For everyone thinking of moving to Texas: Reality Check (Wichita Falls: pros and cons, income)

[L210]

Things are certainly better here than in many other states, but that is not a reason for Governor Perry to advertise to the whole country that we have jobs for them. Our unemployment rate is at 8.1% which means there are many Texans looking for employment, but can't find it. It's ideal to have an unemployment rate below 5% and that's when you can say we have jobs. I wouldn't be surprised if the people coming here who actually find jobs have the skills and education that are lacking in Texas. Non-skilled workers may not fair as well. I read an article about how the San Antonio Food Bank has seen an enormous increase in people asking for help and many of them came here from other states looking for work.

How is it that California can have a 12.3% unemployment rate and have a smaller percentage of people on food stamps than Texas?

One in seven Americans on food stamps | Mail Online
In U.S., 14% Rely on Food Stamps - Real Time Economics - WSJ

[jbiggs]

Originally Posted by loves2read

I would guestimate that a good many of the people moving to TX thinking it is "better" will not be here in 5 yrs--

They'll still be here in 5 years only then they will either be living on welfare or under bridge overpasses. Many of these people are selling everything just to make the money to move here and try to get established. The funds will run out and they will have no further money to relocate elsewhere. At that point they have no choice and will be stuck here!

[catman]

Don't move unless you already have a job waiting for you.

[smtimelevi]

Why would the state encourage people to move to Texas if they will burden the system?

[Lee W.]

Are you kidding? Do you know what kinds of idiots we have running this state? Don't get me started on that!

[sskkc]

Folks from California want to move here because the economy is better here than there - especially if you have employment already. They (Californians) moved to Colorado and Nevada for the same reasons. The problems arise when they register to vote and then vote the same way they did in CA - which destroyed the CA economy and forced them to move in the first place.

[DejaBlue]

Exactly! I've heard so many people say "I need to move to Texas"

Here in Houston there's like job lockouts everywhere. Hospitals (yes you nurses), the police departments, schools (yes you just graduated last Saturday with a teaching degree).

Unless you already work for them you hiring is not abundant. I don't know who Yahoo is trying to fool with all these articles saying go get a teaching degree and nursing when schools and hospitals aren't hiring right now and cutting back.

Then we have LOTS of immigrants. There's a why hiring X for a full salary when people can hiring immigrant for 1/4 of that.

People need to look at the big Texas picture and it's not moving here and getting a job lickety split

[jetakai]

My brother and I are thinking of retiring to Texas, but not for a few years. I live in Alaska, and he is a contractor who resides on bases outside the US. While I love Alaska, the cold is getting to me and we both wanted open minded people with free-spirits and hard work ethics to be around in our retirement. Neither of us have kids or spouses any more. I think Texas is the perfect place for us...looking at New Braunfel area and I apologize if the spelling is off.

[Squirl]

We will most likely be leaving Texas because we love to hike and the terrain here is not so great and the weather is even worse. Also, as retirees, we want to live in a state with a state income tax when we earn less. We believe the property taxes will be significantly lower that way. Looking at New Mexico, Arizona, Tennessee and the Carolinas.....also California (family is there)

[ktulu7]

Well, some of this stuff may be true, but you have to consider where some of these folks may be coming from. I just came to San Antonio from Baton Rouge. Louisiana has never really had the greatest economy, and salaries in the IT field are AWFUL there. Of course, I'm not a moron, so I just trolled for jobs in Texas from a distance, because it's not terribly far from home, I'd lived in Texas some as a kid, and I have friends here. Eventually, I got a WAY better job for a good company, so now here I am. I'm likin' it, and for me, it IS the land of opportunity. Maybe there are greener pastures elsewhere, who knows? I miss Louisiana, because it's my home, but it's not a very good place to find the kind of career I want.

You folks, as Texans, see your own state in a different light. Those of us from places not doing so well, that haven't done well in a long time, see Texas still as a big step up. One thing that really jumps out at me is how amazing the infrastructure is here, compared to that which is in the major cities of Louisiana. We are taxed out of our minds in Louisiana just to pay for the entitlements of the massive poverty class, and get no real services or infrastructure for our investments in the corrupted government. At least there is SOME middle class here in San Antonio. You're pretty much either rich or poor in Baton Rouge or New Orleans, for the most part anyway.

Thank you for the opportunity, Texas!