Can my state taxes really be 6x my federal?

[Koolau]

You are lucky you don't live in Hawaii. We're going to have to pay for a rail boondoggle. Honolulu built a rail that was designed for 119,600 boardings per day, but was estimated to get about 84,000 per day when the line is shortened. Actual ridership is 2000-3000 per day. Taxpayers get to pay for the excess, even those of us who live on different islands and get no benefit!

Yeah, this is my favorite sore subject. IIRC you (on Big Island) don't pay the extra 0.5% on (virtually) all purchases in General Excise Tax (GET) which is more or less equivalent to sales tax. We on Oahu get to pay that. No telling what taxes will soon be added to pay for the bonds or other loans that will soon come due. At $10K/man, woman and child on the Island, I suspect our taxes will increase dramatically at some point. I'm just glad I don't have earned income. That's where the big taxes come in. YMMV

 

[Time2]

"I have just one word for you. Just one word."

Alaska, Florida, Nevada, South Dakota, Tennessee, Texas, Washington, and Wyoming.
Oops.

 

[Koolau]

"I have just one word for you. Just one word."

Alaska, Florida, Nevada, South Dakota, Tennessee, Texas, Washington, and Wyoming.
Oops.

None of these would w*rk for me. I gave away all my winter clothes. (Before you mention Florida, I was there in January of '77. Gainesville was (IIRC) 22 degrees F.) YMMV

 

[Brook2]

"I have just one word for you. Just one word."

Alaska, Florida, Nevada, South Dakota, Tennessee, Texas, Washington, and Wyoming.
Oops.

A new reason why people might decide what state to live in (go to school, transfer jobs) - might be more important than taxes. Now you have to decide if you want to live in a state where you are allowed to decide when you want to start a family. Then that list gets shorted very fast.

 

[Wile E. Coyote]

None of these would w*rk for me. I gave away all my winter clothes. (Before you mention Florida, I was there in January of '77. Gainesville was (IIRC) 22 degrees F.) YMMV

I visited Oahu and Maui a handful of times during my youth. I always overpacked. I realized that outside of the snorkel gear I could have just taken a bathing suit, shorts a top and flip flops. If you take quick dry stuff you could probably just put it in your purse and go without any luggage at all.

My problem was I got serious Island Fever after 7 days of a 9 day trip. I just cannot live on an island.

 

[Koolau]

I visited Oahu and Maui a handful of times during my youth. I always overpacked. I realized that outside of the snorkel gear I could have just taken a bathing suit, shorts a top and flip flops. If you take quick dry stuff you could probably just put it in your purse and go without any luggage at all.

My problem was I got serious Island Fever after 7 days of a 9 day trip. I just cannot live on an island.

Heh, heh, I always advise people to pack light when coming to Hawaii. Bring a swim suit you like. Bring underwear that fits. Other than that, you can buy anything you want/need and leave it or take it home with you. Easy/peasy. YMMV

 

[anothercog]

After going to a Kaiser medicare seminar today - I realize I wouldn't want to move to any state that does not have Kaiser. So I guess one benefit of living CA is Kaiser (I know they are in some other states too). I've been with them for over 30 years. They are affordable, and interested in keeping me healthy. I can email my doctor, have online appointments, and now just learned they are including YMCA membership. Most healthcare stories I hear about other insurance companies are terrible...it's as if they punish you for trying to use their services. I helped a friend go to common preventative health care (test) appt that BlueCross said was supposed to be free, but when we got there, the 3rd party contractor demanded $150. My friend didn't expect to be paying for anything. I can see why people get enraged with health insurance companies. Kaiser lives in a whole different universe.

Good to know. I have a EPO insurance through work that I have been happy with but we would probably move to a Kaiser HMO in early retirement.

 

[teej1985]

None of these would w*rk for me. I gave away all my winter clothes. (Before you mention Florida, I was there in January of '77. Gainesville was (IIRC) 22 degrees F.) YMMV

Las Vegas requires winter clothes?

 

[teej1985]

I visited Oahu and Maui a handful of times during my youth. I always overpacked. I realized that outside of the snorkel gear I could have just taken a bathing suit, shorts a top and flip flops. If you take quick dry stuff you could probably just put it in your purse and go without any luggage at all.

My problem was I got serious Island Fever after 7 days of a 9 day trip. I just cannot live on an island.

I lived on Maui for 9 months! No regrets.

If i moved to Hawaii again, I think I'd pick Oahu just because there is more to do, though maybe I would consider one of the other islands. No island fever for me.

 

[Wile E. Coyote]

I lived on Maui for 9 months! No regrets.

If i moved to Hawaii again, I think I'd pick Oahu just because there is more to do, though maybe I would consider one of the other islands. No island fever for me.

I know. It was completely unexpected and weird. But, I am also claustrophobic. So, maybe there is a correlation.

 

[Koolau]

Las Vegas requires winter clothes?

Don't have a lot of experience with LVNV but I know from experience the desert can get quite cold at night. I did some w*rk on a cotton farm in early spring in southern AZ. In the morning - just before sunrise, there was ice hanging from the spray rigs. By afternoon it was 80, so it varies and YMMV.