Why Californians don't like Texas (Houston, Dallas: fit in, transplants, crime)

[AcresHomes44]

I'm all for Californians moving to Texas, it helps Texas to eventually surpass California in population. As long as California's gangs don't come with the exodus to Texas, I'm fine with it. California can keep their Crips, Bloods, MS-13 and other LA-based gangs.

[Ivory Lee Spurlock]

Originally Posted by WastedLines

Honestly. Pretty much everything in the OP is wrong.

I wouldn't use the word "everything". I have run into many visitors from out of state who are surprised just how green Texas and Austin is. The stereotypical image of Texas landscape that many folks have is similar to the bone dry, treeless brown desert landscape found west of the Pecos River. Many people who have never been to Texas don't realize the Texas landscape east of approximately Interstate 35 looks more like Indiana than it looks like Texas west of the Pecos. Texarkana is closer to Indianapolis than it is to El Paso.

[RJ312]

Originally Posted by AcresHomes44

I'm all for Californians moving to Texas, it helps Texas to eventually surpass California in population. As long as California's gangs don't come with the exodus to Texas, I'm fine with it. California can keep their Crips, Bloods, MS-13 and other LA-based gangs.

More population is not always better. In fact, it is usually worse. Some of the best states in the country are sparsely populated, such as Wyoming and Montana. California, Colorado, and Arizona were better states when they had less of a population. It's debatable if Texas has gotten any better with a larger population.

[KerrTown]

Originally Posted by MrJester

1. "Texas is desert!" I can't tell you how many Californians think Houston is sand dunes and cacti. I keep having to explain it's just as green, rainy, hot, and humid as Florida, with bayous, 85 degree Gulf of Mexico waters, and longleaf pine forests in The Woodlands and Kingwood.

Everyone forgets that Texas has a coastline and Houston is the only major city on the Gulf. The border guards in Canada have never heard of Houston (except Dallas, probably through the TV show) and didn't even realize that the Gulf of Mexico is the ocean for the Southern United States and Houston is the major city on the Gulf.

2. "Houston is pancake flat! I'd rather have dead, brown hills in California than lush green forests and bayous in Houston!" This really puzzles me; I never missed the hills when I went to the Gulf Coast. Who needs brown barren hills when you can have lush, Florida-like subtropical greenery?

If you miss the hills, you can always go to Austin.

If you watch TV through an antenna, then the flatness in Houston eliminates those high cable bills (and heaven for FM/TV DXers). Houston has the highest antenna penetration in a major TV market at 20% of households.

The problem with Los Angeles (and other hilly/mountainous cities such as Austin) is that TV is hard to receive unless you're in the Basin/North O.C., SFV, SGV, or the Conejo Valley because of the various mountains and hills blocking Mount Wilson. The climate of Malibu and the 5-mile zone is legendary, especially in the Summer. (Wildfires are a different matter!). The views on the level freeways squeezing between mountains and passes and the intense urbanization are amazing though!

3. "Texans are religious conservatives! Can't imagine living in ultra-conservative places like Dallas or Austin!" News flash: Many states are more Republican than Texas. Many states are more religious than Texas. Austin is more liberal than San Diego or Sacramento, and is solidly liberal even by national standards. Even Dallas is more liberal than San Diego. In fact, every major Texas metro is blue, maybe not as blue as Hollywood or Silicon Valley or San Fran, but still.

Religion is still a big factor in Texas politics. The "moment of silence" at the beginning of every school day is a back-door for school prayer. Evangelicals are busy imposing their teachings on Mainstream Christian and other religion non-believers by law. Savita Halappanavar's death would be very likely in Texas and the ex-Confederate South without Roe v. Wade. The death penalty is pushed under the rug by Evangelicals and Modernist Catholics and denounces any REALâ„¢ Pro-Life movement. Evangelicals are busy recruiting like an MLM with the "Are you saved?"/"What church do you go to?" tropes.

4. "Texas is white man's land! No diversity!" Houston is often ranked as the nation's most diverse city. It's got large Chinese, Indian, and Vietnamese populations. The Chinese supermarket 99 Ranch, and Chinese bakery 85 Degree C may have started their U.S. operations in California but they're also in Houston and Dallas.

Power is held by the White man, and disproportionately by rural whites, in Texas. Just look at the state GOP leaders in the state government! Old, white men.

Good luck showing those old, white men the door--the districts are gerrymandered to tilt the table in favor of the GOP. The voting rates for minorities are abysmally low that people joke that there is a gentleman's agreement to refrain from voting. (Which could be true due to the legacy of Jim Crow.)

Once you leave the cities or drive on the interstates between the Texas Triangle cities, minorities are pretty uncomfortable and city slickers can be intimidated by small-town policemen making money off of tickets.

5. "I couldn't move to somewhere without In-N-Out!" Ahem, Dallas, Waco, and Austin all have In-N-Out. They're opening in Houston, too.

Oh, and Texas has Waffle Houses...far better than Ihop, and there's no Waffle Houses in the entire state of California!

What other complaints do you notice that Californians have about Texas?

I don't know why In-n-Out is still in business when they consistently turn out undercooked burgers in the center. Apparently putting a divot in the patty and/or getting meat to ambient temperature before cooking are cumbersome steps for the cooks.

I went to a Shake Shack in Dallas once and complained about the red middle. Houston must have some strict food safety standards that I never encountered an undercooked burger here, unless it came medium-well by default.

[That_One_Girl]

I don't think Californians "don't like" Texas. I don't know anyone who has strong feelings about Texas one way or another. It's just one of the states. I wish the best for the people there just like I would for people anywhere.

I notice a lot of threads on CD seem to open with a statement or question that portrays reality in a false and divisive way. There are tons of them. "Why do liberals do this?" (answer: they don't) "Why are conservatives doing this?" (Answer: They aren't). "Why are Californians doing this?" (WE'RE NOT!) "Why are women over 40 blah blah blah..." You get the picture.

It seems half the threads are started with the intent to create further bitterness and divides between people.

[Treasurevalley92]

Originally Posted by MrJester

I myself greatly admire Texas, but here are some reasons why many Californians don't.

1. "Texas is desert!" I can't tell you how many Californians think Houston is sand dunes and cacti. I keep having to explain it's just as green, rainy, hot, and humid as Florida, with bayous, 85 degree Gulf of Mexico waters, and longleaf pine forests in The Woodlands and Kingwood.

2. "Houston is pancake flat! I'd rather have dead, brown hills in California than lush green forests and bayous in Houston!" This really puzzles me; I never missed the hills when I went to the Gulf Coast. Who needs brown barren hills when you can have lush, Florida-like subtropical greenery?

If you miss the hills, you can always go to Austin.

3. "Texans are religious conservatives! Can't imagine living in ultra-conservative places like Dallas or Austin!" News flash: Many states are more Republican than Texas. Many states are more religious than Texas. Austin is more liberal than San Diego or Sacramento, and is solidly liberal even by national standards. Even Dallas is more liberal than San Diego. In fact, every major Texas metro is blue, maybe not as blue as Hollywood or Silicon Valley or San Fran, but still.

Once again, if you miss liberal high-tech Californicated hipster land, you can always go to Austin, as if Dallas or Houston were not Californicated enough. Surprise surprise, Whole Foods was founded in Austin, not in California.

4. "Texas is white man's land! No diversity!" Houston is often ranked as the nation's most diverse city. It's got large Chinese, Indian, and Vietnamese populations. The Chinese supermarket 99 Ranch, and Chinese bakery 85 Degree C may have started their U.S. operations in California but they're also in Houston and Dallas.

5. "I couldn't move to somewhere without In-N-Out!" Ahem, Dallas, Waco, and Austin all have In-N-Out. They're opening in Houston, too.

Oh, and Texas has Waffle Houses...far better than Ihop, and there's no Waffle Houses in the entire state of California!

What other complaints do you notice that Californians have about Texas?

Eh, whats the point? Lots of Texans have dumb ideas about California as well as lots of other places.

[KathrynAragon]

Originally Posted by txtea

Hey!
We have In-N-Outs here in San Antonio too, dangit!

Heck we've got an In-N-Out right here in Tyler. I've never tried it, since I'm not a fast food burger person.

[ikoolu]

i can tell you this expat Californian loves Texas- the people, the scenery, the fishing, the food and yes the weather - about the only thing i dont like is the fracking traffic in Dallas and Austin - well maybe the panhandlers too in Austin.

there so much too see and so much to do - plus no state income tax its perfect for us. someone will ***** about the property tax but i can tell you after 30 years in the same house in so cali the property tax for myna house in Crawford is lower that my old house

so its hot - bid deal no smog, no holes gangbangers, no sitting on the freeway for a hour to go 12 miles, no utility taxes, gas 2.40 not over 3.6, 5 minutes to the country where you have to drive hours to get away from people,

[As Above So Below...]

Originally Posted by AcresHomes44

I'm all for Californians moving to Texas, it helps Texas to eventually surpass California in population. As long as California's gangs don't come with the exodus to Texas, I'm fine with it. California can keep their Crips, Bloods, MS-13 and other LA-based gangs.

So why does California have a lower crime rate than Texas?

[Treasurevalley92]

Originally Posted by As Above So Below...

So why does California have a lower crime rate than Texas?

LOL see this is why I hate threads like this. It's a race to the bottom over who can say the stupidest thing.