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Can you explain this a bit? Is this unusual compared to other states?
NM is one of the least tax friendly states for retirees. Green is good, blue is bad. White is mixed.
I think they'd do well to attract more retirees. The year round weather in much of the state is better than all but the southern CA coast IMO. But I guess most retirees just want to get away for the winter, and AZ and FL are good for that.
I think most NM retirees don't make enough in SS benefits to meet the tax threshold, so most retirees here on SS do not pay state tax or pay very little. Property taxes remain pretty low in NM compared to many other states.
If it shows up on US 1040 as taxable income, it gets taxed by NM as well. Many states do the same thing. Many states don't.
Ok, so I'm not sure this wouldn't really help a whole lot. NM could do away with the tax and sure, it would help a little but how much would it really improve the economy? I'm not sure the tax situation is the key.
Comparing NM with the other states who tax benefits, what are the differences? Do those other states have a bigger GDP per capita and if so, why?
Once I am done figuring my federal tax, the NM state tax seems really paltry by comparison. I would gladly pay more state tax. I don't know why people would make an issue of it or decide not to retire here because of it. It's a pittance. If you are a wealthy retiree with lots of income, sure, you'll pay more, but you won't miss it.
Ive visited NM many times, from where we were living in Texas. Lately we've been passing through so we could winter in Az.High crime is number one problem. The mountains are pretty, but the rest is bone dry and ugly. The taxes are high, they have an oppressive govt, most of the state highways are in bad shape. And now worst of all maybe, the state passed a bill called the replacement energy act, which will end the use of fossil fuels for public utilities. Hello, high utility cost. I wonder what they will do for power at night?
Finally, I checked the Abg newspaper for verification. The article was full of lies about utility costs. On one hand it said costs will go up, yet claimed solar was much cheaper? So the main newpaper in the state sucks too
I lived in Phoenix, AZ for 3 LONG years. It is absolutely bone dry, ugly, hot as heck and the people are always angry. I would not go back or "winter" there for any reason. I went there last year to visit family that is trapped there, and the crime is so rampant. The hotel I stayed in, a good hotel, was full of seedy people and obvious illegal immigrants. I am Hispanic, and I recognize that not all immigrants are bad people, but many are not good people (they run away from Latin American with criminal pasts)
People naturally want to come across like where they live is perfect and their life is perfect. If Albuquerque is working for some, great! In my experience people in Albuquerque are mean and they make excuses for the extreme crime, and poverty. It's become exceptionally worse since the pandemic. I think it's sad that people compare crime rates, it's nothing worth comparing, it's really bad here. Just yesterday there was a shooting in a school parking lot that sent children runningfor their lives, I'm sure people will make excuses for why that's okay, when it's not okay!!! People run red lights like it's a competition here. People take no pride in taking care of this city. If anything worthwhile comes through it doesn't last because no one cares about it. Lazy people pollute the city. Albuquerque does suck!! New Mexico is ruined by the *******s that think it's cool to be an *******. They don't realize that *******s are only good for ****ting, that's nothing to be proud of. If people could learn to be nice and not so full of themselves, this might be a pleasant place to live.
People naturally want to come across like where they live is perfect and their life is perfect. If Albuquerque is working for some, great! In my experience people in Albuquerque are mean and they make excuses for the extreme crime, and poverty. It's become exceptionally worse since the pandemic. I think it's sad that people compare crime rates, it's nothing worth comparing, it's really bad here. Just yesterday there was a shooting in a school parking lot that sent children runningfor their lives, I'm sure people will make excuses for why that's okay, when it's not okay!!! People run red lights like it's a competition here. People take no pride in taking care of this city. If anything worthwhile comes through it doesn't last because no one cares about it. Lazy people pollute the city. Albuquerque does suck!! New Mexico is ruined by the *******s that think it's cool to be an *******. They don't realize that *******s are only good for ****ting, that's nothing to be proud of. If people could learn to be nice and not so full of themselves, this might be a pleasant place to live.
It's not a matter of making excuses, it's a matter of not blowing things out of proportion or pretending that it's just Albuquerque. Shootings happen all over the country. This year there have been shootings at upscale malls in Atlanta where people went screaming for their lives, and in tony Boulder, Colorado as well. The entire country has a violent crime problem. Booming cities such as Nashville and Dallas have way worse issues with crime than Albuquerque. People like you have issues with the city beyond crime and you spout off against the city the way you do because you just don't like it here for whatever reason. Albuquerque isn't perfect but it for damn sure isn't the worst city or the awful place you're trying to portray it as. I'm sick of people like YOU in this city and on this board.
I first moved to Albuquerque, NM in August of 1999. Left after 5 months and returned more or less permanently in September of 2012...
My thoughts...
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Just my .02 cents...
What an amazing post! We've visited 5 times, long visits not as tourists but checking out what it would be like to live there day to day... Of course we've heard all about the crime, and it does seem different from what we're used to. Where we live people go out of their way to give you stuff, like if they find a $20 on the ground and you happen to be in front of them walking, they're likely to rush after you and shove the 20 at you, saying, "Oh! You dropped this!" And they bend over backward to help you if they can. There is something magical about living in a place like this, and it's not easy to let it go. I didn't grow up here, so I know this is special. But still...
Your post sounds balanced, real. It feels like what we've experienced as well. It's super encouraging as we're just about ready to move to the ABQ region. It's been a long time coming, and god knows if we're going to do it in winter, but if that's how it ends up, here we come.
Thanks for your detailed post. That kind of thoughtful writing takes time, and I'm grateful you took that time!
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