When low taxes aren't enough

[ttt]

I actually found this article when I was googling "When is IKEA coming to Las Vegas" lol. It's a little old, but I think it really puts into perspective the whole "low taxes = business and jobs!"

I found my answer about Ikea - they considered opening a store in Las Vegas but decided not to because the state's education system is so poor. So maybe cutting spending on everything so you can lower taxes doesn't necessarily make for a prosperous society. I think it shows, on a micro level, why the focus on cutting taxes, cutting taxes, cutting taxes is deeply flawed.

www.lasvegassun.com/news/2010/dec/29/anti-tax-lonely-stance/

[Deleted]

I wonder if that's why IKEA isn't coming to TN anytime soon.

[rugbywife]

I feel sad that there are people who live far from Ikea. I think our drive is about 12 minutes max. I use 'walking through the showroom' as my exercise to work off the frozen yogurt I get every.single.time. They are actually moving our closest store (it will still be only 12 minutes away, to move into their 13000sq foot Canadian flagship store. As long as we can still get a cheap three course dinner I will be happy.

[ChillyMcFreeze]

I'm surprised they haven't closed up shop in Atlanta! I love that place. I need to bite the bullet and actually buy something, rather than wander and sit on everything when I visit.

[lys]

8 hr drive to the nearest IKEA for us. We do go occasionally when we visit family who live about an 1 from the IKEA store. I am jealous of those who have quick and easy access.

[teflep]

We have 2 within 30 minutes. I love that store. Love it.

[Deleted]

I'm about an hour from one, although I rarely shop there.
Now I might go this week

[laurenpetro]

i'm an hour from everything so being an hour from an ikea is like other people being 10 minutes from one. we were actually there last night. new sofa table, desk for grace's room, wood racks and plastic storage bins for my cookie cutters FTW!

[ttt]

This thread is making me so sad In Atlanta we lived 30 seconds from the Ikea and in DC we were about half an hour. Now the closest one is 5-6 hours away :-( Now that I know Ikea has no plans to ever come to LV, I am depressed.

But at least we have low business taxes!

[MixedBerryJam]

I am disappointed that IKEA has finally decided not to open a store the next city over from me, after years of negotiations and planning. They did erect a billboard near the site reminding us of the one a mere 24 miles down the road. Other side of the city, might as well be in another state. I was very much looking forward to swedish meatballs.

[mayflowers22]

Sadly not near one

[KateAggie]

The education woes in LV are not about the education system alone. The number 1 reason we will move before our girls start jr. high/high school is due to the attitudes on higher education in LV. As long as people in their 20s and 30s can make salaries in the 50-80K range without a college degree, I don't see that changing, unfortunately, and as long as our economy stays in the shitter, those salaries are going to look even nicer, considering you can get them without student loans.

[ringstrue]

So the educated children is just part of their demographic I take it? It's really interesting you bring that up because now I'm theorizing that the TJ and Shop Rites popping up all around us are a reaction to the education/industry coming here. I mean, we are still the same ole boring people but apparently now we either fit a new demographic in some way or they think more awesomer people are gonna start trickling in so they are getting ready for them, lol.

[ChillyMcFreeze]

Aug 19, 2012 21:15:56 GMT -5 ringstrue said:

So the educated children is just part of their demographic I take it? It's really interesting you bring that up because now I'm theorizing that the TJ and Shop Rites popping up all around us are a reaction to the education/industry coming here. I mean, we are still the same ole boring people but apparently now we either fit a new demographic in some way or they think more awesomer people are gonna start trickling in so they are getting ready for them, lol.

Well damn. I've been willing a TJ's to come here, but our public education system is spiraling down the shitter. We do have 3 colleges, but I guess that still doesn't make us prime candidates.

[Deleted]

Aug 19, 2012 21:08:50 GMT -5 KateAggie said:

The education woes in LV are not about the education system alone. The number 1 reason we will move before our girls start jr. high/high school is due to the attitudes on higher education in LV. As long as people in their 20s and 30s can make salaries in the 50-80K range without a college degree, I don't see that changing, unfortunately

Wow, doing what?

[Deleted]

I have no interest in traveling for miles to go to a huge maze of goods and walk around a preset path writing down what I want to get on little bits of paper for an hour before finally getting to a huge warehouse where I find most of what I wanted is sold out or doesnt have all the components in the color I want, then go home with some glasses and a light bulb.

Fuck IKEA.

[KateAggie]

Aug 20, 2012 6:14:46 GMT -5 sandsonik said:

Aug 19, 2012 21:08:50 GMT -5 KateAggie said:

The education woes in LV are not about the education system alone. The number 1 reason we will move before our girls start jr. high/high school is due to the attitudes on higher education in LV. As long as people in their 20s and 30s can make salaries in the 50-80K range without a college degree, I don't see that changing, unfortunately

Wow, doing what?

Mostly the Strip jobs--Valet, waiting tables, cocktail waitresses, bartending, dealing (in the casinos, not drug. ), and so on, and so forth. Don't get me wrong, I think it's great that the service industry can be a huge money maker for the residents of Las Vegas, but I worry about their long term careers. You don't see a lot of 50 year old valets, waitresses, etc.

[eclaires]

I'm glad you mentioned that KA, because I was actually going to ask if the jobs at casinos affect the mindset towards higher education or why people don't have college degrees in LV.

I know a few people that have gone (without degrees) to LV and worked there and made really, really good money esp at a young age. I'm sure it's hard to resist the lure of it, especially because not only can you make good money, I imagine it lends itself to a fun lifestyle that is similar to college in the sense of being able to go out, etc. It's not like you're working 100 hours per week at a desk job, kwim?

[ttt]

Aug 20, 2012 9:53:54 GMT -5 KateAggie said:

Aug 20, 2012 6:14:46 GMT -5 sandsonik said:

Wow, doing what?

Mostly the Strip jobs--Valet, waiting tables, cocktail waitresses, bartending, dealing (in the casinos, not drug. ), and so on, and so forth. Don't get me wrong, I think it's great that the service industry can be a huge money maker for the residents of Las Vegas, but I worry about their long term careers. You don't see a lot of 50 year old valets, waitresses, etc.

Ugh. My stepson is planning to come live with us and I think it's a terrible idea. He dropped out of college (or rather he flunked out because he failed every single class his 3rd and last semester) to go live with his mom and work. Now he's tired of living with his mom so he wants to live with us and go back to school. Except I am highly skeptical that he's actually going to go to school and i'm afraid he's going to end up just working and partying all the time. I think LV is exactly the wrong place for him to be.

[Deleted]

Aug 20, 2012 9:53:54 GMT -5 KateAggie said:

Aug 20, 2012 6:14:46 GMT -5 sandsonik said:

Wow, doing what?

Mostly the Strip jobs--Valet, waiting tables, cocktail waitresses, bartending, dealing (in the casinos, not drug. ), and so on, and so forth. Don't get me wrong, I think it's great that the service industry can be a huge money maker for the residents of Las Vegas, but I worry about their long term careers. You don't see a lot of 50 year old valets, waitresses, etc.

For real? You can make 50-85k a year as a valet? I'm shocked. Why wouldn't people stay in those jobs then? I know plenty of 40 - 50 year old that would be happy to move to Vegas to make that kind of money!

[epphd]

Uh, one of my classmates (from a fancy shmancy boarding school) - the only who did not go to college, as a matter of fact - is now fabulously wealthy from working in LV. As best as I can understand it, she started off as a "dancer" then went on to open a line of spas. She was on The Apprentice pretty early on and finished 4th.

[Deleted]

Aug 20, 2012 22:50:34 GMT -5 sandsonik said:

Aug 20, 2012 9:53:54 GMT -5 KateAggie said:

Mostly the Strip jobs--Valet, waiting tables, cocktail waitresses, bartending, dealing (in the casinos, not drug. ), and so on, and so forth. Don't get me wrong, I think it's great that the service industry can be a huge money maker for the residents of Las Vegas, but I worry about their long term careers. You don't see a lot of 50 year old valets, waitresses, etc.

For real? You can make 50-85k a year as a valet? I'm shocked. Why wouldn't people stay in those jobs then? I know plenty of 40 - 50 year old that would be happy to move to Vegas to make that kind of money!

KA implied it above but once you are no longer "good looking" aka "old" the casinos won't hire you.