I've never understood the appeal of Florida. That being said, every one of our ancestors left somewhere to come to America. Whatever the old country might have been there's a common thread of being over whatever shit was going on there at the time. The difference of course is that the flight occurring today is basically superficial. And to leave one area where you have roots, kinfolk, to move, for what? In and out burger? It's a hell of a situation to be in.
The northeast Bronx has multi-generational families living in the same homes since the 1960s. The grocery store is out of a movie from the 1970s. There's litter but the people are friendly. I'm going to address the litter situation to the best of my ability.
Until a couple of months ago, I was pretty sure we were going to get some land in Florida. Then I started to have some thoughts similar to those you are expressing here, along with other reasons to consider staying. But I must say, the tax issue cannot so easily be discounted. Our property taxes are equal to our mortgage—effectively doubling the amount we are paying. Add in the income tax and it's A LOT of money. Money we could do other things with. Money that is funding our enemies. It's worth considering…
Quiet tenacity, and your decision to stay, is admirable.
But, it won't be enough; you need to fight, too. And /really/ fight. There's a problem with the Upstate conservative culture. Folks are too nice, too accomodating, too conditioned to playing second fiddle to the tidal wave from the left. That's got to be better.
Well said, this helps my cynicism about MN, I live in rural Northern MN, much the equivalent of Upstate NY. It’s extremely frustrating to be ruled by snooty suburbanites in a whole different ecological zone, but running away just cedes the cidiots more ground for cheap cabins
As a fellow North Country resident, this makes me very sad because I am one who absolutely loves this place. But their tax policy makes it very costly to run a business here. Though, the more I read you and others with the same ideas, the more I feel I should stay and fight. Alas.
So happy to find your writing through Paul Ks recommendation. My husband and I just returned home from our first ever trip to Upstate. We live in a coastal resort area of MA and want to buy an old farm property to move our family to so we can homestead. I guess we'd be abandoning the place we've grown up in -- but we have tried fighting and decided our effort is better spent somewhere rural where we can have land and animals. The city has come to our town and no one can or will stand up to all the money.
While in NY we learned about those property taxes, oh my! And that piece you wrote about the chamber of commerce... the description of the emptiness and faded grandeur perfectly captured my impressions even though I never drove through Utica. Lots of food for thought here, and beautifully written. --Clara
I've never understood the appeal of Florida. That being said, every one of our ancestors left somewhere to come to America. Whatever the old country might have been there's a common thread of being over whatever shit was going on there at the time. The difference of course is that the flight occurring today is basically superficial. And to leave one area where you have roots, kinfolk, to move, for what? In and out burger? It's a hell of a situation to be in.
The northeast Bronx has multi-generational families living in the same homes since the 1960s. The grocery store is out of a movie from the 1970s. There's litter but the people are friendly. I'm going to address the litter situation to the best of my ability.
And I am coming to stay with you!!!
Until a couple of months ago, I was pretty sure we were going to get some land in Florida. Then I started to have some thoughts similar to those you are expressing here, along with other reasons to consider staying. But I must say, the tax issue cannot so easily be discounted. Our property taxes are equal to our mortgage—effectively doubling the amount we are paying. Add in the income tax and it's A LOT of money. Money we could do other things with. Money that is funding our enemies. It's worth considering…
This whole article and the arguments which undergird it are exactly correct. Strategically and morally, we cannot retreat any longer
Quiet tenacity, and your decision to stay, is admirable.
But, it won't be enough; you need to fight, too. And /really/ fight. There's a problem with the Upstate conservative culture. Folks are too nice, too accomodating, too conditioned to playing second fiddle to the tidal wave from the left. That's got to be better.
Well said, this helps my cynicism about MN, I live in rural Northern MN, much the equivalent of Upstate NY. It’s extremely frustrating to be ruled by snooty suburbanites in a whole different ecological zone, but running away just cedes the cidiots more ground for cheap cabins
As a fellow North Country resident, this makes me very sad because I am one who absolutely loves this place. But their tax policy makes it very costly to run a business here. Though, the more I read you and others with the same ideas, the more I feel I should stay and fight. Alas.
So happy to find your writing through Paul Ks recommendation. My husband and I just returned home from our first ever trip to Upstate. We live in a coastal resort area of MA and want to buy an old farm property to move our family to so we can homestead. I guess we'd be abandoning the place we've grown up in -- but we have tried fighting and decided our effort is better spent somewhere rural where we can have land and animals. The city has come to our town and no one can or will stand up to all the money.
While in NY we learned about those property taxes, oh my! And that piece you wrote about the chamber of commerce... the description of the emptiness and faded grandeur perfectly captured my impressions even though I never drove through Utica. Lots of food for thought here, and beautifully written. --Clara