Ain't Texas Great?

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Kevin

Kevin

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Bronze Member
Joined
Nov 5, 2007
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City & State/Province
Dallas, TX
I'm getting ready to get on on a plane here in Houston. Across from the gate is a Bass Pro Shop. Seriously!

And can you believe they were out of rim fire ammo also? I Couldn't even find a good single action.

Ok so the last part was sarcasm but really Bass Pro doesn't have a good selection of single actions anyway. Even stores not at the airport.

Every day Texas amazes me. I wasn't born here but came as fast as I could!

Oh. And the plane I'm on is going to Puerto Rico! Yahoo!!!
 
You got a job with Yahoo in Puerto Rico? :shock: :) Are you on vacation or business?

Academy has .22 most of the time but the bulk stuff is mainly for the 0800 folks. They have boxes of 50 but the American Eagle at less than $3/box is not usually there. I'll get there early soon.
 
If you are stuck in Illinois it ain't! That aside, I don't need to tell you to have a good time Kevin. Well I can tell you make sure to have a mojito while you are there and make a toast to us Iliinois bastiges:)

Pierow
 
I've been in the Houston airport and saw that Bass Pro shop, too... 5 hour layover.
 
Bass Pro in Kansas City has a terrible selection of single actions, in fact, the selection of revolvers in general is pretty bad, unless you like the .45-.410 revolvers, they always seem to have plenty of those.
 
Oh do not get me started on taxes Bobski. But yes no state income taxes help to balance it all.

But just to clarify I don't work for Yahoo. Puerto Rico is a vacation. My wife has to work so heck why not. My daughter and I are going to the beach. I'm fact as this is being written I am having a glass of Rum in the Sheraton hotel overlooking the pool and ocean beyond!
 
And just for the record, NJ has both...High property taxes. Higher than tx...AND...High income tax. And high sales tax.

But I don't think any here is clamoring to move to NJ.
 
I used to love paying all the tolls on the NJTP and others back in '69 as a E-3 making not much more than $100/month. :lol:

You drinking the 151?
 
Kevin said:
Oh do not get me started on taxes Bobski. But yes no state income taxes help to balance it all.
Click to expand...

Hi,

Ain't no free lunch, even in Texas! Every time I hear about that no state income tax thing, a former client comes to mind...

He was always good with the numbers, both in his job and personal life. Company transferred him to the Dallas area, along with his salary. He figured without the state income tax, he'd be able to put away a few more of those same dollars than he could here.

Well, about six months later he gave me a call. "Boy, Rick, I really misjudged that one..." the conversation began.

"How so?", I asked.

"When we got here, my wife and I bought essentially the same house we had in CA. Same size, same kinda neighborhood, same price. Then we got our property tax bill. It was scary. I had to sit down and do some figuring, but when I got done adding up my Federal taxes, CA state income taxes and property taxes before we moved, then compared 'em to our total taxes here, it did turn out we're saving money in TX. This year. Next year won't be so good, cuz the property taxes are going up."

"So how much did you save this year?", I continued.

"TWENTY whole dollars!"

Yup, it balances out, all right! And I wouldn't think for even a minute that "closeness" between tax burdens in the two States was coincidence! ;)

Rick C
 
I love threads like this that kind of wander around. Today I'm going to the Barcardi factory. They give free samples. I'll have a few in honor of the good people in Illinois!

But yes property taxes in Dallas and school tax. Holy cow. Rick Courtright nailed it. We aren't paying more than other places we've lived but we aren't saving any either (in regard to taxes that is)
 
Greed always finds ways to get more. I still like it here more than some of the more liberal states. I lived in 'Merryland' until '89 and am not going back. Even if I had a huge income I'd not live there or some of the other ones.
 
Rick,
Yep the taxes in the big cities do get a weeeeee bit high. City, County and School taxes vary with location. When you live in a growing area there is a need for more schools so high taxes. Live outside the smaller established communities and the taxes are lower with no city tax. Just depends what you want. We have never paid a City tax. :wink:
 
Wyandot Jim said:
Rick,
Yep the taxes in the big cities do get a weeeeee bit high. City, County and School taxes vary with location.
Click to expand...

Hi,

"Procedural" question, Jim: do all the counties and school districts send out separate bills, or is that just for some of the smaller ones. Here's why I ask:

Out here, my property tax bill comes on one page from the county tax collector. I send in one or two checks, depending on whether I want to pay the whole bill at once, or pay it half and half like most folks prefer. From there, the tax collector sends some of the money to Sacramento and keeps some of it locally. That which goes to Sacramento includes most of the funds allocated to school expenditures, and they divvy up the monies from there. Easy enough, I 'spose.

OTOH, a late client had purchased several (let's say 3) pieces of property in TX, thinking he'd retire and build on one of them, and sell the others to help pay for the construction. Sadly, he never made it... cancer got him a couple of years before his planned retirement. His widow, who'd never paid much attention to the family finances when he was alive, has had headaches keeping up with them ever since as to making sure the property taxes are all paid. The properties are in three counties, so she gets six bills a year, one from each county, one from each school district.

Is that two bills per county normal practice throughout the State, or just in smaller (less populated) areas? Seems, just for once, we might have an "easier' way out here? ;)

Rick C
 
I have a lot in Comal cty and my house in Guadalupe cty and it's one bill from each. Most of it goes to the respective school district. I'm p/o the NE San Antonio sprawl but in a different,smaller city. This city has control of the water and makes you pay for trash/recycle. Before we were incorporated,the water bill used to be payable to a cty entity and no mandatory trash/recycle.

My sales tax is 8.25%.

I believe WJ is a little west of Houston.
 
RIck,
Here in Dallas we get two separate bills. Property tax for Dallas and we pay school tax to Richardson because we are in their school district. We only live two blocks from Richardson.
 
Rick,
Our tax bill is a combined bill for County and School District taxes. Each County and School District has it's own tax value across the State. Since we have turned 65 our taxes do not increase. :D :D We can't pay ours semiannual they are due at one time.
We have our own well and septic so no charge there.
 
I love the state I live in. If I didn't, I would live elsewhere. Simple as that. Don't b1tch about someone else's state if you don't like the laws in your own. Lol.
 
Florida, You get ONE property tax bill that INCLUDES the school taxes, You can "Homestead" and get a $25K deduction on the assessment of your property. It's due in March or April (Month slips me because the Mortgage Company pays it.) Pay the total in November** and you get a NICE discount on the tax bill.
Florida has NO income tax and sales tax in Some counties is only 7%

** Yup, the Mortgage Company DOES pay the bill in November.
 
Rick Courtright said:
Kevin said:
Oh do not get me started on taxes Bobski. But yes no state income taxes help to balance it all.
Click to expand...

Hi,

Ain't no free lunch, even in Texas! Every time I hear about that no state income tax thing, a former client comes to mind...

He was always good with the numbers, both in his job and personal life. Company transferred him to the Dallas area, along with his salary. He figured without the state income tax, he'd be able to put away a few more of those same dollars than he could here.

Well, about six months later he gave me a call. "Boy, Rick, I really misjudged that one..." the conversation began.

"How so?", I asked.

"When we got here, my wife and I bought essentially the same house we had in CA. Same size, same kinda neighborhood, same price. Then we got our property tax bill. It was scary. I had to sit down and do some figuring, but when I got done adding up my Federal taxes, CA state income taxes and property taxes before we moved, then compared 'em to our total taxes here, it did turn out we're saving money in TX. This year. Next year won't be so good, cuz the property taxes are going up."

"So how much did you save this year?", I continued.

"TWENTY whole dollars!"

Yup, it balances out, all right! And I wouldn't think for even a minute that "closeness" between tax burdens in the two States was coincidence! ;)

Rick C
Click to expand...

Hi Rick.......I've heard of high property taxes in some areas of Texas too.
On the other hand, my taxes on 2-1/2 ACs, house and barn was running about $285 a year.
Got a notice a couple of months ago that they've dropped $12.
So I reckon it depends on where in Texas ya choose to live, and how ya choose to live.
Me?....you couldn't pour me into the big city, none of 'em...nor into any of them fancy "developments"....nor into any of them resort areas that's got golf courses, lakes 'n stuff. Way too many folks in too small of a space if ya ask me. Besides that, ya gotta pay way too much for what your actually getting, there's way too many restrictions on what you can do with what you do get...and like your friend found out...the dern taxes in them kind of places are way too high.

Heck, the last time I went into Houston, I had to pay a toll just to drive on a road that had allready been built with taxes....WTH is up with that?....I wouldn't be surprized if Dallas has some of those too. :roll: .

DGW
 
DGW; I'm not sure where you live in Texas but a couple weeks ago I drove from Dallas to Ft. Worth. It is construction almost the entire way. I'm not sure when it will be completed but I saw signs everywhere for toll roads. I'm not sure how it will work out but it appears as if the distance will be nothing but toll roads.

I'm not sure, however are the new toll roads financed completely out of tax dollars or are the a semi private sort of deal paid for with toll fees?
 
Well Kevin,
Way before your time here in Texas. The only toll road in Texas was between Dallas and Ft Worth. Was there in the 60s. IIRC once it was paid for the toll was canceled.

Kevin DWG lives in Cut-N-Shoot as in his Avatar. How can you not like a town named like that. I have heard many stories how it got it's name
 
Well, I live in a no income tax state, not too many other taxes either. 6% sales tax, real estate tax, that's about it. I live in the largest city, too. South Dakota, where the old saying goes "where men are men, and sheep are afraid". :mrgreen:

It does get a little chilly in the winter, tho. I'd willingly pay a bit more in taxes if they could figure out how to keep it a bit warmer in January. :mrgreen:
 
DGW...amen to all of that. I was in Junction over the weekend and it is so small and more relaxed. I live between San Antonio and New Braunfels and it is getting more packed-in by the day. People "discovered" this area and have been flooding-in for many years. The only thing I like is convenience to the many stores and the like. I'll be moving away before too long.

My taxes are many times higher than yours.
 
Come on you city dwellers. If you don't want to pay property tax, invest in a little more property. I did it, plant a little coastal Bermuda, have it hayed and then go Ag exempt. I have 19+ acres and really only pay tax on the value of the house which is homesteaded. It is about $280/year. You have to play the game. I also have a few mules/horses. I don't care if I had to pay $10,000/yr. I would live here long before I would live in New Jersey. It may be a great place but I don't want to live there. Sorry.

Karl
 
Kevin said:
I'm not sure, however are the new toll roads financed completely out of tax dollars or are the a semi private sort of deal paid for with toll fees?
Click to expand...

Most toll roads are built with revenue bonds issued by the toll road authority. They're paid for by the toll fees generated.

Bkat
 
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