Pittsburgh has a skyline second to none.
Posted on 04/22/2008 6:32:11 AM PDT by OESY
The latest number of Fortune magazine brings the news that more Fortune 500 companies — the largest American firms ranked by revenues — are now headquartered in Texas than in New York. An Associated Press dispatch datelined Dallas summed it up this way: "The Lone Star State passed New York as home to the most big companies in the latest list compiled by Fortune magazine. Texas now boasts 58 headquarters, three more than New York, the previous No. 1." The wire, not generally known as a font of supply-side economics, went on to report, "Business experts say it's a matter of simple economics — Texas attracts companies with its low taxes."
...It appears that 11 New York-based companies have either slipped down the Fortune list in the past 2 years or moved their headquarters elsewhere. Even the 55 headquarters listed in the city now, while an improvement from the 39 Fortune 500 companies based here in 2002, is a sharp, nearly catastrophic decline from the 140 Fortune 500 companies based here in 1955. Next year's list of New York-based companies may be even smaller; this year's roll includes Bear Stearns, which is being merged out of existence.
New York's top corporate tax rate is 7.5%. Texas doesn't even have a corporate income tax, just a gross receipts tax that, by the Tax Foundation's calculus, works out to the equivalent of a 1.6% income tax. The Tax Foundation ranked New York 48th in the country in business tax climate; Texas was eighth. The AP article carries a list of companies that used to be headquartered in New York but now make their homes in Texas, including Exxon, American Airlines, and J.C. Penney....
(Excerpt) Read more at nysun.com ...
The downside of this is we’re getting an influx of know-it-all northerners.
No state income tax and a whole bunch of big-headed,yet hard working Texans.
A lesson to the other 49,especially the retarded tax crazy leftist blue states.
I live in NY State - no need to tell us about high taxes and dysfunctional, socialistic bureaucracy here. The people are leaving just as fast as the companies.
Apparently its cheap to tag a vehicle in Texas too, considering the thousands of Kansans who have their vehicles tagged in Texas.
Beat me to it.
People higher up in corporations tend to be loyalists to the elite political class.
And heeere they come...
God bless Texas, she will need His blessings.
Florida has no state income tax either, and last I checked it was a Red state filled with hard working people.
And heeere they come...
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Maybe it’s part of Howard Dean’s 50 State strategy :)
Only takes a couple of months to turn them into naturalized Texans, especially the women.
They rebel at first, snapping at Texas gentlemen for opening doors for them. Before long, they see the benefits of being the fairer sex.
The transformation is complete when they become Mary Kay representatives, chasing that elusive pink Cadillac.
It takes Northern men a bit longer, at least until HS football kicks in...you know, the Friday Night Lights.
Seriously, immigrants learn quickly how friendly Texans are. Combine that with lower taxes, more reasonable housing costs, and infinitely better public schools. That's a winning combination.
The editorial could have gone on then to admonish all governmental entities that the lower taxes are, the lower the nut to private enterprise and the more private enterpise will be attracted. This is not rocket science.
Keep looking, though. There has been an outward net migration in the last couple of years - the casues are property taxes and insurance costs. The latter a result of the way the Fl. Citizens Ins Program is run, which is another form of taxation. Also, a number of snow birds move down and start voting as though they live in NY, NJ. - be careful, you might want to consider a quoto system for those types.
Advice for Foreigners in Texas
Don't expect to find filet mignon or pasta primavera at the local restaurant. It is a cafe. They serve hamburgers and chicken fried steak. Let them cook something they know. If you confuse them, they'll kick your ass.
Don't laugh at the names. (Merleen, Bubba, Bobby Ray, Curly, Tammy Lynn, Billy Joe, Bonnie Sue, Sissy, etc.) Or we will HAVE to kick your ass.
Do not order a bottle of "pop" or a can of "soda". Here in Texas it is allways called a coke. Nobody gives a damn whether it's Pepsi, RC, Dr. Pepper, 7-Up or whatever. It's still a coke. Accept it. Doing otherwise can lead to an ass kicking.
We know our heritage. Most of us are more literate than you (read some J. Frank Dobie). We are also better educated and generally a lot nicer than you. Don't refer to us as a bunch of cowboy hicks, or we'll kick your ass.
We have plenty of business sense (e.g., Howard Hughes, H. Ross Perot,Southwest Airlines, Dell computers). Naturally, sometimes we have small lapses in judgment (e.g., Charles Stenholm). However, we are not dumb enough to let someone move to our state just so they can run for the US Senate. If anyone tried to do that they'd get a serious ass kickin'.
Don't laugh at our Civil War monuments. If Lee had listened to Gen. Hood you'd be paying taxes to Richmond instead of Washington. If you visit the Alamo, take your hat off and be properly humble. Or else we'll kick your ass.
We are fully aware of how hot it gets and high the humidity is, so shut up about it. If you can't stand the heat get out of the kitchen, ...or we'll kick your ass.
Do not attempt to eat tamales without first removing their corn husk casing. Everyone will instantly know that you're a Yankee. DO NOT, under any circumstances, complain that the chili is TOO hot or contains no kidney beans. This will get your ass kicked into next week.
Do not talk about how much better things are at home because we know they are not. Many of us have visited Northern hell-holes like Detroit or Chicago. We have scars to prove it. If you don't like it here, Delta is ready when you are. Move your ass on home...before we kick it.
Yes, we know how to speak proper English. We talk this way because we don't want to sound like you. We don't care if you don't understand what we are saying. All other Texans understand what we are saying and that's all that matters. Now, go away, or we'll kick your ass.
Don't complain that certain areas of this state "smell" of oil. If your livelihood depended on those wells you'd soon learn to love the aroma. Besides, none of OUR lakes or rivers have caught fire recently. If you whine about OUR scenic beauty, we'll kick your ass all the way back to Pittsburgh, PA.
Don't ridicule our Texas manners. We say sir and ma'am. We hold doors open for others. We offer our seats to old folks. Such things are expected of civilized people. Behave yourselves around our sweet little gray-haired grandmothers. Or else they'll kick your ass-just like they did ours.
Don't think we're quaint or losers because most of us live in small towns. We do this because we have enough sense to not live in crime infested cesspools like Baltimore. Make fun of our small towns and we will kick your ass.
DO NOT DARE to tell us how to cook barbecue. This will get your ass shot, right after it is kicked. Criticize the barbecue and you may go home in a pine box, ...minus your ass.
Remember, the only reason you are lucky enough to be here in the first place is because we have not yet pulled the Border Patrol off the Rio Grande and put them on the Red River (where they really belong) ...to keep your ass out.
Enjoy your visit !!
That list is classic...especially the item about carpet bagging Senators.
I guess your post explains why we wear boots in Texas!
This Proud Texan forwarded this to entire email list.
I just hope we don’t get New Hampshire-ized. The good thing is there are a lot more of us. A whole bunch of yankees would have to move down here to have any effect.
You bet it is. We lived in Johnson County in Kansas for a while and paid a very high personal property tax on anything that required a tag - We don’t have that in Texas. Louisiana is even less expensive than Texas. $67 a year is all I pay for a 2006 Chrysler Convertible plus a $35 inspection fee!
I act like a know-it-all, but I keep that indoors, and not in legislative chambers.
Beautiful pic! You appear to be a proud resident of the Steel City...bravo!
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