Posted on 06/27/2012 11:39:43 AM PDT by SeekAndFind
Not only do my ex’s live in Texas, but your ex’s, and pretty much everyone else’s ex’s as well. All of America is moving to Texas. Especially the ex-residents of high tax states like California and New York. And, I'll bet many of the ex-residents of Big Brother tax and spend Massachusetts, Illinois and Michigan are there too. The fact is Texas led the nation in net population growth for the past decade, while New York and California led the nation in net population loss. Interestingly, the most new Texans (over 550,000) came from one state- California. They brought with them a remarkable $14.3 billion in income, but even that paled to the almost $1 trillion in assets and income that re-located New Yorkers brought to the Lone Star State.
From 2000 to 2010 a staggering 3.4 million people moved out of New York resulting in a net loss of 1.3 million residents. California was a close second with a net population loss of 1.2 million during the same decade.
So why is everyone running for their lives from New York and California? And why are so many of them heading to Texas? The answer is taxes, regulations, and quality of life. Americans have figured out that high taxes and excessive regulations kill jobs and quality of life. People simply want to have more opportunity for success and keep more of the money they work so hard to earn.
It’s no coincidence that New York has ranked first or second in the nation for tax burden every year since 1977. That includes state income taxes, property taxes, and sales taxes. There is also gas tax of a whopping 49 cents per gallon, and the highest estate and gift taxes in the nation. After grabbing more of your money than any state while you’re alive, New York also steals more of your money after you’re dead. I should know- I left New York 25 years ago and never looked back.
California now ranks first (ie worst) for highest state income tax. Add to that the mantle of worst state in the nation for excessive rules and regulations. It’s no wonder the Milken Institute ranks California as having the worst business environment in the nation. I should know- I left California too.
Lest you think this is some kind of fluke, or that taxes are not the determining factor in this “escape from NY and California,” it isn’t just Texas that is gaining all these fleeing residents. The U.S. Census reported that all of the top 15 states for population growth during the past decade are no tax or low tax states like Nevada, Florida, Arizona, Utah, Georgia, North Carolina and South Carolina. It seems Americans are smarter than politicians give them credit for- they are voting with their feet for lower taxes, pro business attitude, and more economic freedom.
Because no state in the union has a better economy, let’s look "up close and personal" at the Texas miracle. Texas practices what I proudly call “Wild West Cowboy Capitalism.” And it works!
Texas has zero state income tax, zero capital gains taxes, and zero death taxes. It is a “right to work” state where employees may choose to join a union, but are never forced to. It is pro business and anti-lawyer (discouraging class action lawsuits and the first state to pass a “Loser Pays” law). Texas is also tight-fisted with welfare and entitlement benefits- unlike New York and California. The result of this limited government attitude is people with high incomes, assets, and ambition are moving into Texas, while those who lack work ethic, and feel entitled to handouts are moving out. Good riddance.
But the most important attribute of Texas is that its constitution limits the time that politicians can meet. The Texas Legislature is limited to meeting only 4 months every other year. That pretty much explains everything. Texas and my state of Nevada have no state income taxes and the fastest growing populations in America…not in spite of, but because the politicians aren't allowed to sit in their seats all year long thinking of new ways to re-distribute income, impede business, and destroy jobs.
Let’s look at the remarkable results of favoring hard working job-creators over entitlement addicts, and business owners over lawyers. Texas now has more Fortune 500 headquarters than New York. It tied for the highest state economic growth in America over the past 50 years, while displacing New York as the second largest state economy. The annual Texas economy has passed $1 trillion, accounting for 8.3% of the entire U.S. economy. In the last three years one third of all jobs in America were created in Texas, and in the past decade, more jobs were created in Texas than in the other 49 states COMBINED.
One smart businessman, Andrew Puzder, sums it up. Mr. Puzder, CEO of California-based CKE Restaurants with over 3000 restaurants including Carl’s Jr. and Hardees was recently quoted in the Wall Street Journal. He calls his home state of California “the most business-unfriendly state…” Opening one of his restaurants in California takes 2 years and costs $200,000 more than opening one in Texas, where it takes only 6 weeks. Is it a surprise that CKE has stopped opening new restaurants in California, but plans to open 300 in Texas?
So there you have it. Now you know why everyone’s ex’s live in Texas (or soon will), and why businesses, as well as people, choose states that treat them better, give them more freedom, and allow them to keep more of their own money. Imagine that? The results of smaller government, restrained politicians and lower taxes is dramatically increased wealth, happier citizens with a higher quality of life, and far higher job creation.
PS. My Texas friends want everyone to know, “Come on down, ya’ll are welcome. Just leave your liberal politics at home.”
Well, I haven’t made it to Texas, yet. But I do know that living (again) in MassaTaxIt is grating on me. And my folks won’t leave.
RE: And my folks won’t leave.
Maybe you should show them the way by setting an example :)
May God continue to richly bless Texas.
I am thinking long and hard about telling the Peoples Republik of New Jersey goodby and going to Texas, been there many times and love it.
Texas is hot and humid
Snakes under every house.
Spiders on every widow sill.
Nothing grows here and it NEVER rains.
Everyone here is a racist redneck.
You won’t like it here at all STAY AWAY.
Public Service announcent from Stay the Heck outta Texas.
This can't be repeated enough. I don't blame anyone for moving here, as long as they don't vote to turn Texas into what they left.
That is what happened to California. Tons of people came from new york and California went from a conservative state to a socialistic state.
Socialism is like a disease they destroy their host and just move on.
DANG SKIPPY! “Come on down, ya’ll are welcome. Just leave your liberal politics at home.” It’s hard enough dealing w/ the liberals in Dallas, Houston, San Antonio and the People’s Republic of Austin. Oh and BTW, bring your guns. I firmly believe Texas will be the last state standing when the SHTF.
“leave your liberal politics.” Too late they are here and they show up as little bits and pieces of service folks want, a library, senior citizen centers, extra features in schools, greenbelts andso much more. One day the Tx miracle will be returned to yellow dog democrats and the folks holding the bag will be the republicans that made the accomidations. Already all the major cities ahve democrat leaning mayors - most years. That changes only when the citizens realize they have been had, give the pubbies four years then go back to liberals...see Hosuton, Austin, San Antonio, Dallas city council, Dallas county commissioners.
The trouble is that those California, New York, etc expatriates settle in to their new territory then start, voting for liberal politicians and demanding the liberal policies they fled from. They then turn their new home into the cesspool they fled from. People fleeing California have ruined parts of Idaho. Hopefully Texas will stop them in their tracks or demand they go live in Austin with the rest of the liberal brood.
Sure! C’mon down to Texas! We’re about to hit Stage 3 water restrictions, and all the newcomers can help contribute to the problem!
~PING~
I lived in TX for seven years, in the ‘70’s. I cried for at least six years after we left due to job transfer. I could STILL move there in a heartbeat!
Snakes under every house.
Spiders on every widow sill.
Nothing grows here and it NEVER rains.
Everyone here is a racist redneck.
You won’t like it here at all STAY AWAY.
Public Service announcent from Stay the Heck outta Texas.
+1 (((ping)))
You may all go to Hell, and I will go to Texas.
Well said. It it is like a disease. But Texas has more immunity than California because California is the easy life compared to Texas and the elements one must deal with to survive. As Doug Sahm sings: “You just can’t live in Texas if you don’t have a lot of soul.” It is Realville for the most part.
Sure! C’mon down to Texas! We’re about to hit Stage 3 water restrictions, and all the newcomers can help contribute to the problem!
Have a plaque with that saying on my wall in the livin room right under a framed letter of Travis’s letter from the Alamo...
and again I say.
You liberals wont like it here STAY AWAY.
Oh, and don’t forget TORNADOS! We have lots of them! You really won’t like it!
If Florida wasn’t so similar, I would move to Texas!
It is really great here - no nothing for state taxes & all of the rest, just like Texas.
Yeah and Sandstorms in the panhandle..
it really is miserable here.
Maybe you guys can ask Sheila Jackson Lee to move to NY or CA.
You aint whistling Dixie.
Last time I was in Texas, I was sweating like a whore in church the second I stepped off the plane...Even my sunglasses kept fogging over. It was like being on the surface of another planet, with a swamp like atmosphere and too close the sun.
The A-rab cab driver who picked me at at DFW, told me I'd get used to it...
I told him I wouldn't be there that long...And wasn't.
But I do hope 5 or 10 million leave CA and go there...or anywhere for that matter!
Can we get an A-men!
Texas has zero state income tax, zero capital gains taxes, and zero death taxes. It is a “right to work” state where employees may choose to join a union, but are never forced to. It is pro business and anti-lawyer (discouraging class action lawsuits and the first state to pass a “Loser Pays” law). Texas is also tight-fisted with welfare and entitlement benefits- unlike New York and California. The result of this limited government attitude is people with high incomes, assets, and ambition are moving into Texas, while those who lack work ethic, and feel entitled to handouts are moving out. Good riddance.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
In addition, we PROUDLY stand behind our Stand your Ground laws. And we have the death penalty. And we use it too.
Texas is a beautiful state with friendly people. And well governed too. Even with Rick Perry as our Governor.
Directed to all Democrats.
I live in Texas. It is 106 outside as I speak. I killed a 6 foot long rattlesnake this morning which I had found in my (dry - no water) toilet. This morning, I discovered a nest of Brown Recluse and Black Widow spiders in my toolbox which I had gotten out to fix my water main as most of our city maintenance workers have been laid off along with all public school teachers. No one should have to live like this and I would advise anyone who is thinking about doing so to think twice.
“What’s the worst thing to ever happen to the State of Texas?
The invention of air conditioning.
Because it allowed Yankees to live here.”
And the scorpions are MASSIVE!
I like Texas and have spent a fair amount of time there..just wish you could convince some of the folks moving to Montana to go to Texas instead...
Great. They will just turn this great state into the $#!^hole that they just left.
Two conservatives and four lefist friends are moving to texas this MONTH!
Heck yeah
It was 95 in my living room yesterday...
Felt cooler on the back porch under the Live Oak,
with the sprinkler going.
I really think we are full enough... they created those messes in thier states stay there and fix em instead of screwing up ours.
Come on down, you'll get plenty of rays. And how.
Mosquitoes big enough to carry off small pets and children.
The horseflies are even bigger and bite harder!
LOL!
Overrun by illegals, one of the fastest growing muslim communities in the country.
See post 6 it doesn’t seem to be working but I will keep on trying.
Same here. My friends moved down 10 years ago and haven’t looked back. Been down to visit about 4 times. I fell in love with Texas. Hoping to retire down there in a couple of years.
It's supposed to get down to 102* in Dallas by Friday...So ya got a cooling trend coming.
Way back in the 50's, my dad performed with Willie Nelson and Doug Sahm & the Knights. He did the song "Pretty Pat" on a Doug Sahm LP.
It’s 104 in Austin today.
Texas summers are God’s way of telling whiny Yankess to go home.
You forgot scorpions. We have scorpions everywhere in Texas.
Everyone is issued a dozen scorpions as pets when they move to Texas.
I think I've also heard that bears have been seen in Texas, not to mention the feral hogs and billions of fire ants.
Let's face it, it's just not a safe place to live. /s
I wasn’t born in Texas, but grew up learning about real heros like Davy Crockett, Col. Travis and Sam Houston. I came to San Antonio in 2001 and the very first thing I wanted to do was visit the Alamo. Sacred ground. I left Texas a couple of times but always came back.
Sure, we have heat and water restrictions and flying bugs the size of Volkswagens. And don’t forget the.....”far aints”. But freedom and the pioneer spirit are alive and well here.
Texas is Home.
The recession and bitter winters of the late 1970's drove a lot of northeasterners down here to Texas. It was the era of Gilley's night club and "Urban Cowboy". Pasadena was full of pickup trucks with rifles & shotguns openly displayed in window racks.
Those days are long gone. The 'Yankee Horde" descended like a plague of liberal locusts, and Texas hasn't been the same since. Some of the Texas congressional dimwits (Sheila Jackson-Lee, Al Green) are transplants dating from that time. Now history repeats itself.
...and we all have guns and will shoot you if you knock on our door.
Jalapenos in every dish in every restaurant including waffles.
Next session of the state legislature, we are passing a bill limiting the ability of immigrants from New York and California to vote. You will only be allowed to vote for Republican candidates, you ballot will list no democrats, socialists or new black panthers. We can’t do anything about our native born custard heads, but you furriners should let us run our state our way.
But will these people from the east and west coast change Texas? That’s what happened in North Carolina, I believe. These people do not want to pay taxes but they love abortion.
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