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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..
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....
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.
Do you think the cost of living in California will eventually settle to the median? Do you think the market conditions, which includes supply of housing, energy, and natural resources, will eventually make California affordable for the middle class?
Since 1980, domestic migration to California has been negative. California's population is increasing due to its own births, and due to international migration. The international people migrating to California are not the chefs from Paris or the winemakers from Bordeaux.
Boston is loaded with top quality universities. Since "social institutions" are so important to success (according to you) why doesn't this amazing concentration of education allow Boston to overwhelm the bay area? Maybe it takes more....
I think your analysis is using rose colored glasses. Economic success requires much more than "social institutions." "Information" industries is just 6% of the California GDP. Each state in the US has a different mix - Texas is over-represented by energy compared to the national averages, but its share of the economy has slowly fallen as the economy has grown in other areas. It is no fault of Texas' what our particular mix of natural resources includes oil/gas. Just like we have the largest cattle industry in the US, the most cotton, etc. California has a similar wealth of certain agriculture resources.
California needs energy and water to keep growing. Where is it going to get it?
You say Texas is going in reverse in enabling economic growth? You mean because our K-12 schools are better than yours? And we are better positioned to keep funding it? Whose universities are forced to raise tuition at a record rate to keep operating? Whose state doesn't use accounting tricks to pay its bills (like delaying payroll by one day to push expenses to the next fiscal year)?
Why? This was a far better state when it had 10 million people. I'd like to see it get back to that number.
You need to look at the source of these articles dont let them get you down
Journalism today is littered with people who dont know their aspen from a hole in the ground.
I am obviously not an expert but it sure didnt take me that long to figure out that our media blows
they are out just to make a buck
but for what ever its worth i would much rather see california ahead than texas
things change and you will never be able to stop that ever
I am not from either state, but have lived in both.
That said, I cannot figure out is why any of you care what a bunch of strangers think about where you choose to live. Move to where you're happy and go on about your life.
Truer words couldn't not have been spoken. I'm an outdoors person in my free time. How the hell does one enjoy that?
Yeah, the summer weather in Texas would be a deal breaker for me. Tried Tucson.......that was another place that roasted in the summer........lasted 18 months.
Location: San Luis Obispo and Santa Barbara Counties
6,390 posts, read 9,684,265 times
Reputation: 2622
Summer is a nice time to be outside, Nice to live in a place where you can kick the kids out side and they will still be alive at sundown!
And speaking of Texas, I thought this was pretty funny;
Quote:
One [Rick Perry] reason that might explain his hostility toward the system: He didn't do very well in it. A source in Texas passed The Huffington Post Perry's transcripts from his years at Texas A&M University. The future politician did not distinguish himself much in the classroom. While he later became a student leader, he had to get out of academic probation to do so. He rarely earned anything above a C in his courses -- earning a C in U.S. History, a D in Shakespeare, and a D in the principles of economics. Perry got a C in gym.
Perry also did poorly on classes within his animal science major. In fall semester 1970, he received a D in veterinary anatomy, a F in a second course on organic chemistry and a C in animal breeding. He did get an A in world military systems and “Improv. of Learning” -- his only two As while at A&M.
"A&M wasn't exactly Harvard on the Brazos River," recalled a Perry classmate in an interview with The Huffington Post. "This was not the brightest guy around. We always kind of laughed. He was always kind of a joke."
So beside contradicting your first statement about TX lacking tech jobs, you are saying all of the tech jobs available in TX are purely low level data entry jobs??
Umm...are you being serious? You are trying to build new sentences out of the words of the claims I made, my initial comment was:
"Texas is filled with low-skill and mid-skilled labor so it can be a great place to relocate non-technical manufacturing, mundane software development, etc."
I explicitly mentioned software development (a tech career) and the "etc" indicates it was in no sense suppose to be a complete list... My second comment just repeats my point, namely, that the jobs in Texas tend to be low to mid skilled even when you look at things like tech. Yet, you think there is a contraction? Utterly bizarre...
Anyhow, I don't know, perhaps you just don't understand tech. But most tech jobs in the US aren't anything interesting and pay low to mid income salaries. The fact that a major city like Houston or Dallas has a number of tech jobs is to be expected, not because they have strong tech economies but because they are large cities with a number of infrastructure needs.
My comments about California were regarding tech entrepreneurship, not simply "tech jobs".
Quote:
Originally Posted by jifie
So easy in fact that as many times as you mention it we still have no concrete evidence that CA is more innovative than TX.
Yes, very easy, just follow the $$. California tops the nation in Venture Capital deals, Texas on the other hand gets beat by states (e.g., CO) with much smaller populations. The only area in Texas attract a noticeable amount of VC is Austin and still its pretty small, indeed, areas in CO are attracting more.
Now, if you want to see the numbers, feel free to look them up.
Quote:
Originally Posted by jifie
You are also quick to bring up the fact(opinion?) that TX is a low service state, and you bring that up quite often as well.
Right I bring that up because its indeed a fact, Texas has a low-service model which means that it prefers to have lower taxes at the cost of providing less social services for its residents.
Regardless, Texas is in a trap, its job creation depends on attracting companies with tax perks but the low tax revenue prevents it from creating the sort of social institutions that would result in high internal entrepreneurship. Now, if you want to think that Texas is going to be the next "hot-spot" go for it, nobody with $$ cares though and they will continue to fund deals in other states.
That's so true...Move to where your happy is the key importance....I live in the Bakersfield area and alot of people online say they hate it or wanna move.
Well guess what...I like it in Bakersfield and don't care what others think of this fine city
Quote:
Originally Posted by NE Nomad
That said, I cannot figure out is why any of you care what a bunch of strangers think about where you choose to live. Move to where you're happy and go on about your life.
Do you think the cost of living in California will eventually settle to the median? Do you think the market conditions, which includes supply of housing, energy, and natural resources, will eventually make California affordable for the middle class?
This line of questioning doesn't have much meaning because California isn't a homogeneous place, there are many areas in California that are "affordable to the middle-class". The central valley (home to 8~9 million people) and the inland empire (home to 4 million) are both "affordable to the middle-class", in fact homes right now are historically very cheap in these areas. Both of these areas are larger population wise that many states. Northern California is also "affordable to the middle-class".
The areas with high cost of living are the bay area and the LA/OC/SD area. Although real estate in these areas use to be "affordable", they now reasonable the east coast and I don't see any reason to believe that is going to change as these areas are not built out.
Now, there is another issue, you aren't using a serious notion of "affordability". What you really mean here, is whether the middle-class will be able to buy a large home for payments that amount to 20~30% of their monthly income. The answer to this is no, but that doesn't mean its unaffordable to the middle-class.
Quote:
Originally Posted by hoffdano
The international people migrating to California are not the chefs from Paris or the winemakers from Bordeaux.
What do you mean by this? Yes, California gets a lot of low educated immigrants from Mexico, Asia, etc. But it also gets tons of well educated and big $$ immigrants from throughout the world as well.
But why make a distinction between international and domestic migration? Do foreign immigrants work? Yes. Do foreign immigrants create businesses Yes, in fact at higher rates than citizens. Do foreign immigrants pay taxes? Yes. So why make a distinction?
Quote:
Originally Posted by hoffdano
Boston is loaded with top quality universities. Since "social institutions" are so important to success (according to you) why doesn't this amazing concentration of education allow Boston to overwhelm the bay area? Maybe it takes more....
Um.....because the universities in the Boston area, with the exception of MIT which is relatively small, aren't particular good in technology?
The bay area has two of the best engineering/tech universities in the US right next to each other, this creates a lot of critical mass.
But the Boston area is no lightweight and MA has a strong and innovative economy.
Quote:
Originally Posted by hoffdano
Economic success requires much more than "social institutions." "Information" industries is just 6% of the California GDP. Each state in the US has a different mix
Umm, of course it does, when did I suggest social institutions are both a necessary and sufficient condition for economic success? No, I implied that strong social institutions are necessary condition for "hot-spots" to form. Its not a sufficient condition, I mean, you obviously need people among other things.
Quote:
Originally Posted by hoffdano
California needs energy and water to keep growing. Where is it going to get it?
There is more energy in your chair than California would ever need, energy isn't a problem. Water? Ugh...I hate when people bring this up. The majority of water in California is wasted on pools that people hardly use, lawns that don't need to exist, etc. California doesn't have a water problem, all one has to do is raise water rates and people will reduce consumption.
Quote:
Originally Posted by hoffdano
You say Texas is going in reverse in enabling economic growth? And we are better positioned to keep funding it? Whose universities are forced to raise tuition at a record rate to keep operating? Whose state doesn't use accounting tricks to pay its bills (like delaying payroll by one day to push expenses to the next fiscal year)?
Yes, I do and its the result of ideology, not any fundamental economic problem. Texas doesn't see the value of public investment, indeed, it refuses to raise taxes to even fund its low level of services.
You aren't paying attention if you think Texas' fiscal position is strong, they have large deficits and are cutting essential services. But my points are about public investment, not current fiscal problems. The fiscal problems in California aren't too hard to deal with, there is just a group of people that is blocking it...they call themselves Republicans.
Also, the tuition hikes are unfortunate, but the tuition rates are still lower than most other states, the cal state system is still very affordable.
Location: DFW Metroplex. Not TX-born but never leaving.
301 posts, read 571,019 times
Reputation: 194
Quote:
Originally Posted by Gentoo
You get used to it??? How do you get used to dying? Some of the people who died in the heat were the very people you are speaking of; one football player and a biker somewhere (it may not have even been Texas but still hot like Texas). People who were biking and running. How does one get used to dying?
Well none of the people who have been biking and running around my town have died and there are very active biking and running clubs here that are almost year round. Don't see them as much in Jan and Feb. You have to hydrate and know when to stop. Basketball players have died on the court does that mean no one should play basketball? The most worriesome thing to me is the sun exposure and skin cancer risk.
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