I am writing this without my glasses because I am so eager to get it up. Last summer, we visited Reno, Nevada and I jut fell in love. A mere two hour direct flight from DFW, we landed at a small airport with caring employees, no rigamarole, and we were at our home and drinking wine one hour after the luggage came off the carousel. We were also a twenty minute drive from Lake Tahoe, the playground of Silicon Valley’s multi-millionaires. Whilst my husband tried gliding out there, I counted no less than one private jet every 15 minutes taking off for California’s northern peninsula.
The real estate in Reno? Get you a beautiful, well built new home for $200 to $300 a square foot, not unlike North Texas. Check out Parc Foret in Montreaux, one of the area’s most luxurious gated communities. There are also no state income taxes, like Texas.
This morning, I stumble upon this opinion piece from the Los Angeles Times and I scream, “gotcha!” Here is a small businessman moving his operation lock, stock and barrel to — Las Vegas! NOT TEXAS! It’s because he now has to pay $10.50 in minimum wage for his “cut-and-sew house”, a part of the garment industry that generates about $17 billion in annual economic activity in Los Angeles County.
Houman Salem is the founder and CEO of ARGYLE Haus of Apparel in San Fernando.
Even better, the liberally-tinged LA Times prints this piece! See, California, beautiful and sunny, continues to make it tough on small business and smaller wage earners. Home prices are just ridiculous. LA County just raised the minimum wage (the whole state is aiming for a $15 per hour target) that will ultimately put most small businesses, like ARGYLE, out of business. So writes Houman:
When Los Angeles County’s minimum wage ordinance was approved in July, I began looking at Ventura County, Orange County and other parts of the state. Then, when California embraced a $15 wage target, I realized that my company couldn’t continue to operate in the state. After considering Texas and North Carolina, I’ve settled on moving the business to Las Vegas, where I’m looking for the right facility. About half of our employees will make the move with us.
Why am I writing this without even finding my glasses? Because I predict that, unless we get our acts together in Dallas, we are going to lose out to Nevada when it comes to business relos bigtime. Who wants to move their company lock, stock and barrel to Dallas when we have a Mayor and City Councilman blabbing to the New York Times that we are on the verge of bankruptcy?
What is Rawlings’ purpose in bettering Dallas with all his grand-standing?
Also, consider that Nevada is right next to California, and within driving distance if, for example, you have a kid and grand kids who live there. Though I have heard of some Silicon Valley types who buy a primary residence in Nevada and mom or dad commutes to work. When in Reno last summer, I spoke to many California transplants who were happier than heck.
I’m going to reach out to Houman and ask him what he didn’t like about Texas. Stay tuned.
