Talking Utah taxes to a guy from California is laughable.
oh really? the legislature here has raised taxes 6 years in a row, despite having budget surpluses in each of those years. We are now taxed on all online sales, as always groceries, and I am sure the legislature is already plotting the next tax increase. My jordan school taxes have went up 17.3% in the last 2 years.
the Mormon deal is way way overplayed. OF course I am a member myself. The church teaches us to be nice and welcoming to others regardless of faith. If a member is not they are not living up to their beliefs. As for kids. when it comes to school in my area it seems like the entire school none of the kids there are members. at least most don't act that way. which I am not very happy about honestly. I would say in school being a non member is not going to matter one darn bit. Of course parents who are members want their kids to marry other members. But to say kids are told not to be friends with non members. Well that does exist but I would say its pretty rare these days. Besides I would say half the people aren't members. The half that are, aren't practicing, so really you are down to 25%. That number is dwindling we have a huge influx of people from the rest of the west, california, oregon, washington etc. They are coming for tech jobs and other things.
I think non members develop this complex around here, I call it self ostracation its imagined judgement that they think others have toward them. This comes I think from the fact about half my neighbors I see every week at church. I know them, they know me. In my neighborhood of 200 homes I know half the people in the entire subdivision. This is extremely rare if you live somewhere else in the country. In texas I knew 5 neighbors but only on my street. compare that to here and its way different. I think non members feel that way because we don't know them, and they don't know us. but that doesn't mean people aren't friendly if they just got to know them. get over the imagined judgement talk to some of your neighbors and you will fit in just fine. OF course every area has a holes.
as burley boy said, idaho isn't really a low tax state either. but I would say this idaho for me is a step back in time 15 years. its refreshing to see it. Lots of farming up there, and the people seem more old fashioned. at least that is what I see in southeast idaho. but I think overall the tax burden is going to be a bit less in idaho. Utah isn't cheap when I moved here 20 years ago from Texas. I found out real real quick it was way more money to live here than texas. but as much as I complain california is too oppressed. I feel oppression when I go there.
I just saw dutch's post, I can't disagree anymore with the comments on coaches and kids dropping friends that way. I have NEVER EVER seen that. and if it was known members of the church would come rushing in to the defense of the non member kids and parents.
