Is anyone else ready for the snowbirds to go home??? (Tucson: rental, how much)

[MN-Born-n-Raised]

Originally Posted by Bruce Jackpot

So trying to "stick em royally whenever we can" is your idea?

We don't need to institute some scheme to ripoff visitors and seniors. That's just not cool.

The comments were tongue and cheek. He is sick and tired of getting extorted when he visits other places (me too) where they do a shakedown like tolls, heavy park fees, etc. All the while they offer special discounts for locals while they stick it to the visitors (think Disneyland, Ski resorts, etc). All of these fees by other states are designed to extract funds from others in the spirit financing services on the backs of visitors.

So the scheme you are talking about is already instituted by other areas of the country to get in Pondorosa's wallet and he is sick of it.

[PallasAthena_79]

Originally Posted by HTY483

I know they provide the metro Phoenix area with a much needed economic boost but the traffic lately has been horrendous and the number of license plates that I've seen from Alberta, Quebec and the the northern midwest states had been absurd. This past Friday I was heading east on Glendale at 3pm and the traffic heading the other way was backed up at the 7th street stoplight almost all the way to 12th street. I expect this at 4:30pm but not at 3:00 and the only reason I can think of is the additional people trying to escape the blizzards back east. It's just been absolutely ridiculous lately!!! Movie theaters, grocery stores, all very very crowded.

Yes! I am ready! Traffic has been congested all winter long!

[Montanama]

How about looking at it the opposite way--"Full" population of the area is during the winter. That's the norm. Yet every summer you get an awesome respite losing a large chunk of the "normal" population, and have plenty of space to wiggle your toes! Something to look forward to!

Look, I am working on seeing AZ as my "home" as much as MT is. I don't see myself as a "visitor" from whom to extract as much as possible. I am paying property taxes as are many/most snowbirds (either because they own or because they are paying rent to someone who is paying property taxes on the place they rent).

I don't get the hostility.

And the idea that the only crappy drivers are from Alberta is laughable. There are crappy drivers everywhere, and as the majority of the drivers on AZ roads have AZ plates, so too are the majority of the crappy drivers I do encounter sporting AZ plates, just a matter of numbers. That some choose to fixate on the drivers with Alberta plates seems silly to me. (Everyone knows the worst drivers are from Idaho anyway!!) This road rage thing cracks me up. Like you go out on the interstate every day expecting everyone to be as perfect a driver as you certainly are, and are just crushed and enraged when you encounter delays and lollygaggers?! No, that's a NORMAL part of driving in traffic. Everywhere. Every day. Put some spa music on your sound system and calm down.....

Snowbirds are not some annoying phenomenon that just happens every year. They are inherently a part of what the Valley of the Sun IS. As I see it, if you don't like snowbirds (and I guess I'm sort of one, though I'm in and out all year), you don't really like what Phoenix IS. It's like complaining about all the damn Google employees in the silicon valley/SF. Or complaining about all the Jersey drivers/riders commuting into Manhattan. Or the chunks of granola in your trail mix.

If someone owns a home in Phoenix, are they just a visitor? Do they have less right to the space than those who live there year round? I pay taxes all year, but I'm there a fraction of that time--same for MANY others. Isn't that a boon to your existence if you are there full time?

Glass is half full my dears.

[Montanama]

And for the record:

I'm a very good driver.

[ColdAilment]

Originally Posted by HTY483

I know they provide the metro Phoenix area with a much needed economic boost but the traffic lately has been horrendous and the number of license plates that I've seen from Alberta, Quebec and the the northern midwest states had been absurd. This past Friday I was heading east on Glendale at 3pm and the traffic heading the other way was backed up at the 7th street stoplight almost all the way to 12th street. I expect this at 4:30pm but not at 3:00 and the only reason I can think of is the additional people trying to escape the blizzards back east. It's just been absolutely ridiculous lately!!! Movie theaters, grocery stores, all very very crowded.

I know it's not really your fault, but Phoenix ought to invest in different transportation systems, i.e. public transit and the like, cars are all to centric in the southwest, and Phoenix has grown large enough it could really benefit from a dedicated mass transit line.

Secondly I'd have to agree with the other posters, Phoenix was just a little city in the desert before people from other areas of the country started moving there in droves. You owe your economy to migrating Americans coming to Arizona and visiting the local area, without it you'd look like much of New Mexico.

[WriterDude]

Originally Posted by MN-Born-n-Raised

The comments were tongue and cheek. He is sick and tired of getting extorted when he visits other places (me too) where they do a shakedown like tolls, heavy park fees, etc. All the while they offer special discounts for locals while they stick it to the visitors (think Disneyland, Ski resorts, etc). All of these fees by other states are designed to extract funds from others in the spirit financing services on the backs of visitors.

So the scheme you are talking about is already instituted by other areas of the country to get in Pondorosa's wallet and he is sick of it.

Yup. And don't think for a second that Arizona is somehow the most terrible and awful about this. I recently traveled to Tucson and Palo Alto CA. Let's compare the "stick it to 'em" taxes, shall we?

Tucson:

State Occupancy Tax: $9.62
City Occupancy Tax: $9:54
Bed Tax: $2.00

Overall, about 13% of the room rate.

Palo Alto:

Occupancy Tax: $48.86
Tourist Tax: $0.34
County Tax: $1.00

Overall, about 15% of the room rate.

[Colt AZ]

Originally Posted by Montanama

I don't get the hostility.

Put some spa music on your sound system and calm down.....

Glass is half full my dears.

Now, now... if you notice, most of the people who respond to snowbird threads do so with tongue firmly in cheek. Total sarcasm, that is. Not hostility. Hostile ones we have in every state. Me? I'm somewhere in between!

Originally Posted by Montanama

And for the record:

I'm a very good driver.

See? You're not even part of Arizona's problem!

Originally Posted by ColdAilment

Phoenix was just a little city in the desert before people from other areas of the country started moving there in droves.

You owe your economy to migrating Americans coming to Arizona and visiting the local area, without it you'd look like much of New Mexico.

Many lifelong Arizonans miss the times before the great snowbird incursions.

Are you saying NM is hostile towards it's snowbirds, and they all left?

[Wally Sconce]

Originally Posted by slowdude222

The Canadians are not very good tippers as a whole. Do they tip in Canada?

Maybe you give lousy service? I tip at least 20% even more if the service is good.

Get back to work your break is over , cleanup table 7.

[aridzona]

Oh, listen to all the whiners down south.

At least you get a break for part of the year.

Come on up here to Sedona where the snowbirds, vortexbirds, redrock birds, newage birds, Iwantmywalletsuckeddry birds are never ending.

I have to keep hiking further and further into the wilderness to get away from them.

Of course, then I have to put up with search and rescue as they collect the bodies.

Yeah, you got it real good folks so quit your whining.

[Ponderosa]

Originally Posted by Colt Cassidy

Now, now... if you notice, most of the people who respond to snowbird threads do so with tongue firmly in cheek. Total sarcasm, that is. Not hostility. Hostile ones we have in every state. Me? I'm somewhere in between!



See? You're not even part of Arizona's problem!



Many lifelong Arizonans miss the times before the great snowbird incursions.

Are you saying NM is hostile towards it's snowbirds, and they all left?

There was a time before the snowbirds? I don't think so. In fact, the snowbirds make up a smaller percentage of people here now that they did 50 years ago. Now if you are talking retirees, maybe there is something to that.