Thinking of Moving Back home to Sac - Tell me why I should, and shouldn't

#61
Btw, for the record, if I hadn't made it clear, I think the sales tax obsessives around here are bat poopoo crazy.
im realising that haha. I guess i have the luxery of viewing it from an international lens though. Given the rates here, in looking to relocate stateside, the sales tax rate doesnt really play a factor for me but that isnt discounting its importance. I guess if i was coming from a place that had maginally low rates to a region with higer rates it would be a cause of concern and pondering. I mean there are places stateside like Texas and Seattle where there is no individual income tax and sales taxes are around 9-10% thats absolutely eye popping for me once you take into account the cheapness of housing and cost of living compared to here.
 

VF21

Super Moderator Emeritus
SME
#62
I've held off commenting till now, but I caution you from a simple income/expenses standpoint:

Do you have a job lined up?
If not, why would you assume you'll be making much more than where you're at now?
The expenses in Sac are quite high compared to a typical job's pay.
$325 a month?
Ha - AFAIK, it's over a $1000/mo if you want a decent neighborhood and decent sized apartment.

Sacramento is in a 7-year-long depression, and no signs of coming out of it.
Business fail left and right - the occupancy rate on business properties is very low IIRC.
Most neighborhoods you drive by, there are numerous empty business, which wasn't typically the case when you left.

Sacramento is not nearly as prosperous as when you left in the 90's.
Most neighborhoods are worse off than they were then.

The traffic is MUCH worse than when you left. You'll be stunned.

There are typically a hundred applicants for every job opening - businesses know this and push their employees with no regard for proper employee relations or fairness. Someone else can always come in and take your job, making less than you did.

Sacramento is past its prime, quite clearly (as a lifelong resident).
I certainly wouldn't recommend anyone to come here without a good job lined up.
Wow. This is close to delusional. Sacramento is past its prime? Really?

I'm sorry but sometimes you truly worry me with your "glass is not only empty it's chipped and I'm going to cut my lip and die of blood poisoning" outlook.
 

Bricklayer

Don't Make Me Use The Bat
#63
im realising that haha. I guess i have the luxery of viewing it from an international lens though. Given the rates here, in looking to relocate stateside, the sales tax rate doesnt really play a factor for me but that isnt discounting its importance. I guess if i was coming from a place that had maginally low rates to a region with higer rates it would be a cause of concern and pondering. I mean there are places stateside like Texas and Seattle where there is no individual income tax and sales taxes are around 9-10% thats absolutely eye popping for me once you take into account the cheapness of housing and cost of living compared to here.
Oh, it strays into domestic politics, but just let me note that America has a rather extreme anti-tax fascination that doesn't line up well at all with all our other ambitions. My acquaintances in Europe were always bemused about what we'd complain about.
 
#64
im sure there is a graph you could find comparing international geographies where higher taxes corrolates to a better standard of living; education, healthcare. Most definetely segments of europe would be examples.
 
#66
MOVING DOWN ON THURSDAY!

Got a room rented in midtown, across the street from the Bee!

Have a job interview selling trenchless sewer systems on Friday!

Many other carpentry job offers as back up plans!

Getting a tow hitch put on my 91 Benz 420 (that I just bought) so I can haul a small trailer of my stuff!

I will see you all very soon!
 

Bricklayer

Don't Make Me Use The Bat
#68
MOVING DOWN ON THURSDAY!

Got a room rented in midtown, across the street from the Bee!

Have a job interview selling trenchless sewer systems on Friday!

Many other carpentry job offers as back up plans!

Getting a tow hitch put on my 91 Benz 420 (that I just bought) so I can haul a small trailer of my stuff!

I will see you all very soon!
They are eagerly awaiting you in the rooftop pool:

 
#71
You realize we are holding you to this. We would prefer it to be before the opening night game this year, with tickets provided to everyone that shows! ;)

Seriously, though. Congrats!
I'll have to clear it with my roommate... but yes. It would be amazing to finally put faces with all the handles around here. What a crazy thing that would be. I imagine I could put it together well before opening night... tickets I cannot promise... but you never know!
 
#73
Do they still have mornings
in Sacramento?
Will I be able to have,
and feel
a slow time, bright
and mine

I think there will still be
places
and moments
and regular things.

I know there are trees,
cause I've been before,
and remember
the river
and floating cotton in the air.

I never worried,
about the Sun in Sacramento,
I knew it was there,
and somehow knew
it would always
be waiting
if I ever came back.

And people
will be there too.
After twenty years gone I hear
how I talk,
when I hear them.

The subtle inflection
manner of speech
feels like a key

Some, when I meet them
will feel, with weird feelings
like parts of myself I have
been avoiding

Some will feel
like the sun
and others
like new parts
I forgot
 
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#77
Thank you! I arrived late last night, and my new roommate had saved me some pot roast.

Along with a full carload of stuff, most of it fairly neatly packed into plastic totes, I had a small green army issue ammo tin of sports cards that someone had recently given me as part of a trade. Just now I took them to a sports card shop in midtown. Although there were many famous and Hall of Fame level players, I didn't expect them to be worth much at all, and I was right. The nice guy eventually gave me $5 for the lot, save for a few more valuable ones I'll try to sell on Ebay. He was going to pass the deal on to one of his regular kids, same price, $5.

With a crisp $5 bill in hand, on a classic sunny fall day here in Sac, I decided to attempt a random act of kindness: drive around until I found a homeless person or person in need, and give the five dollar bill away. I do this for fun sometimes. I'm pretty sure I do it for selfish reasons: I simply enjoy the feeling it gives me to give a bit of money to someone I have no connection to, other than in that moment.

With all due respect to folks having financial or other difficulties, and, to whoever complained about Sacramento being "full of homeless people" or "past it's prime", after several wandering laps around midtown and downtown (caught a glimpse of the arena!), I returned home to my small shared apartment in Land Park, unable to accomplish my mission. I'm oddly disappointed.

Driving around Sacramento, looking for a homeless person to give money to (I'm sure there are some, I just didn't readily see any), allows one to see our city in a unique light. People are thriving. People are working. People are walking. People are not uptight. People are not frantic (except for the expected few cell phone talkers crossing a street).

I decided to do another experiment. In my car, right now, parked across the street, with my car unlocked, sits that crisp $5 bill, in fairly plain view to someone walking by. If it gets taken, I will be happy. If it sits undisturbed indefinitely, I'll be content.
 
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