My company is moving from California to...TEXAS

[Jack_Dawson]

Rick Perry would be my governor. Ted Cruz and John Cornyn my Senators.

Still hoping I'm going to wake up. Any "It gets better" messages from a Texan would be pretty cool.

On the plus side maybe I can vote for Wendy Davis, voter ID permitting.

[JI7]

1. why are they moving to texas ? taxes ?

[Jack_Dawson]

3. It's more "business friendly"

[Initech]

34. Lewis Black completely destroyed this theory on the Daily Show a couple months ago.

Here's the clip from the official Daily Show website: http://www.thedailyshow.com/watch/wed-july-17-2013/back-in-black---new-york-vs--texas

[defacto7]

56. That's a fact.

The problem is most companies/investors/owners/board-members still are running on archaic, false information driven into them for the last 30 years. Old (not so old) ways die hard. For the betterment of us all those ways had better die.

[cyberswede]

71. Must be a "right to work" state

[pampango]

89. It is. R2W is the biggest threat to American unions. Companies get to break/avoid unions while

keeping the support of the US legal system, transportation network and business culture.

[Generic Other]

106. Why can't they stage wildcat strikes?

There has to be some way to get around such ridiculous laws.

Are there no unions in right to work states at all?

[former9thward]

125. Unions can be formed in all of the 50 states.

Right to work simply means you can't be compelled to join a union as a condition of employment.

[tammywammy]

133. Yes, there are unions in Texas

The GM plant in Arlington, Texas is represented by the UAW. Also, Triumph Aircraft in Grand Prairie is also UAW and under negotiations now. They've voted to strike, but haven't gone on strike yet.

Also, it was big in the news quite a while ago, Lockheed Martin Aeronautics in Fort Worth the union was on strike for quite a while - it was over a month at least.

See, Texas has unions AND they actually go on strike.

edited to add: Even where I work there are represented and non-represented employees.

[TexasProgresive]

95. Like for-freeking-ever. n/t

[Decaffeinated]

83. Depends on the type of business...

[Ganja Ninja]

128. That's code for "It's easier to fuck over our employees." n/t

[liberal N proud]

2. Look at it this way...

You will be helping turn Texas blue.

[Jack_Dawson]

8. That's the only thing keeping me going...

[kelliekat44]

79. If this keeps up, Texas will surely be blue in the next 10 years. But it is important to know what

voting districts these new businesses will be building. They will be attracting new workers...hence new voters and may infiltration of some of those gerrymandered areas will take place.

[MissMillie]

98. That's what I was thinking

Whenever I volunteer to help candidates, I usually go one state over to a "purple" state (my state is solidly blue) so that I feel like my efforts might actually make a difference.

[Liberal_in_LA]

4. omg

[Jack_Dawson]

5. You're not kidding

[Nay]

104. Jesus, you poor thing. I live in Richmond, VA and need to cry and

drink in order to live here, too. Thank god for a few good friends and family. Otherwise, this place is a wasteland.

My complete and total sympathy. I hope you are moving to or near Austin, which is very liberal. If you can access Austin regularly, you won't be nearly as upset.

[aristocles]

6. In March Forbes ranked Texas as the 9th Most Businees Friendly State

California ranked 48th.

[Jack_Dawson]

11. There were states more unfriendly than CA?

What were they? Just curious.

[aristocles]

12. New Jersey was 49 and New York was 50

[KamaAina]

18. Hawai'i was ahead* of Cali?

The "People's Republic of Hawaii"? That's what Forbes calls them.

[aristocles]

22. OK, here's a link to the Forbes article

http://www.forbes.com/sites/mikepatton/2013/03/31/the-most-and-least-business-friendly-states/|

[on point]

111. The abbreviation is Calif. Cali is in Mexico

[KamaAina]

146. Actually, it's in Colombia

and "Cali" is hip-hop slang for the Golden State.

[JDPriestly]

74. The Wall Street state was #50?????

That list is worthless.

California is a great state in which to do business. But housing (and therefore necessarily wages are probably higher than Texas) and out climate and geography make polluting our environment a huge no-no. The West Coast backs right up against the Sierras and the mountains trap pollution in the valleys between the ocean and the western Sierras. Manufacturing businesses that create a lot of dirt don't like our rules, but we have to have them if we want to breathe.

on the other hand, our ports are really handy and people are friendly and good in California. It's a great place to live.

[stevenleser]

112. That has nothing to do with the laws here. NY is not a right to work state for one.

NY is very worker friendly.

[Hong Kong Cavalier]

123. Agreed. That list is shit.

"Business friendly" = no taxes and no regulations.

So the companies can run rampant, not pay a dime to the state for even being there, and be irresponsible and let their fertilizer plants blow up because they don't have to do a damn thing to safeguard against that kind of thing.

Most likely also "at will" work states, which means almost no protections for employees' rights.

[KellyW]

134. All the top states have no income tax

My State, Washington is ahead of Texas on this list, we have no state income tax. But we have a crippling B&O tax that makes starting a bizz, very challenging. However, the leg just had a special session to give Boeing a 9 billion dollar tax break. WA may be a good state for big business, but for small businesses, not so much...

[Hong Kong Cavalier]

135. Interesting how the article won't point that out, isn't it?

Seems like they'll give the house away for major businesses but not for the little guy.

Minnesota's doing great, even with a state income tax. Our unemployment is low, we're hiring like mad, and we have a Democratic governor and legislature.

Then...if you look at Wisconsin next door...Scott Walker and the Republicans there have trashed their state into the mud.

Granted, it's only been three years into each governor's term, but the results are rather startling.

So again, I contend that the list in Forbes is crap.

[bhikkhu]

13. At some point they might have to figure for educated and healthy employees

Neither of which Texas is supporting.

[Luminous Animal]

42. Which means that, in terms of their economy, the 9th most likely to

treat their citizen workers like crap.

[Arugula Latte]

130. Wow, that's so great for Texans. The people there have the chance to get blown up by

unregulated fertilizer factories. Darn those pesky governmental rules!

[Thinkingabout]

7. The voter does not have a big problem if you register to vote and your Texas DL has the

Same name, in fact the voter registration records indicated if the names match. Now especially since you mentioned voting for Wendy Davis the Democrats of Texas welcome you. Hope your move goes well.

[Jack_Dawson]

10. Awesome - so where can I find blue people to hang with?

I'm going to need it.

[aristocles]

14. No brainer - Austin

[Paladin]

90. Update your information. Austin lost its coolness factor a while back.

Godawful traffic, obscene real estate prices, snotty technocrats everywhere, awash in obnoxious tourists seeking The Austin Experience, and plenty of conservatives. Speaking as a lifelong Texan, I'd opt for Houston or San Antonio.

[rdking647]

94. i live in austin

yes traffic here sucks but its no worse than new york or chicago,both places i lived
real estate is cheaper than it was in madison wisconsin or the chicago suburbs
austinites are anything but snotty
most of texas is jealous of austin

[Paladin]

114. I grew up in Austin.

If you think it's good now, you should have seen it in the 1970's, back before Dell, back before The Austin Experience, back when Barton Springs was still clear, back before so many of my Austin friends turned into cranky old conservatives. I know whereof I speak on this. Jealous of Austin? Yeah, I'll try to keep that in mind, next time I'm stuck in the parking lot formerly known as the stretch of I-35 going through the Capitol City......

[kentauros]

160. Really, you can't compare real estate prices in Austin with other states.

The complaint here is that it's more expensive to live in Austin than anywhere else in the state of Texas. It used to not be that way, either.

As Paladin said, in the 70s as well as the early 80s, real estate prices were reasonable. I do understand that to people from out of the state, they'd call them bargain-basement prices, but again, we're talking about how we in the state see things.

Here's an example of how out of hand real estate has gotten from personal experience.

My parents bought a fix-me-up bungalow house on Ave C (off Lamar or Guadalupe, I can't remember; I'll let the natives correct that in the mid-70s for about $80k, maybe a little less. It was for my brothers when they were going to UT instead of staying in dorms, and it stayed in the family until my sister finished at UT as well. When they sold the house, either in the late-90s or early 00s, it went for over $300k. That's a 2-bedroom, 2-bath, with a utility room we built onto the back.

Again, people from out of the state will probably see that price as a bargain, and it's probably worth at least $400k by now if not even more. But, that's way too much for the rest of us here.

[catrose]

178. still better than the rest of Tx eom

[Paladin]

190. You're certainly entitled to your opinion, wrong though it may be. (nt)

[kentauros]

19. All of the major cities in Texes are purple to blue.

Only Corpus Christie remains red for some odd reason.

Personally, there are reasons too numerous to mention for liking Texas. The first might be to come here without preconceived ideas of how "bad" we are That'll go a long way in making friends

Also, look at some of the free newspapers depending on which city you'll be in, such as The Dallas Observer, The Austin Chronicle, and The Houston Press. I don't know what free weekly papers there are for Fort Worth, San Antonio, Corpus, or Brownsville, so you'll have to find those elsewhere. Post in the Texas group if you haven't already for more advice

You might want to have a look at Texas Highways for further research.

[Jack_Dawson]

26. I love Friday Night Lights

It is one of the best shows ever, and was shot in and around Austin and it really clicked with me. Agree with you a good attitude is essential.

I'm not anti-Texas...I've traveled there many times with other jobs. It's a nice enough place if you like humidity and ice storms (my personal experiences) - but would be so grateful to meet my fellow Dems.

I think I've watched too much Maddows and assume there are more Louie Gohmerts and Joe Bartons than maybe there are?

[kentauros]

31. I've never watched Friday Night Lights, but I do like Kyle Chandler.

And if you've ever watched King of the Hill, it is the epitome of East Texas

That's good that you know not to have an attitude with us. Some of the posts on this thread show me that some folks still haven't learned that simple rule of life.

I do strongly suggest you post this in the Texas group so you can make contacts there. While I live in Houston, I think a majority of the Texans on DU live in Austin or Central Texas.

As for there being more Gohmerts and Bartons than may truly exist statewide, I don't know. What's interesting to me is, at least in Houston, I haven't met a lot of people like that. The hard-core RW types are easy to discover and relatively easy to avoid or ignore. And unless you have to talk politics, you can get along with most everyone.

Oh, one thing important about Houston: we're considered one of the top cities in the country for diversity

[Jack_Dawson]

36. I like Houston!

Except for the stifling humidity. But of course I stayed at the St. Regis which had a car drive me around to the restaurants and such (Smith & Wollensky?). I almost bought a condo there but was kind of spooked that downtown was so dead (guess everyone was in that underground city...i.e. "Crazy Heart&quot . Also found the zoning ordinances curious...houses situated next to skyscrapers. There were three downtowns that I could count just staring at the horizon. But I have nothing against anyone or anything in Texas - except for Cruz, Perry, Gohmert, Cornyn and Barton, and whomever else I can't think of at the moment.

It won't be Houston, but would like to become friends regardless.

And, you should absolutely watch the FNL pilot (S1: E1). If you hate it, stop watching.

JD

[kentauros]

41. I'll look for the pilot show online then.

And I loved Kyle in Early Edition. If only CBS would release the other two seasons! Just let me know when you're visiting and we'll go have some of the best falafel anywhere

Well, there's a few of us here in Houston, including the woman that does the Juanita Jean blog (she's in Sugarland, formerly Tom Delay's district.) And Sugarland is getting a large portion of Houston's Indian population. There's a great Hindu temple in Pearland, a local city that used to be the sister redneck city to Pasadena (it's still a redneck city.)

When did you look at the condos downtown (that's the original downtown, mind you)? And yes, Houston has at least three "downtowns" that you can see, though you could possibly add the ones over the horizon, such as the Woodlands and NASA. The three you saw were the original downtown, where most of the skyscrapers are, then the Galleria area, and the Texas Medical Center (it is almost its own city of 100,000 people.)

Oh, Metro has added another leg to the lightrail, going from downtown further north, but I don't think it goes to the airport. I'll have to look it up. It's worth a ride, and I've used it to get to shows and such downtown or at other stops (like the museum district.)

As I've lived her all of my life, the "lack" of zoning doesn't bother me. To most of us Houstonians, it's part of our character and we like it. The outer suburbs either zone or are pre-planned and I've always found them quite sterile in character.

[Jack_Dawson]

72. Here you go...hopefully you have Netflix

Just watch..."Pilot"

https://movies.netflix.com/WiMovie/Friday_Night_Lights/70136125?trkid=2734329

[kentauros]

159. Thank you :)

I do have Netflix, so I'll add it to my queue. I'm watching Soap, House, Twin Peaks, and the Star Wars cartoon now, so I may have to push it up in my queue

[Laura PourMeADrink]

86. so - where will you be ???

[Tx4obama]

59. Fort Worth/Tarrant County is still red

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/United_States_presidential_election_in_Texas,_2012

Our big blue cities/counties are: Austin/Travis, Dallas/Dallas, Houston/Harris, El Paso, San Antonio - to name a few

[kentauros]

61. While your link does detail actual numbers, I was going on this visual map of the same election:

http://politicker.com/2012/11/the-purple-election-map/


DFW looks awfully blue by that account
Even Beaumont/Port Arthur looks to be turning blue!

[Tx4obama]

62. Fort Worth is in Tarrant County and Dallas is in Dallas County - different counties

Tarrant County light red and Dallas County light blue



https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Texas_presidential_election_results_2012.svg

[kentauros]

66. Yes, I know,

but the map I gave goes further with population densities per county. There's more detail to show how people voted even within counties.

And quoted from the site I linked:

To create his map, Mr. Howard said he used “the actual numbers of votes for each party overlaid with population maps from Texas Tech University and other sources.”

[PoliticAverse]

28. Look for these guys...

[Blue_Roses]

53. A lot of us are blue in the DFW area

Welcome! We need more blue people!

[bvar22]

139. Where can you find "blue people" to hang with?

That is really easy. They are everywhere, even in the most rural areas.
People have this fantasy that The South is 100% KKK Racist Conservative.
Truth is, most of the South, even Texas, is just a few percentage points from being Blue.

Start here:
*Check in with the DU Texas Group

*Join your local Democratic Party

*Hang at a few coffee shops or bookstores

*Watch your local paper for events, lectures, public appearances, and protests that would attract Liberals

**Frequent your local Farmer's Market
(You will find a few "Libertarians" here,
but most people concerned with the quality of our food are Liberals.)

We are EVERYWHERE, even in Texas.

In 2006, my wife & I moved from a Big Blue Northern City to very RED, rural area in Arkansas to grow our own food and live as sustainably and green as possible. We had no problem finding like minded Liberals in our area. One out of three people back up in these old mountains voted for "the black guy" in 2008.

Texas, and The South, is beautiful.
It is a shame to just give it away to conservatives who can't appreciate it.


In general, you will find whatever you are looking for.
If you are looking for reasons to hate Texas, you will find them.
If you are looking for reasons to love this state, you will find those too.
It will be exactly what you make it to be.

Bill Moyers
Ann Richards
Jim Hightower
LBJ
Molly Ivins
Barbara Jordan
ALL great Liberals

This guy too:

[font size=1]Unidentified Liberal outside the Governor's Mansion in Texas[/font]

Good Luck with your new adventure in Texas.

[Gothmog]

143. You left off Juanita Jean

Check out the worlds most dangerous hair salon http://www.juanitajean.com/

The author of this blog is a friend and her husband is the county chair of my county Democratic Party

[Tanuki]

9. What city in Texas? And from what city in California? n/t

[thevoiceofreason]

15. Once you get your TDL you will be fine

And WELCOME!!!!!

We need more good folks like you. The resistance may not be as vocal as it needs to be, but we are much stronger than we are given credit for. Join your local democratic group. If you are coming to H-town, give me a shout and I'll get you lined up. Briong friends - folks who can talk about first hand experiences with a democratic (grown-up) administration.

[Gothmog]

138. Once you have a TDL, you will have no problems

Be sure to bring a birth certificate with you. It is very hard to get a TDL without a birth certificate

[thevoiceofreason]

16. And we have no state income taxes.

Of course, that leads to a whole bunch of problems too . . .

[seabeyond]

65. ya. insurance rate and property taxes getcha. lol. nt

[Tikki]

17. We have two family members who moved with a company from the Seattle area to tx.

They and their families (preteens & teens) have been there 4 and 5 years.
They would move back to Washington State in a heartbeat.

When my husband's work moved 45 miles one way from where we lived and he had worked
we had to make a decision.

He had already been with the company 18 years..and the company's relocation would mean a carpool and 90 miles
each work day for 12 years until retirement.

We chose to do that. But if we would have had to move to tx and with teens, I don't know.

The family members who are now in tx travel to the Pacific Coast and elsewhere as much as
possible…it's a seeing the Mountains and Ocean thing.

Will they leave before retirement? They haven't decided..

Anyway..whatever you decide…Good Luck and Dems can have fun just about anywhere.

The Tikkis

[KamaAina]

20. The aforementioned Rick Perry was out here earlier this year

trolling for employers willing to do just that.

[Blue_In_AK]

21. I'm so sorry.

I lived down there through high school and college. I've been back a couple of times since but have absolutely NO desire to ever make that trip again. I really can't stand Texas.


Ed. Kentauros and I have had long debates about this.

[Art_from_Ark]

25. I would go back to Big Bend National Park

I love that place.

[Blue_In_AK]

30. Well, yes, as long as you don't have to deal with any people.

Just kidding (sort of). My husband and I are both in touch with high school "friends" on Facebook. I graduated in 1964 and he in '67. My friends aren't terribly awful - in fact, a couple of them are actually Democrats - but his are absolutely bonkers when it comes to anything Obama, so bad that he's had to unfriend several of them.

I'm sure many younger people in Texas are probably fine - just stay away from the old ones.

[Laura PourMeADrink]

23. Switch jobs ! Now. I wish I could tell you "it gets better"

but I can not. It is a horrible place with a bunch of anti-intellectuals
who don't have a clue about what is going on in the world.

do not leave CA......simply do not.


you would be better off on welfare - seriously

[Jack_Dawson]

27. Thank you for making me laugh out loud for real

[Laura PourMeADrink]

84. JD - I am serious ! Don't go. You will be going from an enlightened place to

a non-enlightened place.

[snooper2]

105. LOL, so you are telling him to screw it, be a beach bum, take welfare

instead of moving forward with his life LOL

Come on down to Dallas and I'll have one of the bartenders at Gas Monkey Bar and Grill pour you a drink...

You'll have a BLAST!

[DisgustipatedinCA]

55. I moved away from CA and regretted it. It was financially difficult to come back.

But it was worth it--coming back. I don't want to leave again.

[HereSince1628]

81. Nah, you confused Yell County Arkansas with Texas.

But don't worry about that, it's an easy mistake to make

[ScreamingMeemie]

24. Screamingmeemie would be your neighbor.

I don't know if you look at that as a positive. If you move to the Houston area, Annise Parker--a Democratic woman who is also an out lesbian who recently signed spousal benefits for everyone into law--would be your mayor. Here in Houston, at least, it's a diverse community with lots of Dems. I have found there is less racism here than in my northern (MI) neighborhood. In fact my neighborhood is pretty evenly spread among a wide range of races, religions, and cultures.

[PassingFair]

141. More Michigan bashing from you!

[ScreamingMeemie]

144. ...

[Niceguy1]

29. Texas isn't that bad

it's one of those things where life is what you make it. If you try to make the best out of it then you're more likely to be happy. If You go in bad attitude you're more likely to be miserable.

[Laura PourMeADrink]

85. I hear where you are coming from - BUT to me, it is like sticking your head in the sand and

making believe you don't care about anything important in the world.

[KatyMan]

150. Not true.

Not trying to change things and make a difference is. We need Dems here and Party money.

The over-generalization that goes on around here regarding Texas is ridiculous, especially considering the proto-fascist states like Wisconsin and Michigan. Why do they get a pass?

[Control-Z]

32. All I can offer is

my condolences. Sorry. That's all I've got. But it is heartfelt.

[dflprincess]

33. Are the corporate wheels moving there as well

or just making the the worker bees go?

Years ago 3M transferred a number of Minnesota jobs from here to Austin because of the alleged horrible business climate in Minnesota. (But kept it's headquarters here, though it is incorporated in Delaware.)

At the time Curt Carlson (of Carlson Companies) took a number of local business wheels to task wanting to know why, if they thought South Dakota and Texas were such fantastic places, they didn't move there with the jobs they were sending out of state.

[bluestate10]

68. States offer perks to companies that offer to bring jobs. The companies avoid taxes, but

other than jobs, they contribute nothing else to their new state. Executives don't move because they want their children educated in top schools. States that fund good public education ALSO have the best private academies or boarding schools and more diverse economies.

What I see in regards to companies that move jobs for tax reasons is that almost all of them are dying companies whose executives are out of the innovative ideas that cause companies to grow and prosper via operations. Those companies will continue to move to cheaper cost of operation locales, first Texas and the south, then to a cheap offshore location where they can pay slave wages.

[texanwitch]

35. I lived here most of my life, it isn't the horrible place you are making it.

I was born here, a many generation Texan.

You can make your life here great or sad.

We are not all rednecks down here, Houston as a female gay mayor.

This is her third term in office.

Now you will have to buy a cowboy hat and boots.

You will have to get a pickup truck and learn to say y'all the proper way.

We have Shiner beer and great bbq.

That is about it.

Welcome to Texas and enjoy yourself.

We need more democrats.

If you are not moving to Austin try to visit there.

Houston is a ok place to live also.

Our weather isn't so bad, it is rather nice except for summer.

It is a little cold right now, but we don't have steady cold like a lot of other places.

Give Texas a chance.

[Jack_Dawson]

40. Not trying to paint w/ a broad brush

But all things being equal - California v. Texas would be a major culture shock. That said, I've had positive experiences w/ Texas - see my discussion w/ kentauros earlier in thread. And thank you for the welcome! Means a lot. It's not sure yet a move would be required, but the rumours seem to strongly suggest so.

[texanwitch]

43. I was just playing with you.

You don't need the boots and hat, just the pickup truck.

Texas is a cool state.

Austin is the best, hope you move there.

With any luck Perry won't be here much longer.

The heat might be a bit much to get used to.

Make sure your ac works in the your car.

Welcome again.

[ananda]

47. Yeah, Austin rocks!

We're very radical here, funky and weird.

And we're working really hard to turn Texas blue!

[texanwitch]

50. Best city in Texas.

In two years maybe I can move there.

[hamsterjill]

78. Well put!

From another life long Texan I send my welcome to the OP. We will take all of the help we can get to turn Texas BACK to blue.

Come on down to San Antonio. We've got basketball, good Mexican food, and most importantly, the Castro Brothers and Wendy.

[kentauros]

162. San Antonio is a lovely town.

I haven't been there in ages. We used go to New Braunfels every summer for Camp Warneke and to visit family out in the country (it's probably no longer the country now.) Gruene was a nice little town to visit, too

SA is also home to the USAF training base, hospital and burn center, and I think they still have the maintenance base for all the (still flying!) B-52s. So, if military is important to some folks, SA is a military town to some extent.

[texanwitch]

174. I love San Antonio.

If I couldn't live in Austin, San Antonio is second on my list.

Great Mexican food.

We will be hearing great things about the Castro brothers.

Also Governor Wendy.

[northoftheborder]

177. Yes - my favorite Tx city after Austin, is San Antonio! (I live near there now).

Great Mexican food, barbecue, steeped in early, early history, cost of living less than Austin or Dallas, and lots of Democrats!!! (The Castro Brothers and Letitia Van de Putte!) If you step foot out of Bexar County, you'll step in blood red territory, but there are Dems out here too, too, just have to look for them, and they will welcome you with open arms!!!!

In my opinion, the worst thing about Texas (despite some ignorant politicians) is the heat in the summer. Make sure your car has sturdy AC, and your house, and you can run between it and your car and wherever else is AC in the summer. Winters are not bad, except in West Texas.

[dem in texas]

37. Plenty of Dems in Dallas

I live in Oak Cliff and had to meet a lady over in Plano who recently moved to Texas from New York. This was before the election and she saw my Obama-Biden bumper sticker and she gave me a hug. She said I was the first Democrat she'd seen since she moved to Texas. I told her she needs to come over to Oak Cliff, plenty of Dems there.

[ananda]

48. I'm from Oak Cliff.

My family lived there for many years.

We were living in South Oak Cliff, Druid Hills,
when Kennedy was assassinated.

[TheDebbieDee]

38. You have my deepest sympathies!

[renate]

39. remember that's where Molly Ivins was from!

Plus I bet your paycheck is going to go a LOT further there than it did in California.

[Jack_Dawson]

58. True that

[Tikki]

75. Kind of depends are where you live in CA and where you will be living in Tx...

We live just off the So Cal Coast…our heating and cooling costs are very minimal.
No air-conditioner ever needed. No snow. No special seasonal clothes, car prep,
house prep.
We garden year round, gas prices are now lower and travel to different scenery,
elevations and activities is close.
Property taxes can be low in CA because of prop 13 and community colleges are still inexpensive.

I can find you a big house in CA for near equivalent price as Tx, just probably not along the Pacific Coast.

It is all relative.



Tikki

[MicaelS]

44. Homes are cheap in Texas, compared to California.

You will be able to afford a very nice house here. In fact you will probably be shocked to find just how much house you will get for your money.

[rppper]

45. The Brazoria beaches used to be nicer....

Than the beaches at Galveston....Brazoria didn't get tar balls that wash up on Galveston...we used to carry a can of gas and rags to get the tar off our feet at Galveston.

I grew up in the Clear creek area between Houston and Galveston island, and the Longview metroplex in east Texas...there is a lot of really entertaining things to do and a lot of genuinely nice people there that would give you the shirts off of their backs...just keep politics, religion and money out of the dinner table conversation...

[kentauros]

57. Good advice on what topics to avoid in conversation.

Some people might think we're burying our heads in the sand, but it's just polite to not talk about things that start arguments. Nobody likes that here.

And Clear Creek, you say? I went to high school there

[rppper]

80. Small world!

I used to live on the league city side and went to clear creek elementary...you could almost walk from one side of it to the other way back in the mid 70s. I also lived in Alvin Texas for a stretch.

That advice was given to me by my very Texan, very liberal mother! It's kept the peace at many family gatherings...

[kentauros]

157. Indeed!

Especially considering the time we went to school there (late 70s for me at CCHS.) I had a lot of friends in League City, including one family that lived walking distance from the school, right at the end of Texas Ave. I think it's a doctor's office now. The funny thing about their house is it was full of antiques, always a mess, and their father was head of the health department for Galveston county!

I just had to learn how not to talk to some folks on my own. Not that I wasn't polite (don't ask my parents that question ) just that some people get into arguments over those subjects as passionately as they take high school and college football here. Luckily, I was in marching band and didn't care about the games we were at, so that passion never sunk in

[rppper]

198. Ahhhhh....Friday night lights!

The mojo! What that movie didn't tell is how everyone outside Midland/Odessa wanted them to lose...Dallas-Carter were Heroes!

[Recursion]

46. Texas can be a great place, depending on where you are

The D/FW area is nice, so are Austin and San Antonio. I like Houston less. And I really like Amarillo, though it hurts my ears the way people pronounce it there (Am-uh-rill-oh).

[ananda]

49. In so many ways I love Houston, but..

.. I couldn't take the weather.

Houston is very diverse and has a great art and culture scene.

Austin has much better weather, but it isn't nearly so interesting.

[texanwitch]

52. Funny, I find Houston so boring.

When I get to move to Austin, I will never leave.

Houston is diverse.

I rather live in Austin.

[Laura PourMeADrink]

87. What makes me sick about Houston is the absolute excess in highways and cars - like they

were never forward thinking enough to even consider "mass transit". It is an insane mess. It is not pretty.
It is a sweat box most of the year. The only good things - you can get to the ocean in less than an hour
and the older area near Rice is pretty

[KamaAina]

161. Tom DeLay used to lobby against mass transit projects for his own district

so they're just now getting started.

[texanwitch]

173. Austin has a great bus system.

I ride the buses when I am in Austin.

Y'all have a good system.

Easy to use.

The summer ended early this year, I turned of the ac in September.

Rice is pretty.

There is no real respect for old buildings in Houston, just tear them down.

We lost a 97 year old school, just for more townhouses.

Austin is the best city in Texas..

Let me win the lottery and I am there tomorrow.

[snooper2]

107. The cool thing about Houston is you can drive right by and miss it!

Is that Houston honey?

Oh, no, that's just a low flying cloud, that can't be a city

[KatyMan]

148. ?

that makes no sense

[snooper2]

152. :)

[gopiscrap]

51. my condolences to you

[Skittles]

54. I am VERY sorry

[Cleita]

60. How about the fact that there are going to be

a lot of liberal voters moving in, something they didn't think about.

[Ilsa]

63. The weather mostly SUCKS almost everywhere in Tx.

The heat is dreadful and goes on forever. I hope your boss regrets it. I doubt his bottom line will improve that much.

But the democrats in Texas are cool people.

[kentauros]

67. Well, the weather sucks right now because it's COLD and wet.

It will be much nicer when it's back in the 80s again (temp AND humidity.)

[Ilsa]

142. Yes, and a good cold snap helps kill

Little nasty critters, and since Texas weather doesn't often permit good rain in warm weather, you have to be grateful for it when you can get it.

Texas weather sucks. I hate endless blistering summers.

[KatyMan]

149. The heat's great.

I love Houston in the summer. Not drought heat, that's something different, but regular old hot and humid is great. I have no issue with it.

[Ilsa]

156. I hate it. my garden hates it, what used to

be my lawn hates it. My hair hates it. It's too hot for backpacking. The only decent recreation is in a swimming pool. Too many snakes in the rivers and streams which are too crowded. No, there are far more pleasant places to be than Texas in any season.

[Rstrstx]

179. Sounds like you're fighting the climate

You should learn to enjoy it or at the very least work around it. No, snakes aren't going to rush in and bite you to death if you step in the water. And if your garden is suffering it's because you're choosing the wrong plants.

I'd suggest checking out a website such as this if you want a nice garden:

http://www.penick.net/digging/

Pam embraces the Austin climate instead of fighting it and it makes all the difference in the world.

[Ilsa]

182. My personal preferences take priority over

My garden. I hate the heat. It is too hot and it lasts too long. Winter, Autumn, and Spring are too short. I don't like wearing tank tops in January.

I grew up in it too. Didn't like it then, either. I prefer north Texas to the coast, but work has us in the south for now. Hubby and I have lived in other places and we rate texas last of all of the places we've lived, collectively. But we are planning a move to a more variable climate, one without as many water problems, as we get closer to retirement. We want four seasons .

[Rstrstx]

187. To each their own

Personally I like a tropical climate with zero cold but live and let live.

[kentauros]

158. We had a pretty wet summer this year, though.

Plus we had two major hail storms, which is unusual. And, we had no hurricanes, or even tropical storms, also unusual.

Some people are just acclimated to the heat and humidity here better than others. I don't mind sweating a little because I hate shivering. Cold weather has its benefits (such as killing off all the little insects we hate) yet it makes me miserable. I end up staying inside mostly until I can't take it and have to get out for an hour. Even then "getting out" is in my car or at a restaurant where it's still nice and toasty

[Rstrstx]

77. Well there is Alpine

And similar high-altitude climates of far West Texas, they're hard to beat unless you're like me and can't stand chilly nights. Too bad nobody lives out there.

For me this week's weather down here in the southland is harder to take than a summer day; if we didn't get such a good rain out of it I'd be howling in protest. When your wardrobe consists of shorts, light T-shirts, crocs, more shorts, sandals, swim trunks, and more light shirts (did I mention shorts?) the reality check of a rare extended winter blast bites hard.

[Ilsa]

145. Not a lot of opportunity in Alpine unless

that's where Perry convinced the companies to move to.

[Rstrstx]

169. Nah, I've heard of some people retiring there

Or working at Sul Ross, that's about it

[kentauros]

163. I had to laugh at your wardrobe description

because it's so true!

Although I do wear long jeans because my legs ain't so beautiful. I wear shorts indoors mostly (except at restaurants which seem to think we're all from up north or something!)

[cbayer]

64. The food is better, that's for sure.

And having lived in SoCal until just recently, I would say that the people are more real.

One of the things I found in SoCal is that people aren't really interested in you. They are only interested in what you might be able to do for them.

The politics are changing and perhaps you can be a cog in that wheel.

[Jack_Dawson]

70. Interesting perspective - thx

And don't disagree with SoCal ambivalence.

[walkingman]

69. Bring all of

your friends. The more people we get from the left coast the sooner we rid ourselves of these backwoods hicks that have dominated our great state since GWB. The key to Texas turning BLUE is education - we still have a lot of "flat earthers" in rural Texas.

Peace

[Tierra_y_Libertad]

73. Texas: The place you can look the farthest and see the least.

[Justitia]

76. Stick to the major cities, I have lived in all of them. Houston is home now & I love it!

Houston is the 4th largest city in the country, very diverse (great food!), has the largest arts district outside NYC.
There is always stuff going on and politics within the city is amenable to we Democrats.
Largest medical ctr in the world - this became important to me due to several loved ones becoming very ill.
If you ever get sick, Houston is where you want to be - no joke.

The other cities have their charms, but I'm a city girl, so Houston is my forever home (with forays to all the other ones)!

Our politics currently suck ass, but otherwise great state and we're working on that pesky issue.

[Gothmog]

82. I work in Houston and live in Fort Bend County

There are plenty of good democrats and liberals to hang out with

[KatyMan]

147. Same here!

Did you know Fort Bend is the most ethnically diverse county in America ("according to analysis of U.S. Census data by Rice University Kinder Institute for Urban Research.", from the Houston Chronicle).
Our area is very walkable, lots of parks and trails, great shopping, the best Italian restaurant outside of Italy (Da Vinci's )...it's a fine place to live.

[Gothmog]

151. It is a fine place to live

I am active with the Fort Bend Democrats but have visited the Katy Democrats a couple of times.

[DanTex]

88. Abandon all hope!

Actually, it depends on where you're going. I used to live in Austin. Austin's a great town, college town, liberal, and there are a lot of people there from out of state. I probably wouldn't want to live in any other part of TX (in fact, having lived in NYC for a few years now, I wouldn't go back to Austin either), but if you stick to major cities you should be OK.

Wherever you end up, get ready for some really hot summers. Good luck!

[Laura PourMeADrink]

91. I have heard people say that Austinites are "too full of themselves" - it is not the true

liberalism like up north or CA - where it is so visceral. But, guess for TX it's the best place.

[DanTex]

93. I can see where they are coming from on both counts.

It's definitely the best place in TX, at least IMO. But it's not the same kind of liberalism as in say Boston or San Francisco, where there's much more of a liberal tradition ingrained in the society. Also, despite being very liberal, I would say the people in Austin as a whole care less about politics, versus the northeast or CA. And, unlike the northeast/west coast, Austin is a liberal oasis surrounded by deep red, which is very noticeable.

Thing about Austin, it's a very young and new town -- at least the current version of it is. It's grown explosively in the last 20 or 30 years -- the Austin of 40 years ago bears very little resemblance to what is there now (at least that's what I'm told). This is unlike NYC, Boston, SF, LA, etc., which, while they grow and change, have much longer histories.

[Laura PourMeADrink]

97. Yes. I don't know too much about CA's liberal background...but I know the northeast. My theory

has always been that we are so tolerant because we were all different. Everyone's grandparents came from
another country. There also is a wide range of religions - jews, catholics, and protestants mixed together
in the populations.

In my experience, in Texas - most everyone's family goes back many many generations here - that they rarely even mention any foreign ancestry. And, most everyone is protestant. So, it is more homogeneous - and it manifests itself - "them against everyone else who is different."

Some things are hard to put your finger on - but if you want to really experience a difference - go to a Yankee or Red Sox game and then go to a Texas Rangers game. Night and day. I went to one and a group of displaced NYers were there taunting the hell out of A-Rod. I thought it was fantastically funny - but the people there were just appalled.

[DanTex]

100. That also manifests itself in the kind of conservatism you find.

In NYC, for example, there's so much diversity in terms of race, religion, nationality, sexual orientation, whatever, and the kind of conservatism you find is the businesslike "social liberal economically conservative" thing that you find a lot of in the mainstream media. Whereas in Texas, you definitely get the whole tea party, Obama's not one of us, stay away from my guns stuff.

[Laura PourMeADrink]

103. So true. And, your statement about Obama not being "one of us", IMO goes

even deeper than that. They hate black people. I know that because I am here now -unfortunately - and I hear the jokes and slurs all the time (even though most people know me and hide it a lot when I am around) And, in more public situations - they hide the racism by blaming it on everything else under the sun and pick his every move apart. It just made me so sorry for him - how between this racism and the total and utter republican obstructionism - he probably never had a chance to be beloved by all.

[Paladin]

115. And that's why 3.3 million Texans voted for Obama, last time around. (nt)

[Paladin]

92. Keep something in mind when reading the responses on this thread.

DU is chock full of rabid Texas Haters, people who will tell you that Texas is a third world country when they've never even been here. People who proclaim that Austin is the only cool place in Texas, once again based on absolutely no personal experience whatsoever (see my comments on Austin, up-thread). We definitely have more than our share of right wing assholes, but that's changing, and it's fun being part of that change. Best wishes from a fifth-generation Texas Democrat.

[Redford]

131. Totally agree, Paladin

Don't listen to the haters. Texas is awesome.

[Gothmog]

140. Do not listen to the Texas haters

Paladin is correct. Texas is not a third world country and there are Democrats in Texas. Texas will turn blue at some point and when Texas is a battleground state, the GOP will not be able to win 270 electoral votes again.

[kentauros]

164. I think some of DU's Texas-haters know their info is false.

But to change it would mean they'd no longer have an argument against us, so the false statements continue. Countering all that on DU is almost a full-time job!

Hey Paladin! I see your post-count here is creeping up on 10k. Another one of these threads and you'll be over it!

[texanwitch]

175. Today's Austin is not the Austin of the 70's when I lived there.

I do miss that Austin but times change.

I have been to Austin so many times my truck can drive there by itself.

My Czech great grand parents were the last of my ancestors to come to Texas.

They were cotton farmers, like so many.

I have ancestors Mexican land grants, later Texas land grants from being in the Texas army.

My family is Texas history, like so many other Texans.

We have a pride in our state others don't have.

To me Austin is home even if I don't live there at the moment.

I will be back, give me two more years.

There is a difference between Austin and Houston.

Both cities are great but to me Austin is home and always will be.

I love sitting on Congress and watching people go by.

[Skittles]

181. aw you got that right

I lived there from 76 - 93; now it's like a mini Dallas

[texanwitch]

183. A lot of people are moving to Austin.

They are not all democrats.

I loved living in Austin back then.

That was from 1973 to 1979, a different Austin.

Still a cool place I love but not the land of long hair hippy types.

Great times to be a young adult back then.

I joined the army and moved on.

Austin has never left me.

[Skittles]

184. I was stationed in Austin

[texanwitch]

188. Great place to be stationed.

I wanted to travel, did to.

Your old base is now a airport, put to good use.

Had a few to the house for the holidays, those who couldn't go home.

Nice people.

Visited the base a few times.

I needed to finally grow up.

So off to the Army I went.

Austin was one hell of a mix of people back then.

Nothing but good times.

[Paladin]

191. Nice to encounter someone with the experience to back up their opinions.

So unlike so many who spew about Texas on DU. Will look forward to having you back in the fold in the not-too-distant future.

[LanternWaste]

96. we have one thing in Texas that makes it all worth it...

Regardless of anything else said... politics, red vs. blue, red-necks, lack of intellectualism, etc., we have one thing in Texas that makes it all worth it: Mesquite Smoked Barbecue, Dr. Pepper, and pecan pie.

Seriously, like any other place in the US, it has its good points and its bad points, good people, bad people. (and treat yourself to both the Fort Worth Arts District and the Fort Worth Zoo-- each of which are internationally recognized).

Your biggest shock may be your first summer here. That's about the only time I fantasize about being elsewhere-- Texas summers are grim affairs of oppressive heat, blazing sun, and high humidity for weeks at a stretch.

Spring is absolutely gorgeous (all six weeks of it), and unless you live in the panhandle, snow and ice are pretty much once-a-year- events that can shut down a city (and allows the local weatherman to dramatize it to the point where they should be getting an Oscar).

Austin is really fun for a weekend if you're either 35 or younger (or feel 35 or younger). San Antonio can be a swell romantic getaway, and there's more hill country and woodland than you could ever want.

But still... Mesquite Smoked Barbecue, Dr. Pepper, and pecan pie

[kentauros]

165. Good advice!

Although you forgot something in your "one thing" : Shiner Beer. Or, if you like, Firemans #4 from Real Ale

[CK_John]

99. Companies also move to dump staff and rebrand, be nimble also hope youryou

DU name is not your real name since HR does employee net search. Not a very safe thing to do on the net.

[workinclasszero]

101. This might help you...turn Texas Blue :)

http://www.battlegroundtexas.com/content/home

[jollyreaper2112]

102. your employer is an asshole

Don't go. Texass isn't worth it. It's a horrible, disgusting place. The few clumps of progressives can't make up for a sea of shitty conservatives.

[kentauros]

166. And when, exactly, was the last time you were here?

Also, when you were here (I'm assuming that part) were you at least polite and friendly to the people you met? Because I'm not getting that feeling from your post here

[jollyreaper2112]

193. Last year

And I've got family out there. The state is pretty but the built environment is a hideous affront to nature. Highways and stripmalls far as the eye can see. Just the thought of those interstates gives me hives. Whole place is a madhouse.

[kentauros]

195. Well, glad you're not here now.

Too bad you can't stay away. Maybe get your family to move out of this "madhouse," too. You'd probably be happier.

[jollyreaper2112]

196. agreed

There's not really any excuse for Texas.

[kentauros]

197. And there's no excuse for being a hater.

Bless your heart.

Thankfully the rest are not haters, but we don't have a problem with people leaving and not coming back. Yet, if you continue to insult us, expect the same in reply.

[jollyreaper2112]

199. Well

I am just accurately describing the place. Whether or not you find it insulting isn't my concern. I would be just as happy to never set foot in the state again.

[snooper2]

108. You'll be fine, be happy it's not an actual shitty state, like Missouri, Mississippi, Alabama or

Oklahoma...

Oh, and Arkansas, The stupid in those states is painful. As long as you are in DFW, Austin, San Antonio or Houston you'll be fine


(I'm about to put my house up on the market if you are interested (Plano), got one bathroom left to remodel but the rest is done! )

[B Calm]

109. Ever thought about looking for a new job?

[MrTriumph]

110. Be warned of "Frackingquakes"

In Azle (N. of Fort Worth) it is currently an almost daily occurrence. And in Burleson (S. of Fort Worth). Pres. Obama may say, as he often does, that there is 100 years worth of natural gas under our feet. Maybe so, but at what cost?

[JCMach1]

113. Two years of hard time in Texas... left as soon as feasible...

personal thing but hate it, hate it, hate it

[Paladin]

117. And we've been absolutely bereft since you departed. (nt)

[LanternWaste]

121. I have to agree. The poster's absence from Texas has left a heavy hole in my heart...

I have to agree. The above poster's absence from Texas has left a heavy hole in my heart that I may not be able to repair emotionally.

It may be necessary for me to play some 80's hair-band ballads to better deal with his self-deportation, as we're left with little more than a mere shadow of his memories.

I suggest we pop open some micro-brew beers this weekend, and give a silent prayer to him. Godspeed, and all that.

[Paladin]

124. Luckily, I don't need much of an excuse to drink beer. (nt)

[kentauros]

168. So, which mainstay are we drinking?

I do like Shiner, but I also love Real Ale

[Paladin]

170. Tecate or Dos Equis, with a lime slice. (nt)

[kentauros]

171. Well, okay, so long as we can get some margaritas at Pico's

http://www.picos.net/menus/PicosMenuMargarita.pdf

[Paladin]

192. You talked me into it. (nt)

[kentauros]

167. Did it sting when you left? Did it leave a mark?

You know, when the door hit you in the ass on the way out.

[FarCenter]

116. No matter where you live your Dunbar's number is a lot smaller that the state population

Choose wisely.

[jeff47]

118. It's amusing that Republicans do not learn from their past mistakes

A couple decades ago, North Carolina started a major push to be "business friendly" and attract businesses to the state.

Businesses came, and brought people. And more people. And more people. But guess what? Those people weren't all Republicans.

North Carolina became a "swing" state in 2008 because North Carolina imported a bunch of businesses and workers. The rural areas are still quite red, but the cities are neon blue. Pretty much like northern states (ex. Pennsylvania).

So yes, moving to Texas may be a little uncomfortable for a while, but remember it's just part of Republicans destroying themselves.

[Avalux]

119. Perry's media campaign is working - worked on your company at least....

Where in Texas will your company be located? It's not all bad here - and if you move with your company, us Texas Dems would love your help in getting Wendy Davis and Leticia Van de Putte elected!

[Gato Moteado]

120. i lived in TX for 11 years...9 in austin and 2 in houston......

...you'll be fine if you have to go there. and, if you don't like it, you can always go back to CA. you'll need to get past the fact that most Texans are extremely provincial and they think that any place outside of TX sucks. but, lots of other states are like that too, I guess.

some bad things about Austin:
uncomfortably hot with no rain for most of the year
pollen and mold counts very high causing trouble for people with allergies
perpetual droughts and water shortages
uncontrolled new development especially in south Austin and in the previously protected green belt areas
doesn't really live up to its self-proclaimed "live music capitol of the world" status
the Austin police department is like the gestapo
the festivals that used to be cool (SXSW, ACL, etc) are now overcrowded and overpriced

some really good things about Austin:
thriving technology community....lots of good high tech jobs
alternative lifestyles are generally respected
vegan? vegetarian? gluten intolerant? no problem....good selection of healthy food abounds
it's the birthplace of whole foods and there are other great healthy food markets there too
lots of book stores
plenty of intellectuals and liberals (the two seem to go hand in hand)
great micro brews
good restaurants
compact city and despite growing traffic problems, it's still easy enough to get from one side of town to the other
the city is generally very safe (IMHO)

I had mixed feelings about Houston. the weather is hot and muggy all the time. the nearby chemical and petroleum plants pollute the air. no zoning, so traffic can be horrendous everywhere. on the other hand, the inner city has great progressive neighborhoods (like the Montrose) filled with culture and entertainment. there's a lot of ethnic diversity, so there are a ton of great restaurants everywhere there.

if you move to Austin, I totally recommend living in the city (somewhere within the limits of mopac, I-35, 183 and ben white) as that's where all the cool stuff is (although east of I-35 has a lot of cool stuff too). if you move to the surrounding areas (suburbs) like Georgetown, round rock, etc, you'll be bored and surrounded by conservative douchebags.

Also, and most importantly, Austin has a great DU community....or, at least it did when I lived there. We all used to get together quite frequently and have parties and get-togethers. I made many great friends in Austin through DU. many of us moved away, but I hope the DUers still in Austin are keeping things going!

[Liberal In Texas]

122. Dallas county is blue

We have tons of lefty friends. If you move to the Dallas area, look around the White Rock Lake area for established funky neighborhoods with trees, cool businesses, hiking biking trails and eclectic friendly folks. White Rock Lake is a somewhat large body of water in East Dallas.

The suburbs tend to have new tacky houses with few trees and chain stores and restaurants. Which I suppose is like most cities.


The northeastern shore of the lake, with marina - wiki


The Bath House


http://www.iliveindallas.com/lakewood

[tammywammy]

126. Texas isn't all that bad

Disregard all the Austinites telling you it's the be all, end all for progressives/liberals in Texas.

I live in the DFW area. I have a lot of friends that are liberals. I'm not surrounded by tea party morons. I also have a lot of conservative friends, but I don't let politics determine who I spend time with. We just don't talk about politics.

Texas isn't all rednecks and tea party. Plus, the bbq is tasty. And Shiner beer.


As far as other posters saying they see racism everywhere, I don't see that either. I live in a very mixed neighborhood, Hispanic/White/Black and just to the south of me by a couple of miles is Vietnamese. On the west side of the city is Middle Eastern, lots of Lebanese and Middle Eastern restaurants and hookah places. I guess if I was isolated in a more "white" area maybe I'd see it, but I don't. Also my group of friends is racially mixed and highly educated (either getting a graduate degree, has a graduate degree or working on a second graduate degree).

[moxybug]

127. Me and the wife were relocated

To Texas in 2012. Its awful. The roads are truly third world even in Dallas. Snarled traffic but truly this is the case anywhere and can't be held against Texas per se. The majority are living breathing caricatures of the conservative teabaggers. Racism abounds. Weather , at least in Dallas is bizarre in a bad way. It never seems to know what it wants to do so it changes hourly.

We are biding our time until we can retire and travel at high speed from this horrible state.

If I could have a do over I would never have come here.

[lame54]

129. Is it a fertilizer company?

[Brigid]

136. OK, you win.

Or should I

[tapermaker]

132. I hope your not a woman or have one in your family.

Seeing how in texas women can now be pulled over and cavity searched on the side of the road without a warrant. This is especially a problem if your skin tone is anything darker than lilly white.

[badtoworse]

137. On the plus side, they have great barbeque.

Houston is one of my favorite cities for restaurants

[Bobcat]

153. Welcome

I recently retired after 40 years of teaching and coaching in Iowa. Moved to the Houston are because two daughters and grandkids are here. I now live in Fort Bend county - one of the most diverse in Texas - and I like it. Housing and other cost of living markers are quite reasonable. Houston, and all of its amenities, is a short drive away. I hope to see Texas turn blue soon.

[TBF]

154. Run like hell!

I've been stuck here 10 years with spouses job. I have fantasies of running away.

Sorry, that probably wasn't what you would view as encouraging.

[JCMach1]

172. +1000

[Vattel]

155. Find a new company (preferably based in LA or SF).

[mc51tc]

176. Texas Images with sound

Welcome to Texas! a great place to live despite the political leaders we have now.

Help us turn Texas blue!

Great Texas video here! Take time to watch and enjoy!

[texanwitch]

180. Great video.

When I was in the Army in Europe I would never say I was from the United States.

I always said I was from Texas.

That is how you can tell if someone is a native Texan.

[Jack_Dawson]

189. Is that good or bad? n/t

[texanwitch]

194. It is good.

Shows a pride in one's state.

My people have been here forever.

[struggle4progress]

185. Politics depends on where you end up, but there are plenty of good folk there,

some parts of the state are gorgeous, and Tex-Mex sure can be tasty

I used to live in Dallas, and I never developed a fondness for that city, but I left along time ago, the Dallas Morning News is no longer the extremely rightwing rag it once was, Dallas overall seems to vote bluishly now and even re-elected a lesbian sheriff, none of which would have happened back when I was there

If you move to Texas, you'll definitely find it quite different from California -- there are plusses and minuses there

Exactly what you can accomplish by political action may depend on where you live but maybe how much you can accomplish only depends on how much time and effort you want to put in

[Major Nikon]

186. You will learn that Mexican food everywhere else in the nation sucks