Magnum
Well-known member
Hey all,
Thinking about leaving Illinois , the democrats have drug this state down so far that I doubt there is any possible way to recover. The property taxes are out of control, we pay over $1,000 per month for our home on 1 acre, it's a decent house that suits our needs , purchased in 2016 for about $250k but my taxes are as much as the mortgage . there will be no return for taxes paid, it funds Chicago - a crime ridden cesspool of corruption and liberal agenda, it isn't even safe to venture into Chicago and if I were so inclined would not be allowed to defend myself as I would deem necessary . our gun rights are trampled on and our infrastructure is crumbling, pensions for state employees are through the roof with no way to catch up and the climate here sucks- we have 2 seasons, frozen shithole & surface of the sun. Hell, I can't even hunt here, the costs are high, public hunting ground is in seriously short supply and infested with morons and using a rifle is not permitted at all.
I moved to Tennessee in 2005 , before I had a wife and kids and liked it but had issues making an honest living. I worked for a good size auto repair shop in pigeon forge (lots of tourists ) but had an hour commute each way and could only net about $300 a week, I had to leave, it drove me into debt and destroyed everything I had up to that point.so I returned to Illinois where I had connections and was fairly well known in the automotive repair community. I've done well here and have had more business than I can handle but every penny made is taxed to oblivion and I figure I'd happily accept less money if I gave less to government , it equals out.
My family is at a crossroads right now. Brought on by the Chinese flu thing and further exasperated by a sever illness in the family, not my immediate family but my wife's sister watches my kids during the week and her husband was diagnosed with cancer last month and can no longer handle her situation along with my 1 year old & 3 year old. It's sad, my wife can not stay home with the kids, she's the bread winner & insurance holder for the family and my income has been down since the covid stuff started, people aren't driving and don't have car repair money,this isn't the end of the world but to pay a full time nanny would make no sense - if I worked all week I would only clear a few hundred dollars after paying a nanny, that's trading money for money. I'm not interested in that. Daycare is out of the question with the kung flu , not only are they not accepting more kids but they're over crowded as parents need to work and schools aren't opening here. A bit of a perfect storm.
Best thing I can come up with is to move to an area with lower taxes , have my wife work and have me stay home with the kids until they're school age and all this stuff has blown over (hopefully). I could still make money part time doing repairs from my home at night or on the weekends if needed but I want to change professions anyway, the human body can only turn a wrench for so many years until there's nothing left. At 36 I still have time to avoid some of the damage I'd take if I try to do auto repair another 20 years+,that's a topic for another time. I also still have time to get into a better profession that I can do another 30 years.
Kind of long winded but that's what's on my mind. Where would you guys think is a nice place to live with lower taxes and not in a liberal wasteland where my family can prosper without the crippling regulations and taxation of the leftist scum that's infested our fine country? Gun friendly, good schools and that's not headed to hell in a handbasket.
Thinking about leaving Illinois , the democrats have drug this state down so far that I doubt there is any possible way to recover. The property taxes are out of control, we pay over $1,000 per month for our home on 1 acre, it's a decent house that suits our needs , purchased in 2016 for about $250k but my taxes are as much as the mortgage . there will be no return for taxes paid, it funds Chicago - a crime ridden cesspool of corruption and liberal agenda, it isn't even safe to venture into Chicago and if I were so inclined would not be allowed to defend myself as I would deem necessary . our gun rights are trampled on and our infrastructure is crumbling, pensions for state employees are through the roof with no way to catch up and the climate here sucks- we have 2 seasons, frozen shithole & surface of the sun. Hell, I can't even hunt here, the costs are high, public hunting ground is in seriously short supply and infested with morons and using a rifle is not permitted at all.
I moved to Tennessee in 2005 , before I had a wife and kids and liked it but had issues making an honest living. I worked for a good size auto repair shop in pigeon forge (lots of tourists ) but had an hour commute each way and could only net about $300 a week, I had to leave, it drove me into debt and destroyed everything I had up to that point.so I returned to Illinois where I had connections and was fairly well known in the automotive repair community. I've done well here and have had more business than I can handle but every penny made is taxed to oblivion and I figure I'd happily accept less money if I gave less to government , it equals out.
My family is at a crossroads right now. Brought on by the Chinese flu thing and further exasperated by a sever illness in the family, not my immediate family but my wife's sister watches my kids during the week and her husband was diagnosed with cancer last month and can no longer handle her situation along with my 1 year old & 3 year old. It's sad, my wife can not stay home with the kids, she's the bread winner & insurance holder for the family and my income has been down since the covid stuff started, people aren't driving and don't have car repair money,this isn't the end of the world but to pay a full time nanny would make no sense - if I worked all week I would only clear a few hundred dollars after paying a nanny, that's trading money for money. I'm not interested in that. Daycare is out of the question with the kung flu , not only are they not accepting more kids but they're over crowded as parents need to work and schools aren't opening here. A bit of a perfect storm.
Best thing I can come up with is to move to an area with lower taxes , have my wife work and have me stay home with the kids until they're school age and all this stuff has blown over (hopefully). I could still make money part time doing repairs from my home at night or on the weekends if needed but I want to change professions anyway, the human body can only turn a wrench for so many years until there's nothing left. At 36 I still have time to avoid some of the damage I'd take if I try to do auto repair another 20 years+,that's a topic for another time. I also still have time to get into a better profession that I can do another 30 years.
Kind of long winded but that's what's on my mind. Where would you guys think is a nice place to live with lower taxes and not in a liberal wasteland where my family can prosper without the crippling regulations and taxation of the leftist scum that's infested our fine country? Gun friendly, good schools and that's not headed to hell in a handbasket.