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The Bar => The Lounge => Topic started by: bkg on February 02, 2010, 07:49:27 PM

Title: Just how liberal is Austin, TX
Post by: bkg on February 02, 2010, 07:49:27 PM
Inquiring minds have a need to know.... What say you Texans?
Title: Re: Just how liberal is Austin, TX
Post by: IassaFTots on February 02, 2010, 08:57:19 PM
Inquiring minds have a need to know.... What say you Texans?

Well, it ain't San Francisco Liberal, or anything like that.  I have only been a mere visitor, and on my occasional visit, there was alcohol involved, so I don't really have anything.  I would love to live there, and could manage thru the liberalness, because it, and the surrounding area is some of the prettiest I have ever seen. 

Now it does host Hippie Hollow....google it.   :o

But, it is still a beaut.  As is the hill country surrounding it.
Title: Re: Just how liberal is Austin, TX
Post by: NHSparky on February 02, 2010, 08:58:30 PM
Yeah, liberals are liberals, but it's still Texas, and you can still shoot 'em, right?
Title: Re: Just how liberal is Austin, TX
Post by: Oceander on February 02, 2010, 09:04:57 PM
Austin is liberal, but it has Texas roots, and it's almost impossible to corrupt those.  I've visited, and from what I've seen, it's more of a veneer than it is root-rot, the way it is in places like SF and NYC.
Title: Re: Just how liberal is Austin, TX
Post by: IassaFTots on February 02, 2010, 09:09:21 PM
Austin is liberal, but it has Texas roots, and it's almost impossible to corrupt those.  I've visited, and from what I've seen, it's more of a veneer than it is root-rot, the way it is in places like SF and NYC.

That is pretty much what I was trying to say, but just not as eloquently.

All I can say, is, if I had the opportunity, I would live there, for true.
Title: Re: Just how liberal is Austin, TX
Post by: Alpha Mare on February 02, 2010, 10:03:16 PM
"Keep Austin Weird" 
Title: Re: Just how liberal is Austin, TX
Post by: Traveshamockery on February 02, 2010, 10:25:23 PM
I live in Round Rock - just outside of Austin.  Austin is a sanctuary city, if that tells you how liberal it is.

There is a trio of morning talkers on KLBJ, one being Sgt. Sam (retired policeman) who is strictly conservative and doesn't hesitate to share his views with anyone.  The other two guys are liberal.  Some of the people that call in to fight with Sgt. Sam - definitely liberal. 
Title: Re: Just how liberal is Austin, TX
Post by: Odin's Hand on February 03, 2010, 08:54:48 AM
My cousin lives there. She specifically moved there to indulge more in her dopehead/hippie lifestyle.
Title: Re: Just how liberal is Austin, TX
Post by: Ralph Wiggum on February 03, 2010, 08:59:54 AM
Well, it ain't San Francisco Liberal, or anything like that.  I have only been a mere visitor, and on my occasional visit, there was alcohol involved, so I don't really have anything.  I would love to live there, and could manage thru the liberalness, because it, and the surrounding area is some of the prettiest I have ever seen. 

Now it does host Hippie Hollow....google it.   :o

But, it is still a beaut.  As is the hill country surrounding it.

Alcohol?  In Austin?  No way! :evillaugh:
Title: Re: Just how liberal is Austin, TX
Post by: IassaFTots on February 03, 2010, 09:03:50 AM
Alcohol?  In Austin?  No way! :evillaugh:

Don't tell my mom. 
Title: Re: Just how liberal is Austin, TX
Post by: Ralph Wiggum on February 03, 2010, 09:06:23 AM
Don't tell my mom. 

Mine either.  Oh wait, I'm sure she doesn't care anymore.  :-)

As I believe Mr. Garrison said on South Park: "There's a time & place for everything, and that's called college."
Title: Re: Just how liberal is Austin, TX
Post by: bkg on February 03, 2010, 09:20:11 AM
Thanks all...

might be a job opportunity. Houston or Austin. Either is more conservative than MN... but don't want to walk into hippie-ville either.
Title: Re: Just how liberal is Austin, TX
Post by: IassaFTots on February 03, 2010, 09:27:32 AM
Thanks all...

might be a job opportunity. Houston or Austin. Either is more conservative than MN... but don't want to walk into hippie-ville either.

Houston. Traffic.  Humidity.  LOTS of humidity.   

Austin.  Traffic.  Hippies.  LOTS of hippies. 
Title: Re: Just how liberal is Austin, TX
Post by: bkg on February 03, 2010, 09:33:47 AM
Houston. Traffic.  Humidity.  LOTS of humidity.   

Austin.  Traffic.  Hippies.  LOTS of hippies. 


Well... that elminaties Austin! LOL
Title: Re: Just how liberal is Austin, TX
Post by: IassaFTots on February 03, 2010, 09:38:23 AM
Well... that elminaties Austin! LOL

heh.  Well either way, both would probably be better than MN from what I have heard.
Title: Re: Just how liberal is Austin, TX
Post by: bkg on February 03, 2010, 09:41:13 AM
heh.  Well either way, both would probably be better than MN from what I have heard.

Yeah... MN doesn't have a hippie hunting season.  :tongue:
Title: Re: Just how liberal is Austin, TX
Post by: BadCat on February 03, 2010, 09:47:14 AM
On the plus side, it has a great music scene, if you're into that.
Title: Re: Just how liberal is Austin, TX
Post by: IassaFTots on February 03, 2010, 09:52:30 AM
Truly, for me, the Hippie scene isn't that much of a drawback, I can ignore it.  All big cities in Texas are sanctuary cities, including Houston, so that wouldn't put one over the other. 

The geographical location of Austin, is much more desirable, because it is, well danged purty.  The Hill Country is some of the prettiest country I have seen. 

Houston CAN be nice, I suppose, if you are living in the right place, and you get a much better deal on gulf shrimp down there. 

Title: Re: Just how liberal is Austin, TX
Post by: Ralph Wiggum on February 03, 2010, 09:56:24 AM
On the plus side, it has a great music scene, if you're into that.

Absolutely.

And as IassaFTots mentioned, it's easy to avoid the hippies.
Title: Re: Just how liberal is Austin, TX
Post by: Texacon on February 03, 2010, 10:43:51 AM
Absolutely.

And as IassaFTots mentioned, it's easy to avoid the hippies.

It is easier to NOT avoid the hippies and on the Harley I can see them all the way up to the front tire!   :-)

KC
Title: Re: Just how liberal is Austin, TX
Post by: Thor on February 03, 2010, 12:08:37 PM
Thanks all...

might be a job opportunity. Houston or Austin. Either is more conservative than MN... but don't want to walk into hippie-ville either.

I don't know whether or not you have a MN Permit to Carry. If  you do, it's not valid here and Texas' carry laws are pretty hosed up when compared to MN's.
Title: Re: Just how liberal is Austin, TX
Post by: Traveshamockery on February 03, 2010, 02:54:10 PM
Well... that elminaties Austin! LOL

Living in Austin is great - you can always live in one of the little towns surrounding Austin.  Admittedly, my husband and I are not nightlife people but there is a lot to do if you choose to but then there are nice quiet areas and the area west of 360 (Capital of Texas Highway) is absolutely gorgeous.  Taxes in Austin and Travis County are high - Williamson County is just to the north and the taxes are still high but less than Travis.  And, no state income tax. 

My husband and I both grew up in Northern Indiana and moved here nine years ago this month.  He says he wants to die here, he loves it that much. 

I don't know if it is like this in other cities, but there is a place downtown called Auditorium Shores - it's where the Stevie Ray Vaughan statue is and it's right along Town Lake.  Anyway, there is a dog park where people bring their dogs and the dogs just run free.  No leashes.  Owners will throw balls and such into the water and you just see all those dogs swimming and running around. 

We have gone there to walk a few times and it's really kind of weird, but kinda neat to see, too.
Title: Re: Just how liberal is Austin, TX
Post by: Lord Undies on February 03, 2010, 03:11:49 PM
We use to share a house in Lakeway on Lake Travis.  I loved it there.  It looked like something off a European postcard.  We'd drive into Austin everyday to shop and lunch.  Otherwise, the entire day was geared for 5:00 O'clock Happy Hour and 7:00 O'clock Cocktail Time and the 1:00 AM bedtime so we could get up and do it all over again tomorrow.

Back in the late 70's and early 80's, everyone in Lakeway had a nice party barge or a boat.  There was a drive-in movie screen by the lake.  Everyone would pull their crafts in position and the movie would begin.  The booze and the BBQ would flow.  Good times.   
Title: Re: Just how liberal is Austin, TX
Post by: Thor on February 03, 2010, 03:13:36 PM
Taxes in Texas are high all over the place. 2+% property taxes, some places over 3%. They try to offset that raping by saying that Texas has no personal state income tax. However, if one owns a business, they get raped even more. Then, if one serves alcoholic beverages, the "sin tax" is almost outrageous at 14%. Yes, that's passed on to the customers, folks. Texas is not the great state I once knew and loved. The people are outright jerks here any more. I suppose that's because of the influx of damned Yankees. Ohhhh, and if you think that North Minneapolis is a bad area, Texas has a significant number of those areas. I inadvertently found one in Austin last summer. If you get out in rural Texas, it's a lot better than the metro areas. Seems that most of the REAL Texans have moved to the rural areas.
Title: Re: Just how liberal is Austin, TX
Post by: Traveshamockery on February 03, 2010, 07:01:13 PM
We use to share a house in Lakeway on Lake Travis.  I loved it there.  It looked like something off a European postcard.  We'd drive into Austin everyday to shop and lunch.  Otherwise, the entire day was geared for 5:00 O'clock Happy Hour and 7:00 O'clock Cocktail Time and the 1:00 AM bedtime so we could get up and do it all over again tomorrow.

Back in the late 70's and early 80's, everyone in Lakeway had a nice party barge or a boat.  There was a drive-in movie screen by the lake.  Everyone would pull their crafts in position and the movie would begin.  The booze and the BBQ would flow.  Good times.   

Lakeway is now kind of ritzy; not all of it but most of it.  Was the Oasis there then?  That's an experience.  Food's terrible but the view is awesome. 
Title: Re: Just how liberal is Austin, TX
Post by: IassaFTots on February 03, 2010, 08:06:23 PM
Taxes in Texas are high all over the place. 2+% property taxes, some places over 3%. They try to offset that raping by saying that Texas has no personal state income tax. However, if one owns a business, they get raped even more. Then, if one serves alcoholic beverages, the "sin tax" is almost outrageous at 14%. Yes, that's passed on to the customers, folks. Texas is not the great state I once knew and loved. The people are outright jerks here any more. I suppose that's because of the influx of damned Yankees. Ohhhh, and if you think that North Minneapolis is a bad area, Texas has a significant number of those areas. I inadvertently found one in Austin last summer. If you get out in rural Texas, it's a lot better than the metro areas. Seems that most of the REAL Texans have moved to the rural areas.

You must be coming to Dallas frequently.   :thatsright:

The good un's are still here, trying to figure out how to move to the rural areas. 

Don't get me started on the sin taxes. 
Title: Re: Just how liberal is Austin, TX
Post by: Lord Undies on February 03, 2010, 09:15:54 PM
Lakeway is now kind of ritzy; not all of it but most of it.  Was the Oasis there then?  That's an experience.  Food's terrible but the view is awesome. 

It was "ritzy" then too.  Our house was four bedrooms/three baths/gourmet kitchen with Jenn-air grill/two-story rock fireplace in the living room/game room with a bar....all built on two levels on the side of a hill overlooking the lake....just a great place to be back then.  No Oasis, tho.
Title: Re: Just how liberal is Austin, TX
Post by: bkg on February 03, 2010, 10:14:07 PM
Taxes in Texas are high all over the place. 2+% property taxes, some places over 3%. They try to offset that raping by saying that Texas has no personal state income tax. However, if one owns a business, they get raped even more. Then, if one serves alcoholic beverages, the "sin tax" is almost outrageous at 14%. Yes, that's passed on to the customers, folks. Texas is not the great state I once knew and loved. The people are outright jerks here any more. I suppose that's because of the influx of damned Yankees. Ohhhh, and if you think that North Minneapolis is a bad area, Texas has a significant number of those areas. I inadvertently found one in Austin last summer. If you get out in rural Texas, it's a lot better than the metro areas. Seems that most of the REAL Texans have moved to the rural areas.

I'd live in a rural area, if this pipe-dream comes true.

As for taxes - two points. MN is closing in on 2%, but we also have up to 9.4% income tax. I'll take high property taxes ANY DAY... at least it's tax deductable. Also, TX gets to deduct their spend on sales... we can't. I'll take TX taxes ANY day.  :cheersmate: