the year where you can't do much outdoors.

[Curmudgeon]

Originally Posted by user_id

...and Texas is doing nothing to develop institutions to create new economies, indeed, they refuse to even raise taxes to fund basic social services in the state!

Perhaqps, just maybe, TX doesn't think that nanny government will create new economies and actually believes that its citizens ::::shudder:::: have enough intelligence, gumption and drive to make their own ways in life.

[allenk893]

Originally Posted by user_id

Yes, they adapt, they sit in rooms with the AC on. The body can't deal well with 100+ temps with high humidity.....the only way to really adapt is to avoid it.

People adapt to the cold too, but again, the adaptation usually involves being indoors.

What an idiot. Most of your Asian population immigrated from countries like Cambodia and the Philippines where high heat temps and humidity are the norm throughout the year. Most of whom stay outside to do markets and harvest crops. I can't even believe I'm hearing this ignorance!!

The body does well with humidity because it keeps you moisturized!! When I used to live in Florida, it was rare for me and people I knew to have acne or burn marks. Most of us didn't! When I moved to Texas, alot of people did and my acne got worse!! I have a bunch of friends from California who have a plethora of burn marks and acne! So your accusations are ridiculous and ignorant as hell.

[TimC2462]

I don't mean to interrupt, but just wanted to let you folks know that you are free to ask me what life is like on the moon!

Of course I have never lived there but when I glean from stuff on the Internet, I'm an expert.

[user_id]

Originally Posted by hoffdano

I think from your vantage point you don't see much of the new "tech" development occuring in Texas. I will never claim it is close to what happens in Silicon Valley but it is happening in Austin, Houston, Dallas, and even in College Station.

Never did I suggest that no innovation comes out of Texas, instead that there isn't a lot compared to the hot spots. Some R&D is done in Austin, but why? UT Austin. But there are no other UT Austins in Texas, as a result the Texan tech economy (in terms of innovation) is going to be limited to Austin. That is, its never going to be a "hot-spot" like California because it lacks the social institutions that California has..

Originally Posted by hoffdano

California is a tech powerhouse and nothing will change that soon. The momentum was established years ago and will continue.

Yes, but why is Silicon Valley is a tech hot-spot? Its due to the institutions in the bay area, institutions that were largely created from (state) government investments.

These institutions take decades to create and Texas isn't creating them, in fact its going in reserve, the current "anti-government" spell in Texas will damage Texas long term. Texas simply lacks the institutions it needs to compete in the modern economy....

Originally Posted by hoffdano

the cost of living is too high, and the cost of doing business is too high, companies will leave - not just after they are stable and operational.

The cost of living is market based, as a result there isn't anything to worry about on this end. If people or companies start to leave, the costs will go down thereby attracting more people.

Honestly, there are hordes of people that would like to move to the California coast and the only thing keeping them out is the costs.

[user_id]

Originally Posted by allenk893

The body does well with humidity because it keeps you moisturized!! When I used to live in Florida, it was rare for me and people I knew to have acne or burn marks. Most of us didn't!

Yeah....I'm not talking about acne and sunburn has nothing to do with humidity. Humidity prevents the body from using its natural mechanism to cool itself off.

Regardless, in terms of poor tropical countries, these people tend to do their work in the very early morning when the temps are cooler. People also die or get sick from heat related problems all the time....