What don't you like about Phoenix? (Surprise: how much, new home, maintenance)

[veek]

New transplants (like me lol) are what keep cities and states vibrant and from dying. Phoenix has been great the few months (even with the heat) I have been here so far so I don't want people to get the wrong idea. There is always room for improvement and I see it for the Valley. Everything you can ask for is here. I tend to be on the progressive/libby side so there are things I might want to see change that others might not. Still as someone who grew up in the south I can say Phoenix/Arizona are no where in that league of conservative. It will be really interesting what happens here in the next 20 to 30 years

[AzScorpion12]

Originally Posted by LBTRS

Thanks, you summed up my point exactly (in a whole lot more words). I said nothing about conservatives in the post you quoted, I was making a point about people leaving a certain place because it is a mess and they are fleeing that mess and going somewhere else and wanting to change that place into what they just left. Could be conservative or liberal though it seems more liberals are fleeing liberal states and cities to more conservative places then there are conservative places emptying out to more liberal places. When they get there they advocate the liberal policies that ruined the places they just came from.

I couldn't agree with you more on this especially the bolded part. It seems like most that complain on here about the politics are from Ca. which is what I don't understand because that state is a mess lol. I consider myself conservative/libertarian and have a "live and let live" attitude and that's one thing that I love about Az. Most people stay out of your business whether it's politics or religion. It's also one of the many reasons I can't wait to leave Mass and make Az home one day ( soon I hope ).

As far as things I don't like about Az. I'd have to say the relentless sun with little to no rain for weeks on end and no ocean. I can live with those 2 as there are many more reasons I don't like Ma.

[veek]

I think the whole "California is a mess" is a bit over blown. 40 million people can't be totally wrong? Also California was conservative on the state level for a lot of the 60's - 90s

[Golden_Monkey]

Originally Posted by Goober13

But the amount of $100,000 a year jobs which many college educated people qualify for is abundant in the DC area for example, but those level of jobs are lacking here. A person leaving a $100,000 a year job in DC may have to settle for being a manager of Radio Shack or a mid level call center management position here .

I met a woman today who has a master's degree from Carnegie Mellon University. She said that out here, potential employers had never heard of it and thought it was some kind of online college like the University of Phoenix.

Meanwhile, I recently had a job here where typically someone with an associates degree would be expected to fill the position. I have a master's from New York University.

[Scottay]

Originally Posted by veek

40 million people can't be totally wrong?

California has had a net negative migration of something like 170,000 (cant remember the exact number) people per year since the start of the economic downturn. Read it in a time magazine article at the dentist office a few weeks ago.

[Ztonyg]

Originally Posted by veek

I think the whole "California is a mess" is a bit over blown. 40 million people can't be totally wrong? Also California was conservative on the state level for a lot of the 60's - 90s

I would tend to agree. Both Arizona and California are pretty much broke and both states are messes. The difference really is that the cost of living in Arizona is less than California, but California has better schools (from elementary - higher education).

[Burning Madolf]

Originally Posted by Ztonyg

I would tend to agree. Both Arizona and California are pretty much broke and both states are messes. The difference really is that the cost of living in Arizona is less than California, but California has better schools (from elementary - higher education).

Sorry, but CA and AZ financial situations are not the same.

For example, CA and AZ pension obligations are almost equally funded at about 75% and AZ is about 70% funded in its health care obligations while CA isn't funded at all for their healthcare funding.

[RosePiano]

The heat! Not as diverse as other cities

[LBTRS]

Originally Posted by veek

I think the whole "California is a mess" is a bit over blown. 40 million people can't be totally wrong? Also California was conservative on the state level for a lot of the 60's - 90s

There is a reason more people are leaving California than are coming into it from other states. That is the point I was making and it's not just California and it's not just liberals. Many leave one place for another because the grass is greener but when they get there they bring their political views to the new place and want to change the new place. Makes no sense to me whatsoever.

California's Population Is Moving Out, Census Report Shows | NBC Southern California

[Foreverking]

I mentioned before how I thought it was costing me more to live here? Well, this year Ive spent 800 bucks on a new AC for my truck, as it went out when it was 108 degrees on a 30 minute drive from work, I have done over 500 dollars worth of maintenance to my AC on top of my roof this year. My pool, which I rarely use, but pay 90 dollars a month for just decided to give me a bill for 350 for a new motor (installed). The heat is wearing out BOTH of my car batteries...I have that familiar tough start up I get when they start to go. I made the HUGE mistake of having grass in my front yard, keeping it watered is expensive. Ok, I needed to gripe after the pool motor yesterday...I'm done now.