NH vs MA arument.... (Boston, Cambridge: real estate, homes, public schools)

[Parsec]

Originally Posted by CaseyB

Some of the Mass stores DO have beer and wine for sale. I believe each chain can have 4 stores that sell it. Both the Shaws and the Trade Joe's near me sell it.

Yup, the Trader Joe's and Sudbury Farms (Roche Brothers) near me both sell beer and wine too.

[magicshark]

Originally Posted by Parsec

Yup, the Trader Joe's and Sudbury Farms (Roche Brothers) near me both sell beer and wine too.

I will chime in....Hannaford in Lunenburg and Leominster also sell beer, wine and liquor.

[WoodyWW]

Originally Posted by lrfox

It seems (to me, anyway), that the NH infatuation a lot of times comes from people who would describe themselves as "leaning to the right" and are "fed up with MA politics." There may be savings to be had for people who choose certain lifestyles, but I do think that is dependent on the people involved and I think politics (NH is the "reddist" state in NE) may be the bigger motivator. At the end of the day, many of these people still have to make the fairly painful commute into MA because NH doesn't have the jobs that Metro Boston does.

The part about some people moving to NH to be in a "red state" is funny, but might be true. Even Scott Brown is trying to capitalize on that ("carpetbagger"?).

Originally Posted by lrfox

I don't buy enough beyond food and clothes to really consider sales tax to be that much of a burden. Certainly not enough to justify considering a move to NH. From what I've seen, gas is even cheaper in MA at the moment. I guess it really matters to some people. If I want a new TV, I can drive to somewhere in NH for a one time charge. Or, and this happens more often than not, I can find it on ebay, or somewhere else online for less than I'd pay even with the sales tax excluded in NH.

Oh, boy. You might get a nasty lecture from of the sales tax "enforcer" types who go nuts if they see someone avoiding sales tax by buying a stupid TV or lawnmower in NH. (I've been on the receiving end of that, here on the Mass. forum). As if we don't pay enough taxes here already.....

Portsmouth, & Hampton, areas are nice. Property prices from what I've seen are way less than in the metro-Boston area. But one thing about the "no income tax" in NH--that doesn't apply to dividends from stock or mutual fund investments. So a retiree say living off the dividends from their stocks, pays state income taxes in NH. (May not apply to a lot of people).

OTOH: Like Bruins_Fan said, in NH, you can "ride your motorcycle without a helmet" (what a great idea!), & buy "30 round magazines for your rifle", & Glock handguns with no problem. Maybe that's what I'm missing: more "liberty and freedom"--to ride around on a motorcycle without a helmet while "packing heat". Does anyone else understand this? (Oh right, it's the horrible "nanny state").....sheesh....

[Bruins_Fan]

Originally Posted by WoodyWW

OTOH: Like Bruins_Fan said, in NH, you can "ride your motorcycle without a helmet" (what a great idea!), & buy "30 round magazines for your rifle", & Glock handguns with no problem. Maybe that's what I'm missing: more "liberty and freedom"--to ride around on a motorcycle without a helmet while "packing heat". Does anyone else understand this? (Oh right, it's the horrible "nanny state").....sheesh....

Don't knock it. What is important to you, may not matter to me and vice versa! I don't even ride motorcycles, but it's none of my business if John Doe wants to enjoy his bike sans helmet on a warm summer day. Some people move to MA so they can go on Mass Health and obtain more services (I know this first hand being in the behavioral health care business). Of course, we also occasionally see threads from people doing just that...moving to MA for tax payer funded services.

As for the "nanny state", I accept the fact that there are many, many statists that like the government telling them and others what to do, you may be one of them. Heck, my mother-in-law is a huge statist. That said, many of us are not okay with that type of government.

[lrfox]

Originally Posted by Bruins_Fan

In my view, NH vs. MA goes beyond cost of living and taxes. Simply put, while NH has state and local governments just like MA or any other state, it tends to be less of a "nanny state" and more free in general. If you want to ride your motorcycle without a helmet, go for it...it's your head. You want a 30 round magazine for your rifle? No problem, and it doesn't have to be 20+ years old. Want a Glock handgun at a normal price? You're GTG in NH. I also think you're less likely to see things like water bottle bans, plastic bag bans, leaf blower bans and other nanny nonsense that has become popular in states like MA, NY, NJ and CA.

And while NH is not as perfect and free as some might like, it really is far ahead of MA in terms of liberty and freedom. If you're a statist, then MA is for you. If not, you might prefer NH.

One plus here in MA, I can actually buy good Scotch whisky for less at my local liquor store than at the NH state liquor store.

I'll give it to NH. It's one of the more balanced "free" states in the U.S. and that's one of the things I like about it.

Your freedoms list mostly includes guns with the addition of not wearing a motorcycle helmet should you choose not to. In many states where those freedoms are also available, other freedoms aren't. This is where the "freedom!" nuts lose me. They rant and rave about gun restrictions, but adamantly oppose things like same sex marriage, the right to smoke a joint, or a woman's right to choose, etc. Frankly, I tend to lean toward social issues being more important than gun rights or motorcycle helmets, but I think both hold water. I despise the hypocracy on both sides when it comes to these things. Many folks want the "freedoms" that benefit them while shooting down the "freedoms" others want simply because they don't care, their religion doesn't "like" that particular freedom, or they don't understand it. Why is it OK to claim your freedoms are being infringed upon if the government tells you to wear a helmet, but at the same time, you're whining about how two people shouldn't get married because you don't like the idea two people of the same gender getting married? On the same token, how is it OK to demand that your state legalizes marijuana, but go out and demand that they band junk food because, "it's not healthy."

NH definitely balances this better than most states and it deserves credit. Is it perfect? No. But I definitely think NH is among the most balanced in the U.S. in that regard. I'll definitely take left leaning MA over an extremely right leaning state (I'm not a gun person, though I don't oppose citizens owning them and I certainly don't care about motorcycle helmets... if you don't want to wear one, don't), but I do like NH's fairly balanced laws.

[lrfox]

Originally Posted by Bruins_Fan

Don't knock it. What is important to you, may not matter to me and vice versa! I don't even ride motorcycles, but it's none of my business if John Doe wants to enjoy his bike sans helmet on a warm summer day. Some people move to MA so they can go on Mass Health and obtain more services (I know this first hand being in the behavioral health care business). Of course, we also occasionally see threads from people doing just that...moving to MA for tax payer funded services.

It is your business when John Doe crashes his bike, is taken to the hospital where they find out he doesn't have health insurance and taxpayers foot the bill to keep John Doe alive.

Frankly, I don't care whether or not someone gets on a bike without a helmet. I really don't. and I'd support MA repealing its helmet policy. But it's sory of naive to say that these things don't impact anyone but the guy on the bike.

[Shrewsburried]

I'm an NH believer, particularly in the southern towns which have excellent school systems and good access to rt.3/95 (Hollis, South Nashua).

The tax rates in NH might be higher on average, but the assessments are fair. People frequently make the mistake of looking at the tax rate and not the total cost. Some of the central MA towns may have low rates (Shrewsbury for example) but they have a habit of assessing homes well beyond market.

[495neighbor]

Originally Posted by lrfox

I'll give it to NH. It's one of the more balanced "free" states in the U.S. and that's one of the things I like about it.

Your freedoms list mostly includes guns with the addition of not wearing a motorcycle helmet should you choose not to. In many states where those freedoms are also available, other freedoms aren't. This is where the "freedom!" nuts lose me. They rant and rave about gun restrictions, but adamantly oppose things like same sex marriage, the right to smoke a joint, or a woman's right to choose, etc. Frankly, I tend to lean toward social issues being more important than gun rights or motorcycle helmets, but I think both hold water. I despise the hypocracy on both sides when it comes to these things. Many folks want the "freedoms" that benefit them while shooting down the "freedoms" others want simply because they don't care, their religion doesn't "like" that particular freedom, or they don't understand it. Why is it OK to claim your freedoms are being infringed upon if the government tells you to wear a helmet, but at the same time, you're whining about how two people shouldn't get married because you don't like the idea two people of the same gender getting married? On the same token, how is it OK to demand that your state legalizes marijuana, but go out and demand that they band junk food because, "it's not healthy."

NH definitely balances this better than most states and it deserves credit. Is it perfect? No. But I definitely think NH is among the most balanced in the U.S. in that regard. I'll definitely take left leaning MA over an extremely right leaning state (I'm not a gun person, though I don't oppose citizens owning them and I certainly don't care about motorcycle helmets... if you don't want to wear one, don't), but I do like NH's fairly balanced laws.

Colorado may exemplify the only state where all libertarian freedoms are allowed.

[Boston_Burbs]

I work in NH and live in MA. I have thought about moving to NH to save on the income tax but I can't say I will never work in MA and don't really want to get it both ways.

Though property taxes are regressive in some ways, I do like the local control that NH towns have. So much funding from the towns come from property taxes, it makes town meeting really matter. Also the volunteer state legislature is pretty awesome.

[Boston_Burbs]

Originally Posted by CaseyB

Some of the Mass stores DO have beer and wine for sale. I believe each chain can have 4 stores that sell it. Both the Shaws and the Trade Joe's near me sell it.

IIRC, each supermarket is given 3 liquor licenses. Trader Joes in Natick, Brookline, and Cambridge. Big Y in Western MA made their own liquor stores called Table and Vine.