The state with the “best business climate” may not be the “best state for employees”. The craphole states tend to fob off a lot of hidden costs on residents, that’s why they’re crapholes.
When I fled Texas for Washington State in 2006, my health insurance premiums dropped by 60%, property taxes were lower, sales tax was about equal to Texas, and both Texas and WA State lack an income tax.
You’ll never see an article in the WSJ explaining that.
Chevron is moving its company’s headquarters from San Ramon to Houston.
Today in Houston it’s 91 degrees, it was 104 degrees on Friday. I don’t know how much it costs for air conditioning because I don’t have air conditioning and have never needed it; another added cost.
I’m not an employee anymore, and all of my working years were spent in high cost regions. I wouldn’t want to advise current employees as where to live. Houston with climate change, 100 degree summers, robust hurricane activity, you can have it.
I look at the best places to live like Netflix as an analogy. If you didn’t buy it in 1998, you may not want to be there.
Chevron was always disliked in California with its dirty refineries, oil spills, and anti-environmental policies. They used to be located on Market Street in San Francisco. They had protestors in front of their beautiful headquarters building constantly with signs, noise, graffiti and many arrests. That is why they moved to San Ramon.
Good riddance to a bad company. The oil companies have moved and moving to Houston where there are no protestors. Bechtel’s oil and chemical engineering & construction services business line moved Houston over 30 years ago to be near their clients. I have been to Houston many times - it ain’t
I always feel sorry for any workers that need to move from California and live in Texas.
I worked my entire career in Pennsylvania and California. Bechtel wanted me to move to many places like Ukraine, Korea, Taiwan, Texas, South Carolina, Maryland, and Washington. I turned down all these assignments, except I did take temporary 6 months assignments in Maryland and Washington.
This always depends on what matters to you and how things are scored. The cNBC one seems heavy on social issues.
I’ll agree income tax and property tax are major considerations. Some states have stiff inheritance tax. Many states have personal property tax mostly on your vehicles, boat, aircraft, RVs, etc. Intangibles tax on investments. McMansion Tax when you sell. Title registration fees to collect from people transferred. Various license fees.
States need income from somewhere. Corporations probably get off by hiring lobbyists. Individuals need to be very careful.
Quality of life. Nice weather. Mountains. Beaches. Internet speed/quality. Time zone.
The interesting thing about crap hole states is how ignorantly self centered the older men who run them are. The sense of entitlement by those guys is hell to watch. The group of them might as well buy billboard space saying, “welcome to xyz we aim to screw up and get rich off your butts”.
But sort of forget ‘winters’. Sorry, as I get older I don’t like ‘cold’ and ‘snow’ and ‘blizzards’ and ‘white outs’ and roads full of salt all winter long. Six month winters.
Yeah, for 2-3 months a year up north you can go swimming in the lakes. So? That assumes it isn’t raining there either.
Texas is creating jobs left and right. Suburban Dallas growing by leaps and bounds. Obviously people are attracted to TX.
I lived in IL…25 below - 2 foot snow storms. Winds all the time. Nice 3 months of summer, but six months of winter. Cold, dark. Great if you like winter sports and go north for ice fishing. Snowmobiling. If that’s your thing.
Lived in NOVA (VA). Better but still long winters in DC area. No fun commuting. Same amount of taxes as in TX but collected differently.
Now in Dallas area. Haven’t found a better place I’d like to be all year long.
As to oceans/beaches…my recollection are trying to share a beach with 10,000 other people equally intent upon ‘being on the beach’… high prices…lots of big crowds. Expensive slow restaurants. Horrendous traffic jams getting to/from the beach. All to work on your tan and ‘be seen’. For some, that’s what they do.
This always depends on what matters to you and how things are scored. The cNBC one seems heavy on social issues.
Yes, social issues like being paid for hours worked. Not being subjected to capricious policies of the “JCs”. Michigan ranks 29th in their table. I have had a front row seat to how Michigan has underfunded education and infrastructure investment, taken money away from cities and counties, and raised taxes on average people, to pay for multiple waves of tax cuts for “JCs”.
Seems that one of the key factors of being “business friendly” is being able to cheat your employees and treat them like expendable meat.
Interesting take on the current noises “JCs” are making about supporting their employee’s access to abortion. The piece points out how, two years ago, “JCs” made a lot of noise about being inclusive, in the face of the BLM demonstrations. Is “JC” support of abortion access now the same as their public support for inclusion then, nothing but PR?
The bottom line is people need to go where they can find work, no matter how poorly they are treated, because the shiny economy is dependent on keeping people hip deep in debt. People put up with the treatment, because they have huge debts to pay and need the income.
As to oceans/beaches…my recollection are trying to share a beach with 10,000 other people equally intent upon ‘being on the beach’. Horrendous traffic jams getting to/from the beach.
Well, used to be more like a million people on our local beach, but nowadays it’s probably only a paltry 10 or 20 thousand. But jest about all take the subway, so no traffic to speak of.
