> In 2017 Portland ranked third. Now it has dropped to 66th out of 80. [1]
I am glad I got out. The entire west coast needs less Seattle chadzone, Portland protests, LA homelessness, SF crime and Berkeley wokeness.
The great thing about America is that we have states competing with each other and keeping in check. My hope is that west coast will become better in next decade after some self-introspection. I love the west coast and it is sad to see the decline :-(
[1] https://www.economist.com/united-states/2021/06/12/portland-...
> My hope is that west coast will become better in next decade after some self-introspection. I love the west coast and it is sad to see the decline :-(
The west coast is the way it is because they've always been boom towns. You could say "I hope Seattle learns it lessons!" when it has grown 25% in the last decade, there just isn't the feedback for that. And from this perspective, the west coast has been in decline since the mid 19th century. I'm actually glad it isn't perfect, or it would attract even more people!
That damn lone star is so common that it shows up in god damn furniture sets. How often are you getting a set of furniture where an apple is prominently featured in every piece because you’re buying something in Washington state?
In graduate school in Illinois, there was a guy from Texas, and he couldn't stop telling us (mostly europeans, but i'm from chicago) how Texas is better than everything.
We didn't understand. ¯\_(ツ)_/¯
I want to change the economic and political structure of the state, many folks here do, we're neither screaming liberals, nor very conservative either, when I can actually get folks to visit here, they're surprised by what they find, its not what they expect, and they usually like it, even if they dont want to live here (usually the weather does not suit them).
He released 10 years of tax returns [1], showing modestly high income. His disclosures in Congress - which he would be breaking the law if he lied about, e.g. Trump potential fraud - show higher net with real estate holdings. [2] Still probably 8 digitals starting with a $1 or less.
There are sources that says his father in law is worth $500mm. If you think the father in law will give the couple all his net worth that would put in maybe half way there generously based on that info. But that still doesn't compute with what you said even if misleading. [3] [4]
[1] https://www.texastribune.org/2019/04/15/texas-beto-orourke-2... [2] https://www.opensecrets.org/personal-finances/net-worth?cid=... [3] https://www.politifact.com/factchecks/2019/mar/14/club-growt... [4] https://www.forbes.com/sites/christopherhelman/2018/11/04/is...
Robert was defeated despite overwhelming publicity from out of state sources, and being backed by a father in law that 'conservatively' has a 500mm net worth (as of 2 years ago, during which time the S&P 500 has nearly doubled).
Texas was too smart for him.
If you are a woman who values access to healthcare, specifically abortion, he is very hostile to your wellbeing and interests.
But there are plenty of others who feel the exact opposite in Texas since obviously he is elected. Just brushing aside for a different thread arguing about lopsided representation lol.
Putting aside the politics, weather, and economic structure of Texas, the "mystical ethos" of Texas is the thing that really gets me, and I had to leave the state before I could get a good vision of it. The pervasive myth of Texas being larger-than-life, exemplified by the "I wasn't born in Texas but I got here as fast as I could" and persistently quoting "you may all go to hell, and I will go to Texas" is really something, and it seeps into everything. It's like taking American exceptionalism and raising it several more notches.