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.”
My friends who were both native born Californians with native born kids moved to that area, and they love it, but they are Christian, conservative, freeper types and won’t contaminate Idaho.
“Kirk-N-dall”
ansel12 said,
That isn't what happened to California, what happened to California was the growth of Catholic and non-Protestant voters which turned California into a permanent blue state."
Yes but before that is what really mattered. It was the influx of people from back East mainly New York when they came the state allowed the influx of the others you are pointing out.
I’m an older Texan and I know that in the 1960s California roads were the toast of the nation.
California used to spend a lot on infrastructure, before it’s wealth was diverted to unions and welfare.
Well to be more accurate, you might point out that the growth of “Catholics” in California is largely fueled by the illegal Hispanic influx; people who are more likely to vote for the political party enabling their criminality, than because of any religious beliefs.
Similarly nationwide, Catholicism when viewed with raw statistical data suffers more than any other religion from inertia. That is, there are unfortunately huge numbers of people who were born (though not even necessarily raised) Catholic, who when forced to identify a religion on a survey, or some other statistical metric, still select Catholicism. They are no more Catholic than you.
You think that New Yorkers took over the California vote and passed the 1965 Immigration Act at the federal level?
That was what created this last 100 million people and it wasn’t done at the state level.
The Catholic vote is a democrat vote and always has been, they only went republican five times in our history and not by large margins, and only once against a democrat incumbent.
The democrats have only won the Protestant vote 3 times, 1932, 1936, and 1964.
Yep.
“I just hope we can keep from losing any more of it.”
####
Keep an eye on your big academic centers. Talentless Commie professors will move anywhere for the easy, non-demanding life; the protected satin pillow carried by better, more honest and productive people. Like you.
See North Carolina.
Bonus for TRUE Texans...
Houston
Austin
What I miss about Houston, is the clean cut street preachers, I liked running into them at the quick stops and parking lots.
I don’t think that I have ever run into to that here in California.
At some point, We the People, and hopefully a few liberty-minded tort attorneys, will be able to find professional politicians guilty of malpractice for the disastrous human and business consequences of their professional negligence.
And I’ll repeat again that “Catholic” is very often a meaningless label of habit.
These “Catholics” are as secular and non-practicing as many of the people who call them themselves Jews.
That applies to everyone and all denominations, a Jew says he is Jewish, a baptized Catholic who is counted as Catholic identifies himself as Catholic, and someone who merely mumbles Christian, not Catholic, who might not go to church or even be baptized into any church whatsoever, is put down as Protestant.
The answers, of course, are:
Houston - “Uston”
Austin - “that-gawdam-hippy-cesspool-bunch-a-dope-smokin-t-sip-loving-wierdos...makes-me-sick-jus-thinkin-bout-it”
I don’t know about College Station these days, it was conservative but it may be sliding but Austin ain’t called San FranAustin for nothing. If Austin isn’t a nest of Marxist vipers that rival Berkeley I don’t know what is.
Could be, I just remember that our loneliest RM or FM roads rivaled the best that neighboring states had to offer.
Please shut up, Mr. Root. Oh, and we also have the Franchise Tax here in Texas. Another reason NOT to come here.
Another test of a true Texan....what does the road designation “FM” stand for??
Farm ta’ Market ;)
Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.