Good news - State of TN ranks sixth in terms of financial health (crime, big house)

[doc1]

According to this source we rank sixth in terms of financial health


"A new analysis of the latest available audited financial reports found Tennessee has
a Taxpayer SurplusTM of $2,800, earning it a “B” grade from Truth in Accounting.
Tennessee has reported a Taxpayer Surplus since 2012.

Unlike most states, Tennessee’s state government has enough resources available to pay all
of its bills, including public employees’ retirement benefits...."


IL, for example ranks 49th:

".......Illinois’ elected officials have made repeated financial decisions that have left the state with
a debt burden of $223.9 billion. That burden equates to $52,600 for every state taxpayer.
Illinois’ financial problems stem mostly from unfunded retirement obligations that have
accumulated over the years. Of the $284.5 billion in retirement benefits promised, the state
has not funded $139.5 billion in pension and $56 billion in retiree health care benefits....."

More here:

https://www.data-z.org/state_data_an...tail/tennessee

[JOinGA]

The flip side is that Tennessee fails to make investments that would improve the quality of life for citizens in Education, Healthcare, Crime Prevention and Pollution Control. We rank poorly in these areas as compared to other states.

[Serious Conversation]

Originally Posted by JOinGA

The flip side is that Tennessee fails to make investments that would improve the quality of life for citizens in Education, Healthcare, Crime Prevention and Pollution Control. We rank poorly in these areas as compared to other states.

Exactly. I pay very little in state taxes but get little back. This libertarian model works if you’re healthy and can provide for yourself. If you need state assistance, this can be a tough place to live.

[mjtinmemphis]

Or if you have children who needs special attention or need top rated school or you have a handicap that could use public transportation. Tennessee is good for retirees who don't require a lot and doesn't want a high tax burden.

[JOinGA]

I am happy to have fellow citizens who want to "pour" their resources into TN. It is dismaying to see people who choose to move here solely seeking a low cost of living and who intend to vote against tax increases no matter the need....particularly retirees who think the quality of education in the state is not their concern because they don't have kids in school. I wonder how they would feel if they showed up at a hospital to find that there were no doctors because the majority of voters decided they didn't want to pay taxes to educate "other people's children." In my ideal world, we constantly seek to find the balance between fiscal restraint and quality of life.

[N.Cal]

Originally Posted by JOinGA

I am happy to have fellow citizens who want to "pour" their resources into TN. It is dismaying to see people who choose to move here solely seeking a low cost of living and who intend to vote against tax increases no matter the need....particularly retirees who think the quality of education in the state is not their concern because they don't have kids in school. I wonder how they would feel if they showed up at a hospital to find that there were no doctors because the majority of voters decided they didn't want to pay taxes to educate "other people's children." In my ideal world, we constantly seek to find the balance between fiscal restraint and quality of life.

I would rep you again but it won’t let me.

[justme1000]

Boy those retirees are awful people. They worked their whole lives and saved a little money so they could retire and not be a burden on their children or society. So, let's confiscate their savings and throw Grandma and Grandpa (the useless bums) off a cliff.

Throwing money at schools does not guarantee better educated students. My wife and I decided before we married how we wanted to raise our kids. We lived in a very good school district but the public schools did not meet our expectations. Knowing that a good education was the only thing we could give our children that no one could take away we sacrificed the big house, new cars, cable TV, big vacations, etc. and sent them to parochial school. So not only did we pay the big school taxes we also paid for parochial school from preschool through high school. Most of the teachers at our kids schools started in public schools and then moved to the parochial schools that paid less. What we were told by the teachers, was that the biggest difference between public and parochial, was the parents involvement and the parents expectations. They said that you rarely saw the public school parents, even at parents - teacher conference a lot of them wouldn’t show up. In the parochial schools, the parents were required to show-up to parent - teacher conferences. There were always parents around doing playground duty, room parents, helping out after school or on weekends. And this is a big one, the parents made sure the homework was done and checked that it was done correctly. If it wasn’t they helped the kids understand the homework. This was mainly through 8th grade. In high school the parents would back-off and expect the kids to do their homework and seek help from them or teachers if needed. But a lot of parents were still involved at the high school.

One of our friends decided to send their child to public school after 8th grade. In the parochial school they were a C/C+ student. But in the public school they were getting A’s for 9th grade. Most of 9th grade was a review of what they already learned. They settled down to a C+ student for the rest of high school.

So IMHO, it’s not money that makes a difference it’s the parents involvement and expectations. If you don’t think enough money is being spent on schools, I ‘m sure they would allow you to pay higher taxes. Or you could do fund raisers for the schools. Or volunteer and help out at school.

[JOinGA]

Originally Posted by justme1000

Boy those retirees are awful people. They worked their whole lives and saved a little money so they could retire and not be a burden on their children or society. So, let's confiscate their savings and throw Grandma and Grandpa (the useless bums) off a cliff.

Throwing money at schools does not guarantee better educated students. My wife and I decided before we married how we wanted to raise our kids. We lived in a very good school district but the public schools did not meet our expectations. Knowing that a good education was the only thing we could give our children that no one could take away we sacrificed the big house, new cars, cable TV, big vacations, etc. and sent them to parochial school. So not only did we pay the big school taxes we also paid for parochial school from preschool through high school. Most of the teachers at our kids schools started in public schools and then moved to the parochial schools that paid less. What we were told by the teachers, was that the biggest difference between public and parochial, was the parents involvement and the parents expectations. They said that you rarely saw the public school parents, even at parents - teacher conference a lot of them wouldn’t show up. In the parochial schools, the parents were required to show-up to parent - teacher conferences. There were always parents around doing playground duty, room parents, helping out after school or on weekends. And this is a big one, the parents made sure the homework was done and checked that it was done correctly. If it wasn’t they helped the kids understand the homework. This was mainly through 8th grade. In high school the parents would back-off and expect the kids to do their homework and seek help from them or teachers if needed. But a lot of parents were still involved at the high school.

One of our friends decided to send their child to public school after 8th grade. In the parochial school they were a C/C+ student. But in the public school they were getting A’s for 9th grade. Most of 9th grade was a review of what they already learned. They settled down to a C+ student for the rest of high school.

So IMHO, it’s not money that makes a difference it’s the parents involvement and expectations. If you don’t think enough money is being spent on schools, I ‘m sure they would allow you to pay higher taxes. Or you could do fund raisers for the schools. Or volunteer and help out at school.

LOL, I am a retiree myself.

[danielj72]

We are a red state. Low taxes, small government and fiscal responsibility pay off. We are on the right track. Those looking for a bigger role for the state government or for more state assistance programs can choose to live up north where many states specialize in that model. I am happy with the way things are. In my opinion we could reduce further the amount of people receiving state assistance and run an even tighter ship. Still we are ranked 6th so we are doing something right.

[grampaTom]

Originally Posted by JOinGA

I am happy to have fellow citizens who want to "pour" their resources into TN. It is dismaying to see people who choose to move here solely seeking a low cost of living and who intend to vote against tax increases no matter the need....particularly retirees who think the quality of education in the state is not their concern because they don't have kids in school. I wonder how they would feel if they showed up at a hospital to find that there were no doctors because the majority of voters decided they didn't want to pay taxes to educate "other people's children." In my ideal world, we constantly seek to find the balance between fiscal restraint and quality of life.

In our county, our neighborhood of predominantly retired folks several times every year have fundraisers for the schools, the libraries, the arts and animal shelters.
We also volunteer at food pantries and provide jobs many locals.

There is more than one side to the issue of retirees here in Tennessee.