Originally Posted By: NHHEMI
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Massachusetts is a prime example of a state I would NOT move to because of politics. They legislate EVERYTHING and tax you to death on EVERYTHING. It is basically little California. I have family and friends that live there. You couldn't pay me to live in MA even though I only live 15 miles from the border. The taxes my Sister pays are staggering. I about
when I saw what she pays a year in income/property tax never mind sales tax. The things she must do( or can't do )as a result of legislating every issue to death would drive me insane as well. I just could not live in MA because of the way political ideaology impacts the way of life.
I have lived in New Hampshire my whole life( 44 years ). NH used to be a conservative state. That changed in the last 10-15 years as people from liberal states moved here to escape the issues there. Unfortunately, they voted in the same types here that caused the issues in their former states.
NH has never had a sales or income tax; just local property taxes. The property taxes were high but not crazy. Our state always broke even or had a budget surplus, no crazy laws making daily life a chore, schools were well funded and provided a very good education, low crime rates, and our roads were all well maintained and so on. We now have massive budget deficits, annual attempts to institue income and sales taxes( failed to this point ), crazy new laws they want to pass or have passed every time you turn around, our roads and schools are heading down the [censored], and some of our bigger cities are turning into ghettos with lots of crime. It is a mess here and nothing like the state I grew up in.
So, to me, the politics of a state do matter as I have seen how both sides of the political specturm effect the residents of a state. I still love it here mainly due to being near the coast( I would shrivel up and die if I couldn't smell saltwater )and because we still have a lot of rural areas( not a city fan ). Politics, and their effect on my life, is an almost daily issue causing me stress and annoyance. Never used to be that way. I can pin point when everything changed and it is politics related.
No offense but how can anyone say politics doesn't matter when chosing where to live? And again I apologize if this was too "political". Not intended to be. Rather just the observations from someone who has seen the results of a dramatic shift from one political ideology to another in the same state.
A life long NH resident bashing MA is nothing new. Hows your property taxes up there with the (your words) "massive budget deficits"? To suggest property taxes are more in MA vs NH is utterly false, and you know it. Per 1,000 is way more up there. Its basically your only state revenue. Your real estate has far less valuation than MA, so property taxes seem smaller on paper. Because of the low valuation to its primary revenue, your state is sinking in debt.
Whats odd in your response is you praise the lack of income and sales tax, but condemn it for (your words) massive budget deficits.
Southern NH is mostly Ma residents that migrated north for a cheap house, but migrate south to work every day. Yeah income tax, but higher pay.
To be clear, not saying either state is better than the other. I shop in southern NH
Out of the two I choose Maine!
PS: Not going politico here, don't want to. But it should be noted we are quickly becoming Independents!