Have you moved from a blue to a red state (or vice versa)?

[Joe_5859]

In that case, it’s time for civil war between the Blue and the Grey! Oh, wait a minute… never mind.

Ed

Actually, I guess my state is mostly green (or brown during years of little rain).

 

[Geist]

1. When did you move? What state/city did you leave and where did you move to?

Dec. 2010. Left NY metro area for southwest Virginia.

1. Why did you move? Was it purely for personal reasons (job change, being closer to family, desire for a particular climate or natural environment) or did governmental issues like taxes and laws play a part in your decision?

I desired a better quality of life. I own a business and was also tired of being taxed to death by NY state. Also the cost of living was outrageous and I was weary of the congestion. Also gasoline is alot cheaper here.

1. Have you noticed a difference in the amount of governmental involvement or intrusion in your life since you moved? Are your taxes noticeably different (not just income but sales and property taxes also?) Is the cost of living different? Is it easier or harder to find a job or start a business? Can you do things you could not do before (e.g., obtain a concealed carry permit)?

Much less intrusion, you give a good example; got my concealed permit about two weeks after moving here. All taxes are vastly lower.

1. Have you seen a difference in the quality of governmental services or public accommodations – e.g. schools, parks, roads, public facilities, resources for the elderly or handicapped, etc.?

Schools are better. Roads are better. Go figure. No public unions here so things operate more efficiently for vastly less money.

1. Are you happier or better off where you are now? Or would you go back to your former residence if possible?

Vastly happier, Had to drive through NY (actually a stones throw from where I used to live) for lunch on a long trip and it made my skin crawl to be back there.

1. What do you like most and dislike most about where you live now, and the place you left?

I like the natural beauty and friendliness of the people here, I dislike the lack of easily available good pizza. I liked little to nothing about NY though I miss the beaches which I grew up not far from.

1. Have you seen any appreciable difference in – for lack of a better term – the quality of Catholic life? Is the Church growing, shrinking or staying the same where you are now? Do you have better access to Catholic parishes or education than you did before?

Growing here, this is traditionally a Baptist area, but the parishes here have been adding members due to transplants.

 

[manualman]

Minor tangent, but states are rarely homogenous. Geographically weighted (rather than population), Illinois overwhelmingly voted red in the last statewide governor’s election. The blue guy only won in (IIRC) THREE counties and still won the election. Most Illinoisans outside of Cook would like to be rid of Cook County. It’s almost ridiculous.

 

[edwest2]

Actually, I guess my state is mostly green (or brown during years of little rain).

Mine is like that too.

Peace,
Ed

 

[Honour]

Moved too many times to answer all those questions…but, I will tell you that I have lived in
Texas, California, Louisiana, and Utah. The only place where I felt like the “atmosphere” influenced my life was California, I don’t particularly like it there. Most free and family friendly and best overall so far…Utah.

 

[jilly4ski]

1. When did you move? What state/city did you leave and where did you move to?

I moved to a Blue state from a mixed color state and then back again. But I moved from the twin cities metro area to a dying city in Central NY

1. Why did you move? Was it purely for personal reasons (job change, being closer to family, desire for a particular climate or natural environment) or did governmental issues like taxes and laws play a part in your decision?

I had originally moved for school. My decision not to stay in NY and move back home was a combination of factors. I wanted to be close to family, but I also didn’t want to move to The City, to find work. As well as the cost of living and the taxes.

1. Have you noticed a difference in the amount of governmental involvement or intrusion in your life since you moved? Are your taxes noticeably different (not just income but sales and property taxes also?) Is the cost of living different? Is it easier or harder to find a job or start a business? Can you do things you could not do before (e.g., obtain a concealed carry permit)?
   Well NY government is a mess, but MN is trying really hard to catch up. Taxes are lower, generally. But rent is more expensive here, but that has to do with the fact that there were no jobs in central NY, and thus rentals were numerous and thus cheap. Here rentals are very hard to come by (and the housing market crash didn’t hit here so hard) so the prices are very high. Groceries and gas are a lot cheaper and job opportunities are more numerous. Wages in certain sectors are more generous as well. (Security guards make on average $3 more in the twin cities as in Central NY. And yes, it is much easier to obtain a gun in MN than in NY, though this is not an option we have taken advantage of at this time.
2. Have you seen a difference in the quality of governmental services or public accommodations – e.g. schools, parks, roads, public facilities, resources for the elderly or handicapped, etc.?

Have you ever tried to get a drivers license in NY. Be prepared for it to take all day. We even got to waive in and not take any tests and it still took all day. When we moved back we had to retake the written test and it only took an hour tops. A lot more parks. Just calling a NY branch of government, DOT, Human/health services, agencies to get a background check, be prepared to spend multiple hours on the phone. It would be better to send a written letter and then wait the 6 to 8 weeks. Oh and I got my bar exam results 2 months sooner in MN than my friends in NY did.

1. Are you happier or better off where you are now? Or would you go back to your former residence if possible?

I am happier where I am no, by far.

1. What do you like most and dislike most about where you live now, and the place you left?

I like the outdoorsiness (without the extreme environmentalist flare) in MN. Even though I don’t get to take advantage as I used to, there are so many trails, hiking, paved, skiing, etc. Even right here in the city. Lakes galore, for fishing, swimming, walking around, water sports.

1. Have you seen any appreciable difference in – for lack of a better term – the quality of Catholic life? Is the Church growing, shrinking or staying the same where you are now? Do you have better access to Catholic parishes or education than you did before?

I would say Catholic life is much better here (Though MN Catholics can be a little weird, they have this strangely liberal bent to liturgy but with rather orthodox theology, outside of a specific university which shall remain nameless). It is weird though, because in NY the Church was much more a mainstay in secular life, it was/is respectable to be Catholic. Politicians, important people in the community were much more likely to be Catholic or to want to bump shoulders with the bishop/archbishop. Where in MN, the parishes are bigger and growing with more children, but politicians stay away from the Archbishop like he is the plague, and “important” people are much more likely to be Evangelical or Lutheran than Catholic. Oh but there are more Churches close by in MN, but that is probably because of the larger city.

 

[Secret_Square]

Minor tangent, but states are rarely homogenous. Geographically weighted (rather than population), Illinois overwhelmingly voted red in the last statewide governor’s election. The blue guy only won in (IIRC) THREE counties and still won the election. Most Illinoisans outside of Cook would like to be rid of Cook County. It’s almost ridiculous.

I agree. People who live in upstate NY or central CA outside of LA and SF could say the same thing. I have lived in downstate IL all my life, and don’t have any personal or family connections elsewhere. In fact I work for the state, and while I like my job and the people I work with, I have to wonder whether my family (which includes a soon-to-be adult daughter with autism) would have a better future elsewhere given the politicial and financial direction this state is going (huge unfunded pension liabilities, state facilities being closed down or falling apart, etc.). But I don’t know what it would be like to live in another state, which is why I asked this question. Would it really make a difference in our daily lives, or not? .

 

[Joe_5859]

Minor tangent, but states are rarely homogenous. Geographically weighted (rather than population), Illinois overwhelmingly voted red in the last statewide governor’s election. The blue guy only won in (IIRC) THREE counties and still won the election. Most Illinoisans outside of Cook would like to be rid of Cook County. It’s almost ridiculous.

Even some inside Cook County would like to be rid of Cook County.

 

[Carlan]

Dec. 2010.

Much less intrusion, you give a good example; got my concealed permit about two weeks after moving here. All taxes are vastly lower.

.

Ahhh yes,America the home of the brave and home of the free.
We love her, this diverse land…but don’t ya know???
We don’t get to live in her for free, accept it or not…
We have to pay our share, freedom ain’t free in that sense friend!
Lets smile and cheer for the common good of all in this land of ours.

 

[Carlan]

I quote Blessed John Paul II.

Faith and reason are like two wings on which the human spirit rises to the contemplation of truth - Pope John Paul II

 

[manualman]

Even some inside Cook County would like to be rid of Cook County.

No kidding. The northwest Cook suburbs are nothing more than tax cash cows that the Chicago-Cook pols grab tax money from and give little to nothing to in return.

 

[Book_Worm]

We don’t exactly fit into the parameters you’ve described but we have had a blue state/red state experience.

We’ve lived in NE NJ all of our lives but bought property in NC and planned to retire there. Before we sold our house, we spent some time there. We found we were not a good fit for this red state.

The school systems were vastly inferior; there are pockets of good schools, like those around Durham, but on a state-wide basis, NC ranks somewhere around 45 to 48 in the country. That explained a lot of the opinions were heard voiced around us.

As a retired PO, DH was appalled by the people who had permits to carry concealed weapons. The recent changes in the law that allow guns into establishments that serve alcohol as well as in cars around schools and playgrounds make that situation even worse to me. The idea that people only feel safe driving to work if they have a gun in their possession tell me this is NOT a place where I want to live.

But the worst thing for us was the hatred we found around us. We were astounded and repulsed by the comments we heard almost every time we were out. People just assumed that, because we are white, we shared their feelings about President Obama. There’s nothing wrong with disagreeing with a politician’s stands or even disliking him, but the vitriol we heard spouted far surpassed that. We wondered if it was because of his race, but every problem that the country faces was laid at his feet, and nothing he could do met their approval. Most of their opinions seemed formed by Fox News, and the few times we pointed out the factual errors they were making, they seemed to have a very poor grasp of current events.

We didn’t stay long enough to become part of the church there, but it appeared that it was made up mainly of retirees from other parts of the country. The younger people were generally members of more fundamentalist churches. Another NJ transplant told us of her discomfort in being asked, over and over, if “she had found Jesus.” Because she is a much nicer person than I am, she never told them she didn’t know He was lost, but she found the bias against Catholics off-putting. Few consider Catholics to be Christians.

At any rate, we returned to NJ and are glad we did so. Yes, our taxes are high, but, as in most situations, you get what you pay for. Our state ranks second or third in most education categories. We have almost unlimited access to cultural and intellectual events. We live in a small town in the country; we’ve found bear in our backyard and a mother duck parades her ducklings down the street to the lake every spring. But an hour after we walk out our door, we can be sitting in Lincoln Center. We’ve heard Pavarotti and Domingo sing, seen Baryshnikov and Nuryev dance, heard Condoleeza Rice, Michael Bechloss and William F. Buckley speak. Our local theaters benefit by our proximity to NY by having some of the world’s best actors play here.

And we’re back with our old, well-established church

 

[lynnvinc]

I’d like to hear from people who have moved from “blue” to “red” states, or vice versa, within the last 20 years.

What I want to know is whether or not such a move really makes a practical difference in one’s daily life or ability to raise a family. Here’s what I’d like to know:

1. When did you move? What state/city did you leave and where did you move to?

I moved from (west) Aurora, IL – a red city in a blue state – to the Rio Grande Valley of Texas – a blue area in a red state that used to be solidly Democrat (my Texan mother and grandparents were the only Republicans in the state many decades ago).

1. Why did you move? Was it purely for personal reasons (job change, being closer to family, desire for a particular climate or natural environment) or did governmental issues like taxes and laws play a part in your decision?

Mainly for the warmer climate – my husband is from S. India and I’m from S. California – but we have also found the air is less polluted and house prices way cheaper…considering we live in the poorest county in the country. But it was mainly for the climate and a slightly better job.

1. Have you noticed a difference in the amount of governmental involvement or intrusion in your life since you moved? Are your taxes noticeably different (not just income but sales and property taxes also?) Is the cost of living different? Is it easier or harder to find a job or start a business? Can you do things you could not do before (e.g., obtain a concealed carry permit)?

I hate the tax structure, which has us paying no state income tax, but a lot higher property taxes on our home that was $30,000 cheaper than we sold our IL home for – about $2000 more per year.

When we moved from Wisconsin, with high state income taxes but a very good educational system (you get what you pay for) to Illinois in 1981 I thought of IL as being a “cheap-skate” state with much lower state taxes. What I think of Texas re its total lack of state income taxes (even tho it is my mother’s state) I wouldn’t be able to write here.

On the whole I think we are actually paying more taxes (incl higher sales tax) than in IL; and I feel the tax system (high property tax, no state income tax) is extremely unfair to seniors, even tho there is some break for them, and the poor.

And the poor really suffer here. Many do get gov help, and I feel there are some cheaters on the dole, but there are a huge number that do not. I’d much rather pay more fed and state income tax and ensure that these people do not fall thru the cracks, even if it means a few cheaters also get what they don’t really need.

But what really stinks in Texas…aside from the oil wells and refineries…is the extremely pitiful state its educational system is in. And don’t even get me started on them making schools teach creationism along side evolution or fake-science climate denialism along side legitimate climate science. I’m talking about the 3 R’s. It’s very bad here. California, where I grew up was the best, and their taxes are high there, but you get what you pay for. And Wisconsin second best, with high state income taxes. Texas is extremely worse than IL, which I had thought was pretty bad.

I remember my conservative Republican mother in north San Diego county going to local elections coming back and saying she voted for the school bond (meaning higher taxes). One thing great about my family, they have always valued children (there were 4 of us) and education. And we were Protestant

…5. Are you happier or better off where you are now? …
…7. Have you seen any appreciable difference in – for lack of a better term – the quality of Catholic life? Is the Church growing, shrinking or staying the same where you are now? Do you have better access to Catholic parishes or education than you did before?

I’m a lot happier here, but there are pros & cons.

In both places my Catholic parish has been on the conservative side, more so up north, which was rich, while my RGV parish is poor. Both are growing.

However, it has been hard in both places to promote social justice issues or get people to reduce their own harms to life on planet earth – what amounts to harms to their own progeny and mainly the poor of the world. They, esp those up north, seem to think the economy is fundamental and the environment secondary, when the reverse is actually the case: Grocery stores (the economy) are helpful and convenient, but without food (the environment) they are totally worthless.

So I’ve had my work cut out for me in both places, and it’s great that our new pope is squarely on the side of social justice and creation protection. That might help

 

[lynnvinc]

There is something extremely great about Texas, where we moved 11 years ago from Illinois. On our “pro” side was that we could get on Green Mountain 100% wind energy, which we did. At first we paid about $5 more per month, but now we’re saving a few dollars per month.

Texas is just great for alt energy – plenty of wind, plenty of sun.

And they also have a very good alt energy program. We are at long last having solar panels installed on our roof tomorrow to produce about half of our energy needs, including charging our Chevy Volt. Not only is there the 30% tax break for us next year, but AEP our energy support provider (used by Green Mountain) is giving us a $7500 rebate. We are installing a reversible meter that goes backwards when we generate more electricity than we are using, and if we generate more electricity than what we use in a month, Green Mountain allows us to apply that to our next month’s bill (at the same rate). It works out to be about a 12.5% return on our investment…better than the bank.

I understand there are states and utility companies that actually block alt energy and others that are just not very helpful. For people in those states who want to do the right thing and switch to alt energy, come on down to Texas, y’all!

 

[PaulGH]

I’d like to hear from people who have moved from “blue” to “red” states, or vice versa, within the last 20 years. First a word of explanation.

By “blue” state I mean one in which state government and laws are dominated by liberal points of view (best known examples are probably Mass., NY, Calif. and Ill.). By “red” state I mean those in which state government and laws tend to be more conservative (Texas, most Southern states). I do NOT mean specifically Democrat or Republican – a Democrat in a red state may be farther to the right, for example, than a Republican from a blue state. Nor am I necessarily referring to the way each state voted in recent presidential elections.

What I want to know is whether or not such a move really makes a practical difference in one’s daily life or ability to raise a family. Here’s what I’d like to know:

1. When did you move? What state/city did you leave and where did you move to?
2. Why did you move? Was it purely for personal reasons (job change, being closer to family, desire for a particular climate or natural environment) or did governmental issues like taxes and laws play a part in your decision?
3. Have you noticed a difference in the amount of governmental involvement or intrusion in your life since you moved? Are your taxes noticeably different (not just income but sales and property taxes also?) Is the cost of living different? Is it easier or harder to find a job or start a business? Can you do things you could not do before (e.g., obtain a concealed carry permit)?
4. Have you seen a difference in the quality of governmental services or public accommodations – e.g. schools, parks, roads, public facilities, resources for the elderly or handicapped, etc.?
5. Are you happier or better off where you are now? Or would you go back to your former residence if possible?
6. What do you like most and dislike most about where you live now, and the place you left?
7. Have you seen any appreciable difference in – for lack of a better term – the quality of Catholic life? Is the Church growing, shrinking or staying the same where you are now? Do you have better access to Catholic parishes or education than you did before?

Since graduating from college, I have lived in California, Tennessee, and Illinois (in that order, not counting a short layover in between one of those moves). In answering these questions, I will compare California (moved from) to both Illinois and Tennessee (moved to). California of course is very liberal, at least in the big cities along the coast. Tennessee is very conservative in general. Illinois state government is very liberal, but most parts of Illinois outside of Chicago are pretty conservative. I lived in one of the most liberal parts of Tennessee, and one of the most conservative parts of Illinois, and both places are conservative compared to California, so I will draw on my experiences in both Illinois and Tennessee as the more conservative places that I moved to.

My answers:

1. I moved from California in the late 1990s.
2. I moved primarily for two reasons: to be closer to family, and to live in a place where the cost of living is much more reasonable. The second of those reasons certainly was influenced by taxes, but real estate prices were a much bigger factor than taxes.
3. Not much difference on government intrusion, but the cost of living is very much lower in both TN and IL (outside of Chicago!), and taxes are significantly lower than CA, especially in TN.
4. I haven’t noticed a difference in the quality of government services between CA and TN. I *have *noticed a difference in IL, where the government is constantly broke, which leads to things like delayed payments to health care providers, occasional temporary closure of state parks, failure to mow anywhere near often enough along the edges of state highways, etc.
5. Definitely happier where we are now.
6. Where I am now: I like being closer to family and having a lower cost of living. What I miss about California: I very much miss all the great fun things to do there. The few years that I lived there were like constantly being on vacation, as I would take day trips or weekend trips every month or two to places like Monterey/Carmel, Santa Cruz, San Francisco, Muir Woods, Sausalito, Napa/Sonoma, Yosemite National Park, Lake Tahoe, etc.
7. I wasn’t very serious about my Catholic faith when I lived in California, so I can’t really answer that question.

 

[Secret_Square]

OK, I going to revive this old thread for several reasons. For reasons which I’ve explained in other threads, I am becoming more convinced than ever that I may have to quit my job and move my family out of IL within the next 2-4 years. The question is where to move to, and I would really like some more guidance on that topic.

My main concerns are:

1. Finding a better living and working environment for my adult autistic daughter (21), who graduated from HS yesterday. Now that she’s done with the school system, we need to find her a job or activities to help her become more independent, earn her own living as far as she is able, and have a sense of purpose. We’re working on that with a local disability agency, but… the never-ending IL fiscal crisis means that services are constantly being cut back or abolished, caseworker turnover is high, and businesses aren’t able to offer positions for people like her as readily as they might otherwise have. I have a feeling this is only going to get worse as time goes on. It’s got to be better elsewhere, and I would like to know where.
2. The increasingly hard leftist turn in state government. The Chicago Democrats who dominate state government are going out of their way to embrace policies that promote abortion, gay/transgender identity, etc. and – I suspect – send a message to more conservative types, including Trump voters and/or observant Catholics, that they “have no place” here. Maybe I’m getting paranoid in my old age but I can see it coming to the point where you will not be allowed to work for the state (as I do now) or do any kind of business with it, if you don’t actively cooperate in promoting abortion and/or transgenderism – particularly if we get a liberal Dem governor in 2 years and a liberal Dem president in 2020.
3. The growing consensus, at least from what I see online, that the IL economy is headed for a huge crash before long, similar to what’s happening in Greece, Venezuela, or Puerto Rico. With economic crashes, of course, tend to come breakdowns in society including poverty, crime and civil unrest. The city where we live (Springfield) is experiencing a sudden upsurge in gang violence of late, and although it hasn’t personally affected us, sooner or later it probably will.

I have frequently seen places like Texas, Arizona, Wyoming and Florida touted as good places for conservative “red staters” to live, and I’m sure they are, but I’d really prefer someplace closer. The problem is I have no friends or family outside IL and don’t know much about the situation in neighboring states or elsewhere in the Midwest (where I would prefer to stay if we can) other than abstract articles that I read online. But what is the situation like “on the ground”, among real people who are there?

 

[EnglishTeacher]

I have frequently seen places like Texas, Arizona, Wyoming and Florida touted as good places for conservative “red staters” to live, and I’m sure they are, but I’d really prefer someplace closer. The problem is I have no friends or family outside IL and don’t know much about the situation in neighboring states or elsewhere in the Midwest (where I would prefer to stay if we can) other than abstract articles that I read online. But what is the situation like “on the ground”, among real people who are there?

Have you looked into Nebraska? That’s a “red state” that’s closer to you, and the Diocese of Lincoln is a good diocese with a high vocation rate. The cost of living is pretty low there, as well.

 

[Hoosier_Daddy]

I’d like to hear from people who have moved from “blue” to “red” states, or vice versa, within the last 20 years. First a word of explanation.

By “blue” state I mean one in which state government and laws are dominated by liberal points of view (best known examples are probably Mass., NY, Calif. and Ill.). By “red” state I mean those in which state government and laws tend to be more conservative (Texas, most Southern states). I do NOT mean specifically Democrat or Republican – a Democrat in a red state may be farther to the right, for example, than a Republican from a blue state. Nor am I necessarily referring to the way each state voted in recent presidential elections.

What I want to know is whether or not such a move really makes a practical difference in one’s daily life or ability to raise a family. Here’s what I’d like to know:

1. When did you move? What state/city did you leave and where did you move to?
2. Why did you move? Was it purely for personal reasons (job change, being closer to family, desire for a particular climate or natural environment) or did governmental issues like taxes and laws play a part in your decision?
3. Have you noticed a difference in the amount of governmental involvement or intrusion in your life since you moved? Are your taxes noticeably different (not just income but sales and property taxes also?) Is the cost of living different? Is it easier or harder to find a job or start a business? Can you do things you could not do before (e.g., obtain a concealed carry permit)?
4. Have you seen a difference in the quality of governmental services or public accommodations – e.g. schools, parks, roads, public facilities, resources for the elderly or handicapped, etc.?
5. Are you happier or better off where you are now? Or would you go back to your former residence if possible?
6. What do you like most and dislike most about where you live now, and the place you left?
7. Have you seen any appreciable difference in – for lack of a better term – the quality of Catholic life? Is the Church growing, shrinking or staying the same where you are now? Do you have better access to Catholic parishes or education than you did before?

1. Several times. Red to red to blue to blue to red to red.
   Some were with kids. Some in west some in east.
2. Anytime we moved to a blue state it was for work or school. Red was for quality of life.
3. Absolutely. We homeschool so there’s that. Hunting fishing and rec use is noticeable. Blue tends to govern your daily life more. ( think manditory trash separation rules)
4. I’ve noticed a huge difference in those things but not really having to do with red or blue, just money available. Rich red and rich blue have great parks and services. Poor do not. For instance, Idaho and Washington have excellent services. Indiana and Illinois not so much.
5. We are happy now ( red home state) but we would move under the right circumstances. But with six kids, quality of life and economics play a larger role that could almost never be met in a blue state. So they are out.
6. The food in blue states is amazingly better. Family life is better in red. Geography is also different. in the blue northwest, the motto is look, don’t touch. The inter mountain red is like Outback Steakhouse " no rules, just right". The Midwest and east is a geographical wasteland of pollution, poverty and tornadoes…
7. There is a huge difference geographically but not really red or blue in the life of the church. East of the Mississippi valley is a good catholic life. West is mission territory with almost no Catholic culture and the Church struggles with tradition and vocations. I bagged on the Midwest earlier but I’ve never seen a better Church than in the Midwest. It was like an oasis in a desert of spirituality. In the red west states the Church is incredibly blue.
   And before everyone screams “Phoenix”. I’ll just say, don’t believe the hype.
   And yes, I’m sure there are pockets of good and bad everywhere, I’m just speaking in generalities… unbunch your underroos everyone…

 

[whatsmyname]

1. When did you move? What state/city did you leave and where did you move to?

In the past 30 yrs, I’ve moved from CA to NY to CA to MN to CA to TX to NJ to TX to OH to CA. CA was still red the first time and maybe even the 2nd time. I haven’t moved in about 5 yrs.

1. Why did you move? Was it purely for personal reasons (job change, being closer to family, desire for a particular climate or natural environment) or did governmental issues like taxes and laws play a part in your decision?

Education and job reasons for all of them, with some personal preference thrown in. CA is my home so I move back here when my job allows. If I leave here again, it’ll be because I was forced out by confiscatory taxes and onerous laws.

1. Have you noticed a difference in the amount of governmental involvement or intrusion in your life since you moved? Are your taxes noticeably different (not just income but sales and property taxes also?) Is the cost of living different? Is it easier or harder to find a job or start a business? Can you do things you could not do before (e.g., obtain a concealed carry permit)?

No difference in government involvement or intrusion. I have little contact with anything to do with government. I did have jury duty several times in a couple years in OH and only once anywhere else. TX had noticeably higher property tax rates (on very cheap homes) and no state income tax. MN and OH had obviously higher taxes of all kinds. CA is killing me with income and sales tax, but I don’t live in an area with mello-roos or city tax which is nice after OH’s insanity (high state, high city, high property). COLA in NY/NJ were higher, but CA is insane. COLA in TX was really cheap. I’ve had the same job for 25 yrs. I bought a gun in CA, but can’t get a concealed carry permit in L.A. I had no gun in the other states.

1. Have you seen a difference in the quality of governmental services or public accommodations – e.g. schools, parks, roads, public facilities, resources for the elderly or handicapped, etc.?

MN and OH seemed very well maintained. Roads, parks and libraries were lovely. Schools in my area were fantastic, but that probably wasn’t true statewide in OH, I just lived in a really nice area.

Roads in NY, NJ were fairly bad and I have no knowledge of the schools there. CA is visibly falling apart and feels like a 3rd world country or worse most of the time. I travel a lot and I can see most of the 3rd world is in better shape than CA. I love my state, but it’s in deep trouble and it hurts me to see the enormous and rapid decline. Schools and roads are bad, as well as basic infrastructure like sewers, water lines, electric lines, etc. I have no need for handicapped services and we take care of our own elderly in my family. Parks and libraries are mostly for homeless, mentally ill and drug addicts so I avoid them.

1. Are you happier or better off where you are now? Or would you go back to your former residence if possible?

I am happier in CA and intend to stay if I can. I am not better off here. I owned a home in the other places, but cannot afford to do so here. My standard of living is quite low although my income is quite far above the median.

1. What do you like most and dislike most about where you live now, and the place you left?

I like the beach and the people and just the general feel of being home where I belong. As for the places I left, the East Coast is not for me. It’s too dirty, pushy, rude and smelly. I loved a lot about TX, but it’s too hot and humid with too many enormous bugs. The people and COLA are great. MN is too cold. OH is just too foreign.

1. Have you seen any appreciable difference in – for lack of a better term – the quality of Catholic life? Is the Church growing, shrinking or staying the same where you are now? Do you have better access to Catholic parishes or education than you did before?

I have an enormous variety to choose from in CA. I can choose liturgical dancers and tambourine music or I can choose a solemn TLM, and everything in between. As far as I can tell, Catholic parishes are flourishing, but the majority of people are Latino or even Filipino. I’m not, so language is often a barrier to fitting in. Thank God for Latin.

 

[Joe_5859]

OK, I going to revive this old thread for several reasons. For reasons which I’ve explained in other threads, I am becoming more convinced than ever that I may have to quit my job and move my family out of IL within the next 2-4 years. The question is where to move to, and I would really like some more guidance on that topic.

My main concerns are:

1. Finding a better living and working environment for my adult autistic daughter (21), who graduated from HS yesterday. Now that she’s done with the school system, we need to find her a job or activities to help her become more independent, earn her own living as far as she is able, and have a sense of purpose. We’re working on that with a local disability agency, but… the never-ending IL fiscal crisis means that services are constantly being cut back or abolished, caseworker turnover is high, and businesses aren’t able to offer positions for people like her as readily as they might otherwise have. I have a feeling this is only going to get worse as time goes on. It’s got to be better elsewhere, and I would like to know where.
2. The increasingly hard leftist turn in state government. The Chicago Democrats who dominate state government are going out of their way to embrace policies that promote abortion, gay/transgender identity, etc. and – I suspect – send a message to more conservative types, including Trump voters and/or observant Catholics, that they “have no place” here. Maybe I’m getting paranoid in my old age but I can see it coming to the point where you will not be allowed to work for the state (as I do now) or do any kind of business with it, if you don’t actively cooperate in promoting abortion and/or transgenderism – particularly if we get a liberal Dem governor in 2 years and a liberal Dem president in 2020.
3. The growing consensus, at least from what I see online, that the IL economy is headed for a huge crash before long, similar to what’s happening in Greece, Venezuela, or Puerto Rico. With economic crashes, of course, tend to come breakdowns in society including poverty, crime and civil unrest. The city where we live (Springfield) is experiencing a sudden upsurge in gang violence of late, and although it hasn’t personally affected us, sooner or later it probably will.

I have frequently seen places like Texas, Arizona, Wyoming and Florida touted as good places for conservative “red staters” to live, and I’m sure they are, but I’d really prefer someplace closer. The problem is I have no friends or family outside IL and don’t know much about the situation in neighboring states or elsewhere in the Midwest (where I would prefer to stay if we can) other than abstract articles that I read online. But what is the situation like “on the ground”, among real people who are there?

Since this thread started, I moved back to the blue state.

For me, it’s more about where the family is rather than the goings on of the state government. With you working for the state, though, I can see how the state government factors much larger into the equation.

I keep praying Illinois finds it’s way through the financial crisis. I don’t think it’s to the point of irreversible catastrophe. But the trajectory does need to change.

My son has autism, too, though he is still young. That is definitely a concern for me as he gets older. Normally, blue states have more services for those with autism, but I know Illinois is the exception with its economic situation.

Sorry I can’t be of better help.