15 Days Until We Leave Illinois! (Tucson, Tempe: consignment, buyers, school)

[beTucsonan]

Originally Posted by kttam186290

Better yet, why are SO MANY in that range for sale???? What is it that's going on? Seems like a mass exodus of wealth or the upper middle-class?

If you look at how long many of these homes have been on market, you have at least a part of the answer there. I showed a $525,000 home the other day which had been on the market for over a year. There remains, however, a legitimate luxury home market in Tucson - it's difficult to ignore the allure of some of these properties, and many of them sell in short order (I showed another this weekend which sold for over $600k within 9 days of being listed, for example).

[sownman]

Congrats Sick. I leave Calif Oct 1st for Green Valley.

[sickofIL]

You're incorrect.

"A viral email making this claim...distorts a Forbes article that compares private-sector workers with those 'dependent on the government,' including government workers and pensioners, and Medicaid recipients — not just 'people on welfare...'”

‘Death Spiral’ States?

It all depends on who you use for information. Forbes isn't always correct as others as well. Forbes slants facts just the same as every other reporting news. I don't trust what Forbes infers in there article. My information is from the Illinois Policy Institute and it may be slanted as well.

However, I lived there until 5 weeks ago and I saw daily the people that were collecting government hand outs and if they don't out number those working it is close.

I am not stating that Arizona is better, what ever that would mean anyway. I was stating that Illinois isn't as good as many seem to think. Just because they have a big GSP doesn't mean much. Illinois is is big trouble and I don't see how it is possible for them to do anything about it. There is a mass exodus of people and companies and the the pension system is out of control. It is a bad state if you own a company and worse if you want to start a company.

[jlawrence01]

Originally Posted by sickofIL

I am not stating that Arizona is better, what ever that would mean anyway. I was stating that Illinois isn't as good as many seem to think. Just because they have a big GSP doesn't mean much. Illinois is is big trouble and I don't see how it is possible for them to do anything about it. There is a mass exodus of people and companies and the the pension system is out of control. It is a bad state if you own a company and worse if you want to start a company.

Because there is more money in Chicagoland than in many parts of the country, it gives the illusion that everything is well.


However, drive US-14 from Woodstock down to Niles and count the hundreds of closed down businesses of all description that are gone in relatively prosperous areas like Crystal Lake, Cary, Palatine, Arlington Heights and the like. And those are jobs that will not be coming back due to the state's tax structure and the high cost of doing business in Illinois.

[WilmaWildcat]

sickofIL, Illinois was the 5th largest state economy in 2005, 5th largest in 2015; Arizona was the 18th in 2005, 21st in 2015 (dropped 3 spots): no bias involved. Republican so-called business people have been running Arizona a long time, and they are poor at it. Illinois will improve again after they resolve the pension issue; Chicago metro is a huge economic engine, and there are plenty of people who want to make money.

jlawrence01, the phenomenon you’re alluding to happened everywhere during the housing boom and following recession. We ourselves were part of it; our exurban-Chicago county was the fastest growing US county by percent one of the boom years, and our neighbors are all from older suburbs closer in. Those suburbs were cleaned out of businesses and services even before the recession occurred; and the recession just worsened the situation. The same thing happened in Arizona.

[sickofIL]

WilmaWildcat, Democrats have been running Illinois for ever and have destroyed the state. Spending is so far out of hand and the pension issue so even worse. I don't see how anyone can fix this in our lifetime. The only thing that our politicians know how to do is spend and raise taxes. Especially the Democrats. Not that the Republicans are any better, they do the same thing just in a different way. Neither will ever fix the pension problems. They will only get worse.

I would think that since you live in Illinois you would understand this but evidently not. Everything that they tell you is just an illusion. You can make the books look how ever you want but the fact is that Illinois is broke and as long as they follow the same direction it will only worsen.

As for Arizona, I don't know that there will be anything different. They don't attract business just as Illinois repels business.

I personally know of three mid sized business that are currently leaving Illinois due to the taxes. One is buying, renovating and installing new equipment in a new facility just over the Indiana border so it can keep it's clientele but pay much less in taxes and in gasoline. They are a service business so they can buy their gas in Indiana but travel to Illinois. They will save $0.30-0.40 per gallon just in gas and when you service fleet is on the road all day this can save quite a bit. They also say that they will save 2/3's on corporate taxes in Indiana. In January Illinois passed a 45% increase in corporate taxes. Companies simply cannot absorb this. They will also save big time on workman's comp insurance. Workman's comp is almost 3x what it is in Indiana.

These companies already left Illinois recently: T & B Tube (80 jobs), AM Manufacturing (10 jobs), Modern Drop Forge 250 jobs), Edsal Manufacturing (300 jobs), American Stair (135 jobs) and Granite City Steel (2080 )and the one I am talking about will be moving 510 jobs out of the state by the end of the year. Granite City Steel says it will reopen the Illinois plant with some jobs but isn't disclosing how many. It is believed it will be few. So there are about 2800 jobs lost from just these few companies. And i am sure that there are many more.

Now add the net loss of population last year of 96,956 you have a real problem. Goodbye, Illinois: Residents are leaving for other states - Chicago Tribune

[jlawrence01]

Originally Posted by sickofIL

In January Illinois passed a 45% increase in corporate taxes. Companies simply cannot absorb this. They will also save big time on workman's comp insurance. Workman's comp is almost 3x what it is in Indiana.

That is accurate. I would also add that WC in Illinois is 2-2.5x more than in Iowa and close to 2x more than in Wisconsin.

I could probably add a dozen more firms that closed in McHenry Co. and it is not strictly due to the recession.

[WilmaWildcat]

Originally Posted by sickofIL

Democrats have been running Illinois for ever and have destroyed the state...

??? Yes, that was your whole point with the bogus welfare:worker ratio attempted argument. It's the reason I brought up Arizona and Republicans in comparison. So this doesn't really serve as a rebuttal. It was your original point.

Originally Posted by sickofIL

I would think that since you live in Illinois you would understand this but evidently not. Everything that they tell you is just an illusion. You can make the books look how ever you want...

I do live in Illinois; and since I do, I pay attention personally. I don't seek anyone to tell me things; and certainly not someone who would post such an obvious howler of a propaganda headline like the welfare/workers ratio without fact checking. And as I said twice, no one is making plain figures look biased.

[sownman]

Originally Posted by WilmaWildcat

??? Yes, that was your whole point with the bogus welfare:worker ratio attempted argument. It's the reason I brought up Arizona and Republicans in comparison. So this doesn't really serve as a rebuttal. It was your original point.

I am leaving California partially for the constant liberal control of politics. Its been decades. We have the highest state income tax and gas tax and sales tax and nearly the highest property tax yet they keep being voted in by those who believe and seek the promise of someone else eventually paying all the bills. The middle class here is nearly extinct because they have been taxed to death.

I do not believe decades of conservative rule would be any better lest you think that is my point. Balance is good, we need a few years of freer spending and a few years of belt tightening. Thats how most of us run our personal finances and it works.

I hope to find balance in Arizona. Its usually a conservative state and Tucson is usually a liberal city, at least thats what I'm told. I'd like it if that were true.

[WilmaWildcat]

Originally Posted by sownman

I do not believe decades of conservative rule would be any better lest you think that is my point. Balance is good, we need a few years of freer spending and a few years of belt tightening. Thats how most of us run our personal finances and it works.

I hope to find balance in Arizona. Its usually a conservative state and Tucson is usually a liberal city, at least thats what I'm told. I'd like it if that were true.

What a refreshing change; I'm glad to see you say that, because it is pretty much the way I approach it, too.