OK, I Am all set to get my A.S. Degree in May. So, I was looking into where I would go after that. I know there aren't enough carrer opportunities here in Pensacola (at least in I.T.) So, I was trying to decide where to go after I graduate. Since I will finally be able to leave Florida w/o loosing my scholarship money, I decided to look into various places to move. So, anybody out there from:

1) Indiana
2) Vermont
3) New Hampshire
[s]4) Maine[/s]
5) Pennsylvania
6) Virginia
7) Tennessee
8) Kentucky
[s]9) Michigan[/s]
10) Mississippi
11) Texas
[s]12) Central/North Alabama
13) South Dakota
14) North Dakota
15) Montana
16) Idaho
17) Wyoming
18) Utah
19) Nevada
20) Oregon
21) Washington
22) Colorado
23) Louisiana[/s]

[s]Or any other state that does [u][b]not[/b][/u]:

1) Ban or Severly Restrict "assault Weapons"
2) Ban Hi-Capacity Magazines
3) Deny Issuing A Concealed Weapons Permit
4) Ban Handguns
5) Require A Liscense To Purchase Firearms.
6) Require Firearms To Be Reistered
7) Prohibit Class 3/NFA Firearms.[/s]

Anybody in these states please post information about carrer opportunites, gun restrictions, location, and anything else you feel is important.

[Edit #1]
Edited to point out I do not wish to be within 200 Miles of the Mexican Border.

[Edit #2]
I am reposting my narrowed down list and striking states that have been removed.

I removed any state west of the Mississippi River except for Texas. Michigan and Maine were removed due to Temperature concerns. Louisiana was removed because nobody in Louisiana knows how to drive and the roads look live they haven't been repaired since they were potholed in the war of 1812.

23 states and no AZ, huh?

Utah:The bad news is Iomega shut down or is in the process of shutting down, if I remember correctly. We still have Packard Bell, lots of skiing, many ranges and are fairly Republican. You can get your weapons of historical significance here and hicap mags. Class 3 is cool, most outdoor ranges allow it. We are a "shall issue" state. Of course, if you buy a weapon you must submit to the BCI check. But dont worry, you can have a gun in 10 minutes if your records clean. The only exception to this are the CCW holders, they simply fill out the paperwork and purchase the weapon. Good luck.

Isn't Arizona a little Arid (Dry Heat). Also, isn't it mostly Mexican. If there are good areas (Not too hot, not too Mexican). Then let me know.

Yeah, I was wondering myself why both AZ and AK weren't on the list...

Other important factors to consider:

1. Cheap housing (Shameless Plug: A decent new house can still be had in San Antonio for under $80K)

2. Weather (being from Florida, you'd probably want some place with moderate winters)

3. Recreation (another Shameless Plug: San Antonio is within 2 hours of either Mexico or the gulf coast, less than an hour from Austin's music, and about half an hour from great hunting in either the hill country or the desert ranch lands)

4. Cost of living (current San Antonio cost of regular unleaded gasoline: $1.29, including the mandatory 10 cent price gouge over the Labor Day weekend)

5. Food (heard of any good mexican restaurants in North Dakota?)

Austin would be a good choice, too, especially for IT-types.

Congratulations on receiving an AS in some form of computer stuff.  I hope they trained you to clearly enunciate "Would you like fries with that?"

Skip the Seattle area for at least the next year.  I'd suggest DFW or Phoenix.  Seattle's IT consulting business has been bad for years (we were too busy with building the future with our "dot.com" work), and now the dot.com crap has imploded.  It's gonna be a while before the software world makes a comeback up here.

Houston is a great place to live...THE CHEAPEST metropolitan city in the country (4th largest, too!).

There are lots of IT jobs here.  No state income tax.  SHALL ISSUE carry permits.  Cheap rent, gas, food, etc.  Great looking women. Excellent restaurants (also cheap).  No bans on assault rifles, hi-cap mags, and no gun registration required on private sale of firearms.

If you can make it through July, August, and first 2 weeks of September...it's a great place.

Why Texas then?

rabbit - I will be in Utah this week in order to do some testing for a trading application we are placing on the web. I will be at a company called Exodus are you familiar with them?
Any places to visit while I'm there, providing I have the time?

Arizona is #1.

[(:|)]

LA is a "Firearms Friendly" state even though it is a "Banana Republic". Don't know about jobs though. If your into Sugar Cane Farming, Oilfield Drilling/Production, etc. then there's work here in cycles. If I had my choice I would choose from Montana, Idaho, Arizona, New Mexico, etc. Kalifornia is a beautiful state and had lived there for many years. I would not even travel to vacation there anymore because of the Firearms Laws No. 1 and their Socialist ways No. 2 - I was born in Montana and was raised in Kalifornia and Washington State.

Give me a location where you will be, and Ill try to let you know whats up or put you in contact with some people in that area. Exodus?? Never heard of them but then again I'm not in that field.

P.S.  Just saying " I will be in Salt Lake" isn't enough. With a good location(you don't have to give me the address, just the town)I can help more.

What, not considering New Jersey?  Its a wonderful state!  Hey, NJ and you, perfect together!


**I don't have much time, the guard is coming back...  HELP ME!  PLEASE, FOR THE LOVE OF GOD, GET ME OUT OF HERE!  I MUST GET OU[uzi]**

Sorry for the interruption.  As I was saying, come and visit us or go see our comrades on the west coast, we have plenty of state officials that are just here to help...

HEY GANG
Anybody know the gun laws in washington thinking of relocating out of the PRK and was curious about what to expect??

Stay here in FL, we need your vote to keep RENO out!

[url]users.erols.com/rjm0222/firearm.htm[/url]

Come on down to Texas. Plenty of I.T. jobs and you can hunt with high cap mags! Come on down!

No Class 3 in Washington, thats about it,
I just recently relocated back down to PRK.
It Blows.

I heard today in the news taht in Virgin, Utah, it is illegal to NOT own a firearm. The mayor says that he wants to make an impression. All 300+ people living there value the Second and tehy say that since the Gov doesn't, they will! The news also says that since everyone there own guns, there is NO crime. Damn I wish it was like that in CA.

It depends a lot on what you want ina place to live, I suppose. Do you want winter? If not, Texas sounds like a good pick. If yes, Montana, Idaho and New Hampshire are good picks. If I can shamelessly plug my state for a minute... few gun laws, close to culture in Boston, close wo rec/wildernes in the White Mountains, and close to the beach (even if it is @#*#$*$ cold all year). Outside of rockingham county, housing is priced VERY reasonably. No sales or income tax (and you can turn in all your cans in MA or ME for the deposit you never paid on them).

I have family in the tech recruiting industry. If you'd like to e-mail me a resume, I'll get it circulated.

Maine and Vermont are fine states too - just a little farther from Boston, which may be important to you or you may prefer to be out in the boonies if you can find a job.

I have lived in Virginia the last 5 years after 5 in California. The difference is night and day. Virginia is generally very pro-gun and republican even the Democratic candidate for governor this year is making headlines with overtures to the NRA, promising no new gun laws if they stay out of the race by not endorsing either candidate.

The cost of living is relatively low (nice place $85-120K, the climate is mild, and in southeast  and northeast Virginia high tech industries are booming, with most of the work being with the defense contractors working for the miltary. I live in the Tidewater Area (Norfolk, Virginia Beach) and all of the big contractors are here, Logicon, SAIC,TRW, etc, with most of the work being in simulations.

There are a number of firing ranges in the Tidewater Area to include "Blackwater" on the VA/NC border. Additionally, Virginia is a well issue state for CCW.


Best of luck wherever you go.

Regards from Norfolk
Bladerunner

I have lived in Virginia the last 5 years after 5 in California. The difference is night and day. Virginia is generally very pro-gun and republican even the Democratic candidate for governor this year is making headlines with overtures to the NRA, promising no new gun laws if they stay out of the race by not endorsing either candidate.

The cost of living is relatively low (nice place $85-120K, the climate is mild, and in southeast  and northeast Virginia high tech industries are booming, with most of the work being with the defense contractors working for the miltary. I live in the Tidewater Area (Norfolk, Virginia Beach) and all of the big contractors are here, Logicon, SAIC,TRW, etc, with most of the work being in simulations.

There are a number of firing ranges in the Tidewater Area to include "Blackwater" on the VA/NC border. Additionally, Virginia is a well issue state for CCW.


Best of luck wherever you go.

Regards from Norfolk
Bladerunner

Well South Dakota meets all your criteria except finding a job.

Of course if Gateway Computer stock drops any further Ted Waite might want to sell you the company for a coupla hundred bucks.

1 yr ago Gateway stock was at $82 analyists saide what a buy at 82 cause it will be hitting 160 soon.

Now Gateway stock us under $7. Closing all non US based operations, laying off 1000 in South Dakota, they have forgotten about customer choice. You either take your computer the way they package it or too bad. No more custom configurations.

Good points about SD
Too cold for people from southern CA to move here.
Shall issue carry permit
No state sales tax
C3 friendly although only about 10 dealers in the state.
Did I mention the snow being taller then the cars and keeping people from CA at bay?

I went to Indiana this summer and liked it. Might just be me, I liked the farmland and the people. Lots of jobs. It has it's Liberal parts. Handguns require a permit and take 7 days, but they have a militia and civilian ownership of suppressors and class III weapons. There are some nice areas of AZ (Prescott, Flagstaff) but not much work. Vermont, nice but expensive. Penn is good and so is Idaho (Gemtech suppressors).

To answer the question I have been asked:

1) Do I want a true Winter ?

Yes, I have lived in Florida for 19 Years, but I took Christmas and Summer Vacations To the Mountains of NC & TN, so I know what a real winter is like and actually like it. As long as it isn't too windy.

2) How hot during the summer ?

I like mild summers. I spent mine 1 mile up in the Blue Ridge Mountains where the July temperatures were in the 60s.

3) How Rainy ? (OK, That's my own, but...)

I moved to Pensacola to get away from all the rain in South and Central Florida. So, I do not want a rainy area.

4) How Mexican ?

Well, I can read Spanish fluently and Speak it Moderately well, so I have no problem living in an area that has Mexicans. But, I do not want to be close to the Mexican Border because I have heard too much about Drug Smuggling coming through there. As well as the areas tend to be Liberal Strongholds.

5) Gas Prices ?

Not over $1.50/Gallon. That is what I would pay in South Florida and I would not like to pay more than that. It Has Run in the 1.30s here in Pensacola and I actually saw it dip to $1.20s for a little while in Central Florida. Damn, whatever happened to 99 Cents/Gallon in South Florida like it was just after the Gulf War ? In fact off-brands in Georgia were in the high 70s low 80s for a while there. Hopefully Bush can fix Clinton's doubling of Gas Prices. Gas prices have gone up 4 times more than Soda, only matched by Comics. But, I was in New Orleans the other day (To Buy Powerball Tickets)and saw Gas in the 1.20s

6) How Boonies ?

I like to not be within city limits. But, too far from Civilization means almost no jobs available. I looked into Vermont (No Permit CC, Pro-Gun, Mountains), but the train from Vermont to Massachutsetts takes several hours and only runs once a day in each direction. The Acela Regional Runs from Norfolk,VA to New York, NY to Boston, MA & Niagra Falls, NY. The Acela Express from Washington, DC to Boston, MA. So somewhere within easy reach of these lines would be good. I heard the Acela was going to be extended into New Hampshire and Maine, but don't know any details (i.e. When, Station Locations.) Oh, and for the guy from NH, what is the age for a Concealed Weapons Permit ? I know in Maine and Vermont you can carry concealed at 18. NHs info. on the ATF and NRA websites just says "suitable person."

Topic is getting stale. This post should make it active again.

Clear Lake TX. It's half way between Houston and Galveston. Mostly white collar cause of NASA. You can own all kinds of fun toys in TX.

There are plenty of Mexican-hispanics here but are mostly pretty good people. More laid back than anybody else.

Interesting point, of the three times that people have broken into one of my vehicles, two of them were white and one black. One of the white guys has a concusion now and the black guy is missing most of his tricep (I tested the accuracy of my AR). I've been living down here for 16 years and have never once had any trouble with the Mexicans. If you don't treat them like shit then they are usually pretty friendly, just about like anybody else. And it's only a matter of time before they are the majority.

But I digress. As long as you can make it through the summer here, the rest of the year is excellent.

Tennessee

North Central, PA. Somewhere near the Poconos. You can find a nice house in a small town for $65k, or you can have a big house on a lake with 25 acres for $250k (or some combination in between).

If you strike out on your own as a freelance computer consultant there are lots of small businesses that could use your services.

If you go for a lot of acreage, let me know. I'll be happy to come by and help you with your deer control problem (only state with more whitetail is TX). [:)]

Anymore suggestions ?

San Antonio TX, I live in SA and love it. Work in Austin, do the drive everyday. Cheap housing lots of gun carring people, and lots of whitetail deer. Lots of Tech jobs here in Texas.
There is a good diversity of people here as well. You can find some place to fit in. Lots of gun ranges.

There are plenty of IT jobs in the Portland Oregon area

How about exporting a few to your brethren in the north??

I'm actually applying for a contract in Portland.  The commute is gonna be a b*tch . . . well, if they even call back, much less hire me.

BTT

Those are good choices!

You said it brother!!  

DFW isn't bad either just a little pricier in real estate market, while Austin is kewl, to many liberals!

Why isn't North Carolina on your list. Come on now, they ar pretty conservative and pro-gun here, as well as having tons of open land to go shooting etc...
Just curious.....
-Andrea

Actually, I like NC. my family used to have a Cabin there. But as family who lived in NC told me they were taxed to death.

Also, doesn't NC have some kind of "Weapons of Mass Death and Destruction" Law regarding MGs and Guns of 31 Rds. or more.

Even though it is near Boston, I'm looking at Rohde Island too. I like the central California coast, but not the state. I would like coast, but where can you find a "Low-Liberal" coastal area. I keep talking to my wife about Southern Indiana and she asks me,"Won't you miss the beach"? A friend showed me his vacation pics from Minnesota, nice. Southern Indiana is mostly Germanic. He said MN is 6% black, 2% hispanic (hotel and resturaunt industry) some hmong and mostly Swede and German.

Also some Irish and Italian

New Jersey!

New Jersey!

New Jersey!

[peep]

Yep, no class 3 here.  I think there may be one or two counties that will allow it, but for the most part we are out of luck.  And you are correct about the tax situation too.



I don't know where you are (since you wouldn't tell me last time I asked), but you just described the exact opposite of the Raleigh/Durham area.

There is no jobs left here in FL. First of the year I'm out of work, unless the company turns around, and like fast. The company I work at is having a 20 to 25% cut at the first of the year.

... sure,

(1) Arizona is comprised completely of Mexicans.

... and

(2) It's 115[u]o[/u]F year round.


(1) The fact is most Mexicans around here work the fields in the summer picking your fresh vegetables and fruit. Most menial jobs that you wouldn't take are occupied by these hard workers.

(2) Sure, the Valley stays hot in the summer. However, my office, car, truck and home are air conditioned just fine
Our stores, theaters, sports arenas, bars, concert halls are as well.
My cabin is in thick Ponderosa pines at nearly 8,000 feet in the Rocky Mountains just a couple hours from here.

plus...

Decent wages
Grand Canyon rafting / hiking
Saguaro Lake (babes in bikinis)
Diamondbacks
easy CCW
Class 3 friendly
No helmet laws
"T" shirt weather in winter (lower areas)
supreme mountain biking
Biggest elk in contiguous USA
Largemouth bass
Congressman JD Hayworth
Tombstone
Parker Strip (jetboat Heaven)
Beaver Street Brewery - Flagstaff
Escudilla mountain (drive up to 11,250 feet!)
Classy nude bars
Oldest Rodeo in America (Payson)
Petrified Forest
Slide Rock - Sedona
ASU, NAU, UofA
75 mph on open freeways
Tubing the Salt
Awesome four-wheeling country
butt loads of High Tech Industries
Affordable housing (many of us have second homes in the mountains)
Harley weather 10 months/year
Home of Dillon Precision
Near by shooting ranges
Open ranges
Great horse properties (Gilbert, Chandler)
Babes w/nice tans and large breasts

... and on and on

GODS COUNTRY..... TEXAS.

Hmmm... I thought you had some A-hole senator??

Why not WV? Coal miners earn approximately 60K+, only two problems, no windows ot running water.......just like most of the homes here. (hi)

Ok, I'll give you that one, even though insurance isn't a tax.  Insurance is fairly cheap here (I'm originally from New Orleans).



It's the property tax that everyone complains about.  Wait til you buy a house or a new vehicle here.  If the vehicle you have now is still registered in NY, don't register it in NC or you will start getting hit with taxes.  I promise you will be complaining too the first time you see that bill.