Go California!..... no wait, maybe I should go.

[cityevader]

Just did my taxes and I owe $4k. Come to find out that even though i lost $12k from our combined income last year, my California state tax nearly doubled from $2200 to $4100.

So even though everyone in CA is paying double, the deficit is growing exponentially.

Maybe we should have ordinary citizens govern the state rather than supporting a gluttenous bunch of career politicians who seem to be so far removed from the actual needs of local economies.

How much could be solved (or made worse?) by having the people govern themselves somehow?

Any other states any better? I've been dreaming of moving anyway.

 

[MrGman]

There are at least 30 states that are "better" than California to live in for tax reasons. There are 7 states in the union with no State Income Taxes at all. Most have less. There are 2 states that are definitely worse, New York and New Jersey. Michigan and Minnesota are going through severe economic problems and seem to think increasing taxes is the only way to solve it.

You should have a professional accountant who is an "ex" IRS agent do your taxes to make sure you aren't missing anything. No need to give them money they don't deserve. I just moved away from California literally 1 month ago and won't be paying taxes there anymore. My job took me to Iowa which may not be the best state for weather and fun, but I will get over it. My housing costs went from $2100 a month to $750. That's just one small example of the difference. Income and sales taxes are less than Commiefornia so it won't break my heart to pay less.


Quick searches on line will tell you what states are good to live in to lower your costs and improve your life style.

When the idiots running the state are left with only the people on welfare and illegal aliens to "rule" over and are totally without income, maybe they will wake up but its doubtful. They haven't learned people can vote with their feet in a way that the state loserslature cannot override.

 

[cityevader]

Well, I lost/gave up the house early last year so lost a good $30k in write-offs, so was expecting a big hit. But it would have been half a hit had the state tax not doubled.

As for "better" state, income tax wasn't the only gripe. Things like overall control of people's lives and property. Regulations and permits for the silliest things.

E.G.

In Santa Cruz County they employ many people to drive around looking for any type of house projects going on. Pickups with contractor logo in front of house is a huge red flag. Inspectors will show up demanding to see work permit and give stop work orders all the time. Huge red tape to go through just to get something done "properly" (in terms of process) but don't even care about whether or not it was actually built properly.

Then there's the city-paid "inspectors" looking to see if things are built to code.

I paid large sums to get permission to repair my septic tank (tank only) and the inspector who signed off on it never even actually saw it; never once showed up. If I wasn't there to watch, the terrible installers would have gotten away with enormous shortcuts that were not to code as well as preventing proper function of system from the get-go.

Huge unecesssary wastes bug me.

 

[cityevader]

I'm kinda thinking northern Idaho has some good topography and climate based on Wikipedia description. No idea otherwise.

 

[Badbeams3]

Florida has no state tax...sales tax is 6%. My taxes on my home are around $600...insurance $1200...worth about...hmm...I don`t know...was around $140,000 in 2007. But so many foreclosed homes up for grabs...might be lucky to get $70,000.

Can you afford to give up your job? Are you retired?

Weathers pretty nice...high today should be around 70 in Tampa...a little cooler than normal. I would like to live close to Orlando...like theme parks and roller coasters...shows. Key West is cool. Miami...lots of places if your in to boating/water stuff (not for me...not anymore anyway...well, maybe a view of bikini clad gals would be good). :thinking: :naughty: :thumbsup:

 

[cityevader]

Well, I'm not too fond of southern humid climates and hurricane potential. I love moderate Pacific weather and mountains.

I'm a Ford dealership mechanic, and have another 30+ years until retirement. Fortunately those skills can go anywhere, but i'd HATE to have to work in "rust belt" areas.... plus I'm top of the totem pole here and would despair at being the FNG (effin' new guy) who has no seniority or say-so. I enjoy being the prima donna!

 

[Badbeams3]

Mmm, sounds like a few other important things to consider. :thinking: Myself...in your shoes I would rent a cheap apartment in a safe area close to your work if I could. Save your $$$$ and buy again in a couple years. Big down payment goes a long way with poor credit...and home prices, from what I am told/learning will likely stay low/go lower for a while.

Even if you decide to move to a different state in the future, a nice chunk for a down payment will be a very helpful thing. And for now...well, you have some time in with that Ford dealership...maybe some security as well. Save and relax. Attack home ownership/where to live again, later. Time is on your side.

 

[jtr1962]

I'm not sure moving elsewhere is necessarily an answer if you mostly like where you live, but simply hate the taxes. That pretty much sums up my situation anyway. Yes, NYS and NYC stink as far as taxes go, and yes, there's a ridiculous amount of waste and fraud. Medicaid is the worst culprit, and from what I understand it's the primary source of California's budget woes as well.

The thing many overlook is that you can run, but you can't hide. Sooner or later all 50 states will experience budget issues just as bad as those in CA or NY or NJ. And when that happens, you'll see higher tax rates. You'll also see income or sales taxes in states which currently don't have them. In the scheme of things state and local taxes are a small hit compared to what the Feds take. Federal income tax is generally about 3 times the combined total of NYC and NYS income taxes. And FICA tax is 15.3% of every dollar you make. You can't avoid either except by moving out of the country. And most countries have way higher tax rates than the US.

What you have to ask really is not what you're paying, but are you getting you money's worth? True that there are states with no income or sales tax. Also true that in most of those states you have little in the way services. Don't have a car or license? Then forget about traveling. Lost your job? If you qualify for unemployment benefits at all, they will likely be way less than in a higher tax state. Need the police or fire department? Well, they'll get there when they get there. Not saying this is always the case, but comparing notes with some out-of-state relatives it seems to be the norm. Less taxes = less services. If you can do without the services, wonderful, but that's not the case for many others.

I can't comment on whether the taxes in CA are worth it or not as I don't live there. I do feel NYers as a whole overpay for the services they get. We may have the best public transit system in the nation, but our roads are in disrepair, our schools aren't that great, and we waste tons of money. That being said, I'm not sure I would get a better bargain anywhere else, and I mostly like where I live. My only advice is try to save for a house. Besides getting back your tax deduction, you'll avoid the prospects of annual rent increases.

 

[SCEMan]

I feel your pain. As a native, I've seen this state worsen year-by-year. If I can hold out long enough - I plan on leaving the state once I retire.

 

[ElectronGuru]

Not saying this is always the case, but comparing notes with some out-of-state relatives it seems to be the norm. Less taxes = less services. If you can do without the services, wonderful, but that's not the case for many others.

Speaking as an ex Californian, the service I miss most is actually Cal-Trans. Quality of pavement, frequency of line painting, signage. I had no idea how tough (and rare) these attributes are. And I'm comparing to more than just Oregon. Some states I've visited for example, lanes are just suggestions.

To the subject of income taxes, the best way to lower them is to stop working for a living. Wage income is 30% (or more) + FICA + SS. Income from investments (dividend income) is 20% (or less) and is not subject to extras like social security.

 

[Gene43]

I really enjoy living in Alabama. If I want to build something on my property, I just do it, don't have to ask anyone. Same with building covering up a pond/wetland. If I'm dumb enough to burn a big pile of crap in my front yard, people might think I'm an idiot but I won't get arrested.

We don't have pristine roads, but I'll gladly keep my dirt roads in favor of my freedoms.

 

[Monocrom]

California is going bankrupt. No secret there. The politicians in charge are brain-dead. There are simple steps that could be taken to turn things around. But going into detail about those steps would be border-line Underground material. Suffice it to say, making the hard working citizens pay double is just going to make things worse.

Also, yeah NYC isn't good as far as taxes go. Thankfully I have a great accountant who goes above and beyond the call of duty to find each and every single penny I'm owed. Going to get a sweet refund.

 

[Hack On Wheels]

I'm kinda thinking northern Idaho has some good topography and climate based on Wikipedia description. No idea otherwise.

Sun Valley area? I haven't been myself, but it really looks like a nice area. Lovely mountain biking there if you are into that; I need to make a trip down there sometime.

 

[gadget_lover]

I worked with several people who were enticed into moving from Monterey to Northern Idaho. The main attraction was financial. One convinced the others to make the move too. Make sure you really want to live in the ice belt.

All but one moved back within 2 years. That one was retired and lived to fish. He bought a place with its own stream, bait shop/gas station and trailer park, so he was in heaven.


$4K in taxes is not that bad, compared to some. To pay $4K in California taxes you made quite a bit (I'm guessing $60 - $80 K). That's quite a bit compared to what you'd make in Idaho.

Daniel

 

[cityevader]

A lot of good points.
I'm sure I'd miss a great deal once it's gone.
Not to mention with a baby on the way, my folks would kill me if I left, being their first and only grandkid which they've waited forever for!

Moving isn't exactly a solution in itself, although I often daydream of living wherever I'm not, and having whatever I don't, greener grass etc.

Mostly it's just frustrating seeing the vast resources that this country has being drunk down by the fat greed and corruption (of politicians and the many others who cozy up to them) and then pissed away.

I'm not talking "spotted owl" resources, but things like the resources spent to "save" the spotted owl.

I offer no solutions, only blabbing away.

 

[ossumguywill]

Sun Valley area? I haven't been myself, but it really looks like a nice area. Lovely mountain biking there if you are into that; I need to make a trip down there sometime.

Guess who lives in sun valley? :twothumbs
It's pretty damn nice here, skiing and biking are great. I moved here from Santa Barbara, california and it's 100X better here. I love the people, plus the politicians are not complete retards. Not to mention it's a much more "free" area in my mind. Lots of guns up here, not retarded fingerprinting laws like they're instituting in california right now. My friend promised me that when the snow melted he would take me shooting. For him, this means class III, fully automatic M4s, SVDs, and AK rifles Where else can a kid shoot that kind of stuff? The only problem is it's a bit expensive up here, living costs more than usual because of the relative isolation. This also means that the population is very high up in terms of money, and crime is next to zero because of no real lower class. Taxes are not too bad. I'm moving to san antonio, TX this summer though so I get to live in constant sunshine again. That's one of the few things I miss from california.
will

 

[Hooked on Fenix]

I'm also tired of taxes increasing, rights taken away, and the state going broke. I live in California as well. The state is taking an extra 10% in taxes out of each paycheck and will be paying everyone back in I.O.U.s which they currently won't even accept themselves for government services or payments owed to the state. They're stealing our money and plan to pay us back (after making interest on it) with I.O.U.s that they themselves won't accept. If I did that, I'd go to jail. What they're doing is criminal. They're taxing businesses to death and forcing them out of state. They're killing the hunting industry with gun control regulations and taking away our rights. Environmental regulations have destroyed our infrastructure and hampered growth of our economy.

While I believe that all this is making it a nightmare to live in this beautiful state, I can't leave. If we leave, all this insanity spreads. It's an election year, and I have to be around to vote out the people responsible for this mess, whichever party they are affiliated with. If we leave, the only people left are the ones voting to perpetuate this mess. We can't let that happen. Besides, once you've lost this battle in your state, it's only a matter of time before the insanity spreads to the federal government (if it hasn't already). Then there's no place to run to escape high business crushing taxes and a government that takes away your rights. If you don't put up a fight, the enemy will still pursue you.

 

[Vesper]

Yea, poor California. So much to offer but run by the usual suspects - going down the toob. Please don't flood into the state of WA though, we're also being run into the mud by the usual left-coast morons. :mecry:

 

[cityevader]

Sad thing is, I can't go to ANY state from CA without being hated.

BUT, if i move to, say, Idaho for awhile, then when I move elsewhere I can simply say I moved from Idaho!

 

[Monocrom]

Sad thing is, I can't go to ANY state from CA without being hated.

BUT, if i move to, say, Idaho for awhile, then when I move elsewhere I can simply say I moved from Idaho!

No hate involved. Just tell folks you got fed up with the mentally deranged politicians running California.