The blue-state exodus gains momentum

[DivineOb]

[QUOTE=rogue06;701790]I saw one on your list. Texas. The rest are purple or blue.

ETA: Oops. Two. Tennessee

Also New Mexico and Arizona.

Btw, can you please direct me to anyone here who has?

Sparko says

Look how happy they are in California!!!

His intent is clearly to mock.

[DivineOb]

The rule I've always heard is that Christians should give 10% of their income to the church. Some of you have inside knowledge about how many people do that. I too have inside knowledge since I lived with the church treasurer from the small church I used to attend in San Diego. Most don't give 10% and many don't come close. Once you accept that you'll understand why funding the government on a volunteer basis doesn't work.

ETA: The church I attended could not have existed without additional funding from whatever larger Lutheran organization was helping out.

[Sparko]

Do you think that's a good rejoinder? I consider it on par with "Clinton killed Harvey Weinstein" or somesuch.

huh?

I'm not a lawyer

Sorry, must be confusing you with someone else.

but I make good amount of money. I'm so lucky to have been born at the right time in the right place with the right family to get me into computers which just happened to be my passion. Perfect storm. Same with my brother. I don't think I'll ever hit the 1% though without getting another promotion and I don't see that in the cards.

Same here with computers and my career.

But I've voted for plenty of tax increases which hit me. And I'll do it again because that's how I give back to the system which has so richly rewarded me just for doing what I love. (Don't vomit when I write this) Paying taxes is patriotic despite what Trump says.

Again, nothing is stopping you and the other democrats from donating MORE than you owe. Be patriotic! Do you take deductions that you are due on your tax forms? That's unpatriotic.

The ACA was a big tax increase for me and I don't benefit from it (at least not directly) but I gladly pay it because I know that there are millions for whom it was a lifeline. I don't like spending so much on the military but I'm not as against it as you might think. I've seen enough explanation of why it's so high (e.g. salaries make up a huge chunk and you can't do much about those) and what we get in exchange for it. Aircraft carriers ain't cheap :).

If you think corruption is such a problem why don't we look at other countries where it is less of an issue and implement some of their reforms? Honest question. DEMAND MORE!

You are so virtuous! Thank you for supporting our military with your tax dollars so we can kill Iranian terrorists. Just remember to stop taking those deductions.

[Sparko]

Plenty of meth addicts in red states. Should I post pictures of them and laugh and point like Jesus would have?

I was talking about the homeless and poor, not meth addicts. And I wasn't laughing. What is wrong with you?

And if states that pay more taxes are happier, why isn't California one of the happiest states instead of one of the most miserable? It is a liberal run state full of liberals and socialists. So why are there so many poor people living on the streets? Why isn't liberalism working in the state that is the most liberal?

Maybe if California showed the rest of the states how much better liberal socialism was and turned their state into the paradise that Democrats claim liberalism will produce, then other states would follow suit. Instead they are proving the opposite.

[Sparko]

[QUOTE=DivineOb;701793]

I saw one on your list. Texas. The rest are purple or blue.

ETA: Oops. Two. Tennessee

Also New Mexico and Arizona.



Sparko says



His intent is clearly to mock.

I was mocking Starlight's claim, not the people.

[rogue06]

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[rogue06]

Also New Mexico

The state had long been considered leaning Democratic, or a state Hillary Clinton would win, due to its large population of Hispanic/Latino and Native American voters.

and Arizona

I was thinking they were purple what with being the home of the two biggest Never Trumpers (Flake and McCain) but I guess they're red.

[DivineOb]

I was talking about the homeless and poor, not meth addicts. And I wasn't laughing. What is wrong with you?

And if states that pay more taxes are happier, why isn't California one of the happiest states instead of one of the most miserable? It is a liberal run state full of liberals and socialists. So why are there so many poor people living on the streets? Why isn't liberalism working in the state that is the most liberal?

Maybe if California showed the rest of the states how much better liberal socialism was and turned their state into the paradise that Democrats claim liberalism will produce, then other states would follow suit. Instead they are proving the opposite.

Sounds pretty happy to me. At least not a socialist hellhole.

Turns out, California dreamin' really is the way to live. Cities in Cali snagged a whopping 12 (!!!) of the top 20 spots in WalletHub's 2017 rankings of Happiest Places to Live. That's right: Just one of the 50 states claims ownership of nearly two-thirds of the top 20 happiest cities.

Fremont, CA (in the San Francisco Bay Area) snagged the top spot, followed by San Jose and Irvine to round out a sunny top three. San Francisco, Huntington Beach, San Diego, Oakland, Santa Rosa, Chula Vista, Santa Clarita, Garden Grove, Anaheim, and Glendale also repped the Golden State in the top 20.

Also here.

The analysis ranked only Minnesota, Utah and Hawaii ahead of California. Nebraska came in after California, rounding out the top five happiest states, according to the study.

[Teallaura]

I saw one on your list. Texas. The rest are purple or blue.

ETA: Oops. Two. Tennessee

Also New Mexico and Arizona.

What metric are you using? NM is becoming more purple, granted, but it still bleeds a lovely blue. Arizona is similar, if memory serves.

His intent is clearly to mock.

Mocking you (which was closer to his, but I don't think his actual, intent) isn't the same thing.

In reality, it appears he found your statement false and offered a rather forceful rebuttal.

[Teallaura]

...
Sorry, must be confusing you with someone else.
...

Probably Watermelon - they have similar writing styles but Water is the attorney (works in contract law, I believe).

[Cow Poke]

My point is Sparko's response is just weak sauce.

You shoulda stopped there.

[Sparko]

Sounds pretty happy to me. At least not a socialist hellhole.

Turns out, California dreamin' really is the way to live. Cities in Cali snagged a whopping 12 (!!!) of the top 20 spots in WalletHub's 2017 rankings of Happiest Places to Live. That's right: Just one of the 50 states claims ownership of nearly two-thirds of the top 20 happiest cities.

Fremont, CA (in the San Francisco Bay Area) snagged the top spot, followed by San Jose and Irvine to round out a sunny top three. San Francisco, Huntington Beach, San Diego, Oakland, Santa Rosa, Chula Vista, Santa Clarita, Garden Grove, Anaheim, and Glendale also repped the Golden State in the top 20.

Also here.

The analysis ranked only Minnesota, Utah and Hawaii ahead of California. Nebraska came in after California, rounding out the top five happiest states, according to the study.

Sure it's great if you have money. But not so great for all of the people who can't afford simple housing because the prices are so high, or the people living and pooping in the streets. Where is all of the equality? Socialism and Liberalism claim to support wealth redistribution, free healthcare, that nobody should have to live on the street, yet the wealth divide in California is higher than anyplace else in the USA. You have millionaires and billionaires in Hollywood and Silicon Valley, while there are people living in tents a few miles away. Even the middle class can't afford houses in the big California cities. In LA and San Francisco, a typical 3 bedroom home that costs about $200K in most of the USA runs over a million.

[Sparko]

Probably Watermelon - they have similar writing styles but Water is the attorney (works in contract law, I believe).

OK. And he is in Australia?

[Cow Poke]

The rule I've always heard is that Christians should give 10% of their income to the church. Some of you have inside knowledge about how many people do that. I too have inside knowledge since I lived with the church treasurer from the small church I used to attend in San Diego. Most don't give 10% and many don't come close.

Have you seen that episode of Young Sheldon where he takes it upon himself to call the church membership about their giving?

And there's the "80/20" rule of which most of us in church are aware ---- 20% of the people give 80% of the money. (I'm beginning to think it's more like a 10/90 rule)

Once you accept that you'll understand why funding the government on a volunteer basis doesn't work.

It works GREAT at our Church - I don't know who gives what, and I make it a point not to know, but our needs are always met and we have plenty of opportunity to do community outreach.

ETA: The church I attended could not have existed without additional funding from whatever larger Lutheran organization was helping out.

Ours started out like that when I first got there - they actually were renting/sharing their building to a LUTHERAN congregation. Ultimately, the Lutherans built their own building, and our Church became self-sustaining.

[DivineOb]

Sure it's great if you have money. But not so great for all of the people who can't afford simple housing because the prices are so high, or the people living and pooping in the streets. Where is all of the equality? Socialism and Liberalism claim to support wealth redistribution, free healthcare, that nobody should have to live on the street, yet the wealth divide in California is higher than anyplace else in the USA. You have millionaires and billionaires in Hollywood and Silicon Valley, while there are people living in tents a few miles away. Even the middle class can't afford houses in the big California cities. In LA and San Francisco, a typical 3 bedroom home that costs about $200K in most of the USA runs over a million.

I agree California has problems, ones I'm not able to solve.

You said this

And if states that pay more taxes are happier, why isn't California one of the happiest states instead of one of the most miserable?

I assume you will now concede that this statement was erroneous.