I hate anyone with any variation of Texas in their screen name......

[SilverOrchid]

Cheer up.  You could be living in Fresno, CA. That's where I am at. 

[bkg]

MN state sales tax is .25 higher than TX.  6.50 % vs. 6.25%.....It sounds like MN does the screwin' three ways from Sunday.

Incorrect, my dear friend... MN sales tax is now ~7% thanks to yet another constitutional amendment dedicating 3/8% increase to the DNR to "save the lakes." I shit you not. Plus, depending on county/city taxes, it can be as high as 11% depending on what is purchased/where.

We're the #3-#6 taxed state, depending on where you look.

Those of you frustrated with high property taxes/sales tax in states that don't have income tax:
1 - YOU get to write off your sales tax. Those of us w/ state income taxes do not get to write off sales tax (violation of 14th?)
2 - Property taxes are a write-off as well. So even if they are 50% higher, that's still better than 8% income tax, is it not?

 

[Texacon]

Don't tout Texas' lack of state income tax. What Texas loses in state income tax, they make up through their sales taxes and property taxes. Grayson County has some of the highest property taxes in Texas, exceeding 2% of the property value in most cases. Minnesota was around 1% or sometimes less. In MN, the last house I owned cost 0.8% property tax. Where I live now is a little over 2½% (and it's value is far less than the house in MN. Did you know that if a place serves alcohol, they pay a 14% tax?? Then there's the 8.25% tax on everything except some foods. I always thought it was good that Texan didn't have a state income tax, but I was in the military for many years, so I never saw the reality of  how Texas screws their citizens. So, folks, while many people think Texas is so great, it's really not. The only good things around here is that property values are about 1/2 of that up in MN, depending on the property and one doesn't have to move snow around. 

But Thor ... if I make $10 million a year and choose to live in a hovel I can shelter a LOT of bucks.

KC

[Thor]

MN state sales tax is .25 higher than TX.  6.50 % vs. 6.25%.....It sounds like MN does the screwin' three ways from Sunday.

Ummm, where I'm at, the sales tax is 8.25%. I guess the county and cities have added some on top of the state sales tax, Undies, I dunno.  MN also has some counties that add a per cent or a portion of a per cent to their sales tax.

[Thor]

But Thor ... if I make $10 million a year and choose to live in a hovel I can shelter a LOT of bucks.

KC

IF you make 10 Million per year, I'm sure that taxes won't bother you!!! 

[Celtic Rose]

Cheer up.  You could be living in Fresno, CA. That's where I am at. 

We should have a Northern California meet up 

[THA HOUSTON PIMP IS IN DA HOUZ!]

Moving away from Texas is like losing a member of your family.  No sane person wants that.  You never really get over it, but you do learn to live with it.




When you're from Texas, people who you meet ask you questions like, "Do you have any cows?" It's nice to be able to say yes.

They ask you, "Do you have horses?"

Yup.

Bet you got a bunch of guns, eh?

Of course.

They all want to know if you've been to Southfork. They watched Dallas. Have you ever looked at a map of the world? Why sure you have. Look at Texas for me just for a second. That picture, with the Panhandle and the Gulf Coast, and the Red River and the Rio Grande is as much a part of you as anything ever will be. As soon as anyone anywhere in the world looks at it, they know what it is. It's Texas. Pick any kid off the street in Japan and draw him a picture of Texas in the dirt, and he'll know what it is. What happens if I show you a picture of any other state? You'll get it maybe after a second, but who else would? Even if you do, does it ever stir any feelings in you?

In every man, woman and child on this little rock the Good Lord put us on, there is somewhere in them a person who wishes just once he could be a real live Texan and get up on a horse or ride in a pickup. Did you ever hear anyone in a restaurant go, "Wow... so you're from Ok-la-homa. Cool. Tell me about it"? There is some bit of Texas in everyone. Do you know why? Because Texas is Texas.

Texas is the Alamo. Texas is 183 men standing in a church, facing thousands of Mexican soldiers, fighting for freedom, who had the chance to walk out and save themselves but stayed. We send our kids to schools named William B. Travis and Bowie, and do you know why? Because those men saw a line in the sand, and they decided to be heroes. John Wayne paid to do the movie himself. That is Texas.

Texas is Sam Houston capturing Santa Ana at San Jacinto. Texas is Texas Independence Day and Juneteenth. Texas is huge forests of piney woods like the Davy Crockett National Forest. Texas is breathtaking mountains in Big Bend. Texas is shiny skyscrapers in Houston and Dallas. Texas is oak and cedar trees, cactus, Bluebonnets and Indian Paintbrush in the beautiful Texas Hill Country. Texas is world record bass from places like Lake Fork. Texas is Mexican food like nowhere in the world, even Mexico. Texas is larger-than-life legends like Earl Campbell and Nolan Ryan, Denton Cooley and Michael DeBakey, Lyndon Johnson, George Bush, and George W. Bush, Willie Nelson and Buddy Holly. Texas is great companies like Dell Computer and Compaq. Texas is huge herds of cattle and miles of crops. Texas is skies blackened with doves and leases full of deer. Texas is the best Bar-b-que anywhere. Texas is a place where cities shut down for the Cowboys on Monday Night Football and the streets are deserted during church.

Texas is beaches, deserts, lakes and rivers, mountains and prairies.

By federal law, Texas is the only state in the U.S. that can fly its flag at the same height as the U.S. flag. Think about that for a second. You fly the Stars and Stripes at 20 feet in Maryland, or California, or Maine, and your state flag goes at 17. You fly the Stars and Stripes in front of Pine Tree High in Longview, Texas, at 20 feet, and the Lone Star flies at 20 feet. Our capitol is the only one in the country that is taller than the capitol building in D.C. We signed those in as part of the deal when we came on. Texas was its own country. The Republic of Texas. Every time I think of all these things I tear up. All of them make you proud to be a Texan.

Daaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaammmmmmmmmmmmnnnnnnnnnnnnnn, that was good.

Please tell me you wrote this yourself.

God, I love Texas.

 

[NHSparky]

Incorrect, my dear friend... MN sales tax is now ~7% thanks to yet another constitutional amendment dedicating 3/8% increase to the DNR to "save the lakes." I shit you not. Plus, depending on county/city taxes, it can be as high as 11% depending on what is purchased/where.

We're the #3-#6 taxed state, depending on where you look.

Those of you frustrated with high property taxes/sales tax in states that don't have income tax:
1 - YOU get to write off your sales tax. Those of us w/ state income taxes do not get to write off sales tax (violation of 14th?)
2 - Property taxes are a write-off as well. So even if they are 50% higher, that's still better than 8% income tax, is it not?

 

State income taxes are also deductible off your federal return.  Small consolation, but there it is.

Bottom line, there's not a terrible amount of difference whether one is 1st or 50th in terms of state/local tax burden.  The state, regardless of which one you live in, is going to get their money SOMEWHERE.  New England states are notorious for "neighbor taxes", such as NH's 9 percent meals/rooms tax (was 8 percent).  I refer to them as "buddy-f'r" taxes.

And Thor, despite your pontification, ya'll have little to gripe about, comparatively speaking.  Texas is 43rd in terms of local/state tax burden.

http://www.taxfoundation.org/taxdata/show/335.html

Pick your state from the drop-down.

[Chris_]

Daaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaammmmmmmmmmmmnnnnnnnnnnnnnn, that was good.

Please tell me you wrote this yourself.

God, I love Texas.

 

Nope, don't know who did write it.  I can just hear Hank Hill recite it though.

[thundley4]

Remember:  if Texas ever left the union: In case of a foreign invasion, we have the Texas National Guard and the Texas Air National Guard. We don't have an army but since everybody down here has at least six rifles and a pile of ammo, we can raise an army in 24 hours if we need it. If the situation really gets bad, we can always call DPS and ask them to send over a couple Texas Rangers.

Remember if Texas ever left the union: We have enough colleges to keep us going: U.T., Texas A&M, TCU, Texas Tech, Rice, SMU, University of Houston, Baylor, UNT, Texas Women's University, etc. Ivy grows better in the south anyway.

Remember if Texas ever left the union:  We have control of the paper industry, plastics, insurance, etc.

Remember if Texas ever left the union: Computer Industry - we currently lead the nation in producing computer chips and communications: Small places like Texas Instruments, Dell Computer, EDS, Raytheon, National Semiconductor, Motorola, Intel, AMD, Atmel, Applied Materials, Ball Semiconductor, Dallas Semiconductor, Delphi, Nortel, Alcatel, Etc, Etc…

Remember if Texas ever left the union: Defense Industry. (We have over 65% of it) The term "Don't mess with Texas," will take on a whole new meaning.

Remember if Texas ever left the union: We are totally self sufficient in beef, poultry, hogs and several types of grain, fruit and vegetables and lets not forget seafood from the Gulf. And everybody down here knows how to cook them so that they taste good.

Remember if Texas ever left the union: We refine over 85% of the gasoline in the United States.

Remember if Texas ever left the union: Health Centers - We have the largest research centers for Cancer research, the best burn centers and the top trauma units in the world and other large health planning centers.

Remember if Texas ever left the union: NASA is just south of Houston, Texas. (We will control the space industry.)

Remember if Texas ever left the union: Natural Gas - Again we have all we need and it's too bad about those northern states.

Remember if Texas ever left the union: Oil - we can supply all the oil that the Republic of Texas will need for the next 300 years. yankee states? Sorry about that.

Remember if Texas ever left the union:  since you won't have the refineries to get gas for your cars, the rest of the United States will have to walk or ride bikes. You won't have any TV, as the space center in Houston will cut off your communications. You won't have any natural gas to heat your homes but since we have predicted global warming, you will not need the gas.

[bkg]

State income taxes are also deductible off your federal return.  Small consolation, but there it is.

Bottom line, there's not a terrible amount of difference whether one is 1st or 50th in terms of state/local tax burden.  The state, regardless of which one you live in, is going to get their money SOMEWHERE.  New England states are notorious for "neighbor taxes", such as NH's 9 percent meals/rooms tax (was 8 percent).  I refer to them as "buddy-f'r" taxes.

And Thor, despite your pontification, ya'll have little to gripe about, comparatively speaking.  Texas is 43rd in terms of local/state tax burden.

http://www.taxfoundation.org/taxdata/show/335.html

Pick your state from the drop-down.

hTrue, we can deduct state. But I likely spend as much as a texan on sales tax which I can't deduct, so I'm getting hit twice. But it is what it is.


Rental car taxes are 35%+ at the airpoirt. My garbage collection tax is over 30% as well. I kid you not.

At least I have crappy weather!

[RobJohnson]

TexasSchade checking in! 

 

[Schadenfreude]

What say you TexasRob....would it not drive LABeg nuts?

[RobJohnson]

What say you TexasRob....would it not drive LABeg nuts?

TexSchade, isn't the weather great today in Texas?

[NHSparky]

What say you TexasRob....would it not drive LABeg nuts?

Oh, she hasn't been there long enough.  If you've lived behind the Orange Curtain for a while, you learn to hate all things LA.

But, and I will help her out, I DO know where there's a SONIC.  Possibly the only one for hundreds of miles.

[Schadenfreude]

TexSchade, isn't the weather great today in Texas?

It's Texasgreat weather TXRobGuy! A TexPerfect TexasKinda TXday!

[NHSparky]

Are you people TRYING to drive her to suicide?  I wash my hands of the whole sordid affair.

[Schadenfreude]

Oh, she hasn't been there long enough.  If you've lived behind the Orange Curtain for a while, you learn to hate all things LA.

But, and I will help her out, I DO know where there's a SONIC.  Possibly the only one for hundreds of miles.

I think she is already to the point of hatin.

[Schadenfreude]

Are you people TRYING to drive her to suicide?  I wash my hands of the whole sordid affair.

I know her well enought to know this will make her at least smile.

[RobJohnson]

On a serious note, when it comes to online friends, BEG is the cream of the crop, the best of the best. If she or her family ever needed my help, I would be on a plane to get there right away. The whole situation (having to move, etc) just sucks. I wish there is something that would make it better for her right now.

[Texacon]

Oh, she hasn't been there long enough.  If you've lived behind the Orange Curtain for a while, you learn to hate all things LA.

But, and I will help her out, I DO know where there's a SONIC.  Possibly the only one for hundreds of miles.

But do you know where a;

Whataburger is?

Texas Burger is?

Texas Roadhouse is?

HEB is?

Brookshire Bros. is?

Statue of Sam Houston is?

Alamo is?

Anyone else want to add to the list?  I'm sure there are more.  If we can point these things out to BEG in the LA area .... she'll be very happy!

 

KC

[NHSparky]

But do you know where a;

Whataburger is?

Texas Burger is?

Texas Roadhouse is?

HEB is?

Brookshire Bros. is?

Statue of Sam Houston is?

Alamo is?

Anyone else want to add to the list?  I'm sure there are more.  If we can point these things out to BEG in the LA area .... she'll be very happy!

 

KC

Having lived in NM, I can safely say I've been to at least half those...

[NHSparky]

And just for the record, RANGERS SUCK.

[Texacon]

And just for the record, RANGERS SUCK.

We talking baseball or law enforcement here?

Be very careful how you answer ..... Chuck Norris just lives 60 miles from me!

 

KC

[NHSparky]

We talking baseball or law enforcement here?

Be very careful how you answer ..... Chuck Norris just lives 60 miles from me!

 

KC

I speak as an Angels fan.  BTW--RED SOX SUCK WORSE.