[maxwell]

Oh and as long as you're asking, should I move to Texas or New Mexico?

Don't mean to steal yer lime-light, bud, I'm just looking for some genuine opinions...

[asneditor]

No Stay away! Too many of you ferners coming down anyway.

[asneditor]

Sorry, that was meant for 1stFreedom.

[wireplay]

New Mexico is beautiful but it depends on what line of work you do. New Mexico is also more Democratic in mindset but again, I wouldn't say it was liberal.

If you are looking for a better place to live, I owuld suggest Colorado Springs which is ultra-conservative and a great place to live and raise a family.

A number of years back I just said "I don't want to live in the cities anymore". I picked my town and made the work happen. Been happy ever since. I live in Woodland Park, Colorado and moved here from Dallas (and Austin prior to that).

[FITZ]

Weatherwise --New Mexico ---lots of reasons to like New Mexico and in spite of a state income tax, taxes are lower over there, property taxes here match NY's ---it's always funny to hear people complaining of only $2000-3000 a year in property taxes on a nice house.

[Diddle E. Squat]

New Mexico is beautiful, and if you are in position to do so, places in the forested mountains, such as Cloudcroft and around Santa Fe are hard to beat. But the state did vote for Gore(barely) and just elected the fumbling secrets to the Chinese, Monica chauffering Gov. Krispy Kreme, so when it comes to politics they have issues(and watch out for all the drunk drivers).

[greyfoxx39]

Having lived in TX, AZ, CA and NM, I think the Albuquerque area wins hands down....weather can't be beat...Phoenix and Tucson are unbearably hot in the summer, Central Texas weather is extremely hot and humid and the ice storms are incredible, allergies were aggravated in Texas, and of course there is always the chance of a tornado...IT jobs are more plentiful in Phoenix, but so are gangs, and there is a pretty good employment mix available in Albuquerque, HOWEVER....wages will not match CA or NY, but you can buy a nice house in a nice neighborhood for under 200k. Unfortunately, we now have Bill Richardson as our governor.

[HardStarboard]

I've spent a little time in Phoenix area. Can't stand Scottsdale. People there seem to judge you by how much gold trim you have on your Cadillac...Oh, you don't have a Cadillac...my, my!

Worked for a firm HQ'ed in Tempe. People were great and Tempe was great for good looking coeds.

Texas - just drove through it about 2 months ago. I like the Texans pride in their State and their town no matter how humble. everyone I met was cheerful and helpful. The whold State looked neat as a pin.

Avoid N.M. Pretty country but no pride in the folks - dirty towns, folks and.....windy!

[OldFriend]

We're leaving NJ and moving to COLORADO.

[sharktrager]

Well guys, I was born and raised in New Mexico, lived in AZ for a year and now am in Texas.

First...Texas is a huge state, and different parts are very different. Austin in San Francisco East. Too bad because it's a lovely city except for the lousy traffic. Houston is a pit. San Antonio is nice, but there is a strong democrat base. I am in Ft. Worth and love it. Lots of true small towns within 15-20 minutes of downtown. Until this year I actually had cattle across the street, but I'm only minutes from any big city resource you want. I am not a huge fan of Dallas or West Texas (sorry folks). Sales taxes are a little high, as are property taxes, but no state income tax rocks.

New Mexico has areas that are conservative, but the Dems are tight and corrupt. I lived in Farmington, Las Cruces, Albuquerque and Socorro. I like Las Cruces, but the area is truly a tier 2 city with less to do. Farmington is great for conservative outdoorsmen, with great fishing and skiing real close, and one of the best and most affordable public golf courses on earth. But it is small town. Some big retailers, but not much else. Albuquerque...well...parts are nice, but real estate is a mess there. The builders always overbuild, and the resale market bites. Socorro may be as close to hell as I ever want to come.

I loved Phoenix. It's not for everyone. The weather is just not something everyone can get used to. Some communities are conservative, others liberal. The hiway system is a mess. Seems they looked at LA and thought their system was a good idea. If you can handle the commute, the places like far east Mesa and Chandler are great. Everything out there is pretty new, so it's just a pleasant atmosphere.

For me, I would take Phoenix. I like where I am now a close second.