This is a timely topic for me. I'm a born and bred Connecticut Yankee. Except for living 2 years in FL as a teenager, I've lived here all my life. Mornings like today I ask myself "why do I live here?" as I'm shoveling 8" of heavy crapola from my walkway at 7:00 in the morning.

It used to be that my family was here, my job was here, and we didn't want to uproot my step-son while he was in school. Now, only one of my sisters is still here, I telecommute to my new job, and my step-kids are grown and out of the house. So, why am I still here?

Well, the house is not ready to sell. I have some work to do to it before it will be ready. So, once the house is ready to sell, I'm outta here. (been saying that for 5 years now.)

Now where to move to? I'm getting very hooked on salt water fishing, so it has to be coastal or near the coast. My wife and I are anti-social and really don't like people much, so it have to be secluded (acreage). My wife is retired and we're not rich, so it has to be affordable. My wife can't stand flat land, so it has to be hilly or near mountains. She doesn't want it too hot or humid, but I don't want to ever shovel snow again. I'd rather not be in a regular path of hurricanes. So, where does that leave us? Hmmm, maybe CT isn't so bad.

I get tired of the over taxing and political BS in Connecticut, but there are a lot of advantages to living here that I would miss. Being 2 hours from Boston or NYC. Being 4-5 hours from the Adirondacks and the Green mountains. Being less than an hour from the coast. Fishing everything from the Great Lakes to the Maine coast, Cape Code, Long Island Sound, and all the lakes, streams, and ponds in between. Location, location, location. Yes, it's expensive but you get what you pay for. We do have some of the best goverment services of any state. Yes, it's corrupt but what place isn't? There is no place that is exempt from political corruption. Some places just hide it better than others.

Connecticut is a very picturesque state with a lot to offer. We have our issues, but every state does. If the grass is greener on the other side of the fence, there's probably a septic tank under it!

New Englanders love to kvetch, this much I know since I am one. So, if they're blowing off some steam on a thread here, so be it. At least they have an opinion and are engaged in some way. I'd rather have that, then nobody complaining when things are wrong and nothing ever changing.