Pros and Cons of Pennsylvania? (Pittsburgh, Lancaster: car insurance, inspection, maintenance)

[trackstar13]

Originally Posted by DowntownHarrisburg

Glad we found some common ground!

This is a huge advantage, especially since many retirees are going to remain on a fixed income throughout their retirement. Not paying state income tax on your funds from retirement vehicles can add up to substantial savings -- maybe even to the tune of a small part time job.

Myself, I like the diversity we have here. I drive two hours and I'm in one of the largest cities in the country. I drive two hours in the opposite directions and I'm in beautiful unspoiled back country. I drive anywhere in between, and I find anything in between.

Yes I think we can agree on something at least and I really like to challenge traditional thinking because to me the worst argument is "well that is they way it has always been." I always ask the questions why was it that way in the first place and why is it that way now? PA is a wonderful place to live, but we do have some quirky aspects to the state and government that sometimes don't make much sense. The other thing I really cannot understand are the local earned income taxes in PA, which seem to vary wildly and I for the life of me cannot understand why even after I file taxes I have to give Berkheimer my information. It seems like the government is the one who collects the taxes so they should also keep the information rather than having a private company do this for them.

[ki0eh]

I would not think there is a good reason for having any entity other than the PA Department of Revenue collecting local earned income tax in conjunction with the state tax returns. The increment in administration over and above what they do already would seem trivial.

Of course then Berkheimer would be out of business. Perhaps while finding another line of work to get into they could reflect on what happened to tax farmers during the French Revolution, and realize they got off easy.

[travric]

uh oh..I just came in to see what's what with Pennsylvania, a state that's in my family's old ancestral heart and I saw Stackhouses' post. Oooooohhhhh..a shot across the Pa bow!

But I'm up now on car inspections for sure! I tell you if ever do live in Pa I'll make sure that I give all of my business to my mechanic. I think it's always the best way to take care of your car. Worked for me for 100 years!...;-)....

[DowntownHarrisburg]

Originally Posted by travric

But I'm up now on car inspections for sure! I tell you if ever do live in Pa I'll make sure that I give all of my business to my mechanic. I think it's always the best way to take care of your car. Worked for me for 100 years!...;-)....

Once you find a good mechanic, never get rid of him / her! That's the secret to a long, enjoyable lifetime for your car. I've been taking my car to the same place for the last 10-or-so years and have never had any complaints. It's nice to have someone you can trust.

[DowntownHarrisburg]

Originally Posted by Sayid Linus

Pro: Philadelphia, tons of important US history, tons of awesome beer (it's not really that difficult to get it), Pittsburgh, State College, Rothrock State Forest, great colleges, great hospitals, proximity to New England.

We just spent a weekend camping up in Rickett's Glen and hiking the falls trails -- beautiful up there. It was a little too chilly to hit the lake (it's always a few degrees cooler at that altitude), but it was still a lot of fun. Next time I need to remember to bring better coffee apparatus.

Cons: cloudy in winter, alcohol laws are weird (but getting better), some roads do suck, too many cookie cutter suburbs popping up in what were green forests or farm fields.

I can't believe we finally had liquor privatization on the table, and it got watered down so much that it's basically useless. Supermarkets can sell wine now? Hooray. Give me a state like Illinois, where you can buy beer / wine / liquor at just about any place that cares to get a license.

Have you seen the trend towards New Urbanism? It's gaining foothold out here in the suburbs. It doens't exactly fix all the problems with suburbia, but it's a good start.

[thecoalman]

Originally Posted by DowntownHarrisburg

We just spent a weekend camping up in Rickett's Glen and hiking the falls trails -- beautiful up there. It was a little too chilly to hit the lake (it's always a few degrees cooler at that altitude), but it was still a lot of fun. Next time I need to remember to bring better coffee apparatus.

I'm near there and at a similar elevation, it's usually nice place to be even for swimming at this time of the year. It's just been unseasonably cold for most of the summer especially this past week. Right now I'm sitting here with a sweater on considering if I'm going to close the window.

[DowntownHarrisburg]

Originally Posted by thecoalman

I'm near there and at a similar elevation, it's usually nice place to be even for swimming at this time of the year. It's just been unseasonably cold for most of the summer especially this past week. Right now I'm sitting here with a sweater on considering if I'm going to close the window.

Hah - I'm thinking the same thing. Fall is my favorite time of year, so I fired up a French press and am pretending it's early October -- at least until it warms up this afternoon. At least my air conditioning bill isn't complaining, but I came this close to setting the furnace at 60 last night.

[blauskies]

Originally Posted by kmanloup

Out of curiosity, what do you think of Pennsylvania? Particularly the Eastern Half. I am just very curious as to what its like living there and what you love about it and what you hate about it.

Big swath of area, a mix of Rural, Suburbs and Metro areas. I was born, raised and lived in PA for a while but I left and never returned to live there, only to visit. Whenever I go back I feel a certain aura of depression hitting me, visual blight and urban decay and the slow pace in some areas is often too much for me to stomach it's also often depressing seeing one vibrant areas in a downward spiral. The mentality of the local governments is really old mentality, too many cooks in the kitchen with all the county, townships, boroughs governments and etc, too much red tape. What takes a month in some parts of the US often takes years to happen in parts of PA.

The best parts of the state are the natural areas and historic sites, some of the people are weird and xenophobic. If your into hunting or fishing or outdoor activities, PA is grand. Hunting was so popular in my area that the local mall once had Deer Lonely Ladies Day specials, seems like the beard and camo thing is still alive and well as is Nascar during my recent visit. None of which was ever my cup of tea.

[Sayid Linus]

People aren't any more xenophobic here than anywhere else. But we are the 5th or 6th most populous state so there are lots of all types. No offense to you but I get tired of hearing about the red neck (or whatever term you prefer) in PA when the reality is there are the same types of people in PA as anywhere else.

[blauskies]

Originally Posted by Sayid Linus

People aren't any more xenophobic here than anywhere else. But we are the 5th or 6th most populous state so there are lots of all types. No offense to you but I get tired of hearing about the red neck (or whatever term you prefer) in PA when the reality is there are the same types of people in PA as anywhere else.

I lived in a lot of states and PA without a doubt was the most xenophobic of them all, mainly outside of Philly and Pittsburgh. Depends on where you go, the "red neck" thing isn't what I said, I said beards and camo, where I came from in Central PA we never used that term, typically "hayseed", "hick" or "country bumpkin" I never heard redneck growing up.

If you spend time in and around Central PA, the population is much higher density of people who enjoy this type of lifestyle, not that there is anything wrong with it. My cousin sent me an e-mail that made me lol big time the other day!

Apparently the Duck Dynasty Filming Crew stopped by the local mall near my hometown, was a truck and trailer all decorated with Duck Dynasty graphics, well it created a big stir and people were leaving work and rushing to the mall parking lot thinking they would meet the stars, all it turned out to be was the filming crew was passing through the area and stopped into the mall to grab dinner lol. When Nascar comes through the area to the Poconos or Watkins Glen, it's the same thing people sit in lawn chairs along the road and blow their horns and wave their hands in the air at the trucks lol! Hey whatever floats your boat.

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