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aGameOfThrones
04-28-2014, 08:37 PM
TORRANCE, California (AP) — Toyota delivered a surprise pink slip to California on Monday, announcing the company would move its U.S. headquarters and about 3,000 jobs from the Los Angeles suburbs to the outskirts of Dallas.

The world's largest automaker will keep a foothold in the Golden State — about 2,300 jobs will remain in California after the company settles into its new corporate campus in Plano, Texas. But the announcement is an economic and symbolic slap for California, a historic center of American car culture that has been trying to shake its reputation as a frustrating place to run a business, whether that involves shooting a film or selling a Prius.

"When you look at the whole package, it's difficult to be a business here," lamented Torrance Mayor Frank Scotto, whose community on the edge of the Pacific will suffer as the jobs migrate to Texas.

"If all these great, high-end jobs are leaving California, then we are going to turn into a place that's a retirement community" with low-paying service-sector jobs, Scotto said. "We can't have that," he added, warning that unless the state has a change of attitude, "it's going to be way too late."

Toyota's announcement comes about two months after Occidental Petroleum Corp. disclosed it was moving its headquarters to Houston from Los Angeles. Texas Gov. Rick Perry has been on a publicity campaign to promote his state as a haven for businesses seeking lower taxes and eased government regulation, but Toyota didn't mention what, if any, role Perry played in the company's decision.

Perry, who made two visits to California to lure employers to his state, said Texas offered Toyota $40 million in incentives from the taxpayer-funded Texas Enterprise Fund. The Republican governor said Toyota is expected to invest $300 million in the new headquarters.

Republicans in California quickly blamed Sacramento for the loss, where Democrats control both chambers of the Legislature and every statewide office. A statement issued by Gov. Jerry Brown's Office of Business and Economic Development did not mention Toyota but stressed the state's steadied balance sheet and jobs recovered after the devastating recession.

"Ford, Volkswagen and Nissan continue to invest in California, and the Golden State remains the center of new electric, zero-emission and self-driving vehicle manufacturing and technology," the statement said.

Toyota will break ground this year on its new environmentally friendly headquarters in Plano, about 25 miles north of Dallas. Small groups of employees will start moving to temporary office space there this year, but most won't move until late 2016 or early 2017 when the new headquarters is completed.

The new campus will bring together about 4,000 employees from sales, marketing, engineering, manufacturing and finance.

Toyota also plans to expand its technical center near Ann Arbor, Michigan, and move about 250 parts procurement positions there from Georgetown, Kentucky, where the Camry and Avalon sedans are made. That will free up space for approximately 300 production engineers to move from Erlanger, Kentucky, to Georgetown. Toyota will have 8,200 employees in Kentucky after the moves are complete.

Jim Lentz, Toyota's CEO for North America, said the new headquarters will enable faster decision making. Lentz told The Associated Press that the move is one of the most significant changes in Toyota's 57-year history in the U.S.

http://news.yahoo.com/toyota-moving-us-california-texas-182247217.html

Czolgosz
04-28-2014, 08:52 PM
http://img3.wikia.nocookie.net/__cb20121205194057/simpsons/images/e/e9/Nelson_Ha-Ha.jpg


Good. Die stupid place, die.

Brian4Liberty
04-28-2014, 09:33 PM
Might as well. They moved their manufacturing out of California years ago.

oyarde
04-28-2014, 11:29 PM
In ten years , there will be no mnfg in California.

alucard13mm
04-29-2014, 12:39 AM
Are there any large chinese/asian communities outside of New York and California? :P The reason is I prefer chinese/asian food. But living in California sucks these days, aside from convenience.

Need someone more affordable :(

MRK
04-29-2014, 03:56 AM
Are there any large chinese/asian communities outside of New York and California? :P The reason is I prefer chinese/asian food. But living in California sucks these days, aside from convenience.

Need someone more affordable :(

Have you tried Southeast Asia?

http://www.numbeo.com/cost-of-living/city_result.jsp?country=Vietnam&city=Ho+Chi+Minh+City&displayCurrency=USD

Cut the prices for food, beer, consumer goods, and rent in half if you don't stay in the middle of the city. I think whoever submitted those prices was living like they were in a US coast city. It's possible to get by even in Sai Gon for $700/month while going out for drinks a few times a week and eating out for each meal.

Of course in the US, even most big midwestern cities will have a decent selection of Chinese & Thai food. I've heard St. Louis, Missouri has a big selection of Asian cuisine, for example.

Mani
04-29-2014, 04:19 AM
Are there any large chinese/asian communities outside of New York and California? :P The reason is I prefer chinese/asian food. But living in California sucks these days, aside from convenience.

Need someone more affordable :(

Huge asian community in Canada. BC-Vancouver and Ontario-Toronto. If you want to say in North America.

I'd suggest Asia if you are looking for something completely different.


Once you go outside the U.S. it's hard to imagine going back. At least for me and a lot of my friends who I've met that are originally from the U.S. We always have that...Do we give up our passports or not? It's always a good debate.

Koz
04-29-2014, 09:31 AM
At least California is succeeding. I assume the goal is to drive job creators out of the state.

That's why I left California. My wallet is fatter now that I left. Yea for me!

eduardo89
04-29-2014, 09:52 AM
Huge asian community in Canada. BC-Vancouver

Hongcouver.

oyarde
04-29-2014, 09:54 AM
Hongcouver.

With prices and taxes rivaling Caly , better view though.

eduardo89
04-29-2014, 09:59 AM
With prices and taxes rivaling Caly , better view though.

VANCOUVER Average home price: US$733,335
SAN FRANCISCO Average home price: US$682,410
SAN DIEGO Average home price: US$476,790
LOS ANGELES Average home price: US$423,900

tod evans
04-29-2014, 10:13 AM
In ten years , there will be no mnfg in California.

But by golly the spotted horny toads and desert fly gulpers will flourish!

The tech moguls and Hollywood stars will be able to sip their lattes in smoke and noise free bliss...

oyarde
04-29-2014, 11:31 AM
VANCOUVER Average home price: US$733,335
SAN FRANCISCO Average home price: US$682,410
SAN DIEGO Average home price: US$476,790
LOS ANGELES Average home price: US$423,900

Something about paying 700k for a house in the Pelosi Kingdom , well , that is laughable.

steph3n
04-29-2014, 12:25 PM
Are there any large chinese/asian communities outside of New York and California? :P The reason is I prefer chinese/asian food. But living in California sucks these days, aside from convenience.

Need someone more affordable :(
Dallas and Houston both have large chinese/asian communities with good amounts of authentic chinese and asian cuisine. Little Sichuan Cuisine in Plano has some of the best chinese I'd personally eaten outside of China :)