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bhunted

Leaving on a jet plane, don't know when....

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"Leaving on a jet plane, don't know when I'll be back again....." John Denver....

Actually, I will be driving for about 13 hours on our trek to leave this beautiful state.
...and no, I will not be returning again.... Tennessee, here we come.

I'm posting this so whomever here think we should stay and fight and in countless threads, people telling me I should stay and fight for our rights.
I'm posting this because the many that can stay in fight, should and GodSpeed.
But a lot of us are leaving, not just because gun laws and NJ politics.
Some of us are getting older and preparing for retirement. My wife and I had deep discussion over this and if we stay here, even our pensions and social security will not enable us to keep paying, paying and more paying.

Some examples of living in Tennessee:

- Our home insurance here is about  $1K a year. TN is about $582 for a brand new home.

- Taxes: NJ collects all the taxes you can think of. My home here is on a 40x100 ft lot. My taxes here are about $6500 a year. TN is about $1500
TN collects no State Income Tax. Their sales taxes suck a bit, averaging the collective state and county taxes of about 9.25% Lil' high but you save in a long run. Doesn't mean you have to spend thousands a year. Our biggest sales tax hit will be when we get there and buying all new furniture and such.

- Car insurance for 2 brand new leased vehicles cost us almost $2G a year. TN full coverage is $1G for both vehicles.

- OK, your favorite. Gun laws... I've had over 5 ccw's here in NJ over the years. Some were job related. Some not. You all, or should I start saying ya'll know the trials and tribulations you are confronting every day in NJ. In TN, they honor almost all states CCWs including Utah. Which I have. That will enable me to carry from the Virginias on out to TN till I get my CCW there.
There are no fid or pistol permits persay. Just instant NICS checks. Buy a gun, walk out with it. Once you get your TN ccw which I believe does not take long, you are good to go. Many ranges and gun stores, 2 of which are in the same town. But I will make a day trip to Kentucky Gun which I have done business with over the years. They are only 6% sales tax and are a gun friendly state.

- We can live anywhere as long as we get hi-speed internet. My wife is going to be allowed to work from home for the rest of her time employed as long as she has hi-speed internet so she can VPN in to her main office in Oregon. My only criteria is at least an acre and a garage that will be my man cave. I would really like being Bob Lee Swagger and go off grid but you don't get many amenities that way, including a Triple Play Package because if you want land, you are stuck with just a Satellite Dish and that won't cut it. So when we officially retire, we very well may go off the grid a bit. So no backyard shooting till then.

- Friends and family. My parents have passed long ago and my siblings are no longer in my eye site. They fall into the turnip category due to jealousy. I've worked hard all my life. If you choose not to, that's on you... My best friend passed away and all others have done what we are doing now. Getting out of this hell hole. All my LEO comrades moved to FL, AZ and other areas and opened up 7-11s.... screw dat! I'd open donut shops! lmao.... So, guess I'll have to make new friends and enjoy what lil time my wife has with her only parent, her dad which will be a mere 14 mile drive. 

So please, if you see people in which you feel are running from this state because of gun laws, it may not just be about that. I'm tired of fighting for my NJ rights. I did my time here in many facets of life, Civil Defense, Rescue Squads, LEO, CG and many other things.... I don't need to do that, as I have pushed for over 60 years.
So that being said, I leave this beautiful state with tears in my eyes. I've lived in my town my whole life. I say 'beautiful state' because it is. It just happens to be ran by criminal scum politicians. The landscape can be city all the way through country living. If you have toured this state as much as I have, there are many beautiful places.
By the end of this week, I should be underway and to never look back!

So fair well to the friends I have made here, the business relationships and so on. I'd like to think I been helpful over the years and made some sort of difference. For the people who hate or despise me, no harm, no foul. If that is your nature in general, so be it. I won't say I hate you because I am not that kind of person. But all I can suggest is look outside the box. Its not and never will be all about you. I will try to check in from time to time, but we will be knee deep in trying to settle in.

Good Luck! Ya'll will need it!

 

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Welcome to free America.  We moved to New Hampshire a few months back to escape the "value" that Murphy keep saying NJ offers.  It wasn't because of NJ gun laws - that's just a bonus - but most everything else.  I just got tired of NJ telling me I need to pay for the cities and myself at the same time, all while making it seem I should feel guilty for having a decent income.  We'll save enough in taxes the first year to pay for the move, and I'll retire by the end of this year.

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I've enjoyed your posts... and I'm sorry that we never got to meet in person. I hope that you will continue to check in with us regularly, as others have, from your new post in Free America! 

I'm genuinely happy for you and your wife. There's no reason for anyone to feel guilty leaving this state... people getting close to retirement age in particular. Gun laws and related freedoms may be top of mind for us enthusiasts, but it's only one small slice of the decision process. The high expenses in NJ have driven people out of this state for many years now. We all know that. And remarkably, that seems to be only getting worse - exponentially worse! I've been thinking for a couple of years now that I will certainly not be a NJ retiree. It would just be poor financial planning on my part. Even if it's just skipping over the Delaware River to PA, my 3 biggest living expenses - mortgage payment w/property tax, health insurance, and car insurance - would all drop precipitously. Eventually, a move would pay for itself and then start putting the added savings into my account towards non-working retirement years. The numbers are the numbers. Frankly, any added "freedoms" would just be bonus points.

But, while we're still here, we should be doubling our efforts to fight for our rights! And to @bhunted and others who have left (or are leaving soon), I would caution you not to slip into a sense of false security. Stay actively engaged and keep giving to 2A orgs, both locally and nationally. There is movement of gun control activists - a toxic combination of ignorant, irrational, well-funded, and passionate  - and they would love nothing more than to stomp gun rights out of existence across the entire country.  Yes, even in Texas, and Tennessee, and New Hampshire, and Arizona, and Florida... and all the other places where some of you have moved. The battle is just heating up. Don't stick your heads in the sand.

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Tennessee is on my short list for sure. The only thing you (me at least) need to be careful of is their alcohol laws.

We stopped for the night (somewhere) in Tennessee on a motorcycle trip. After checking into the motel we went to the front desk to ask for recommendations on a good bar/restaurant close by. It was then we found out we were in a dry county. :o

God speed. Hope to be your neighbor someday.

 

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Congrats and best of luck to you. Like you said, will be tough leaving a place we have lived in all our lives but this state has become something unbearable for all reasons you said and more. It is a poor fit for who I am and what I believe in, the 2A issues here is just another red hot poker to push us out. If not for my mom I would've been gone by now but hoping to remedy that issue soon and already got my daughter settled in FL where we are headed. Happy trails bro.

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In TN, they honor almost all states CCWs including Utah. Which I have. That will enable me to carry from the Virginias on out to TN till I get my CCW there.


Definitely look into it, but if you become a Tennessee resident, usually non-resident permits don’t allow you to carry there. It is like that in most states.

Just something to look into... and might have a short period before you can legally carry.

Other than that, congratulations. I’m counting down to April (Maine), but will have to move in the August/September 2019 timeframe. But will be in Georgia from April to August... so that’s better than NJ. Definitely looking forward to that last time out of the state.
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It’s rough right now. Packed boxes all over and tripping all over them. Seeing decades of life going somewhere else. My home has been in my family for close to a century. I was born here. I grew up here. Used coal from the furnace for my snowmen. It broke my heart when my best friend died before his time. He was a hard working angel with a heart of gold. That put me over the edge. I want to live just a little longer than him. Still have a mission. We tried leaving this state twice before.

Now everyone is gone. [emoji20]

 

Lots of memories here.... I know I will be starting over.

I’m not a drinker anymore and happy with an occasional beer. Wife is a wine person. Essentially, just want peace and quiet and I couldn’t even get that here with Rt 80 staring at my bedroom window about a half mile away. Before it was there, it was the Erie Lack Railroad. I love trains. Still do. Sunday’s were quiet but Jersey is getting like NYC where traffic never sleeps. I go out early on weekends to get breakfast or hit Home Depot before the mania starts. I’m on Rt 46 or 80 early where nobody is on the roads. BUT like clockwork, some jackass flies past me doing 80.

I’m not overly religious but I do believe that the man upstairs got it right when he made Sunday, a day of rest. Just where the hell are you going that requires waking up a cop with radar that early.

 

Wake up. Take your time. Relax.... You’ll live longer!

 

As the move gets closer, I feel my heart ripping out. It hurts.

I’ll miss a lot of people. My Leo buds from my dept. My neighbors that I do like and so on. On a better note, my wife will be closer to her dad for his final times on earth. I can learn to relax and perhaps start fishing after not for decades. Maybe buy another motorcycle. But my memories will be engrained forever in this small town. Thanks again folks. Appreciate it. [emoji20][emoji26]

 

A little something from my garden for ya’ll.... I dedicated them to my grandma (passed long ago), my wife’s mom (also passed) and my current best friend and wife. All of which love(d) their gardens. Maybe some of those words can make a difference in your lives. [emoji17]

 

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Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk

 

 

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John,

Congrats on your escape my brother, and no apology needed.  You paid yer dues, you supported us whenever you could, and that's all anyone can ask for.  I hope to see you again sometime, maybe for a visit!  Until then, please enjoy Peter, Paul & Mary's version of that thought provoking ballad as only Mary Travers could sing it!  From their 25th Anniversary Show way back in '86 when we were all young!

 

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Definitely look into it, but if you become a Tennessee resident, usually non-resident permits don’t allow you to carry there. It is like that in most states.

Just something to look into... and might have a short period before you can legally carry.

Other than that, congratulations. I’m counting down to April (Maine), but will have to move in the August/September 2019 timeframe. But will be in Georgia from April to August... so that’s better than NJ. Definitely looking forward to that last time out of the state.


Thanks, good points.... but yep. Won’t take long to get. But driving through and arriving may take a few days before my address is changed. Once there, goes back in safe till ccw arrives.


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John,
Congrats on your escape my brother, and no apology needed.  You paid yer dues, you supported us whenever you could, and that's all anyone can ask for.  I hope to see you again sometime, maybe for a visit!  Until then, please enjoy Peter, Paul & Mary's version of that thought provoking ballad as only Mary Travers could sing it!  From their 25th Anniversary Show way back in '86 when we were all young!
 

Now ya did it my friend. [emoji24][emoji24][emoji24][emoji24]
We are showing our age. I will continue trying to support your cause when I can. Stay safe brother.


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10 hours ago, SW9racer said:

A beautiful site is seeing that Delaware river toll booth disappear in your rear view mirror!

For the last time.

Congrats.

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3 hours ago, njpilot said:

Congrats John! I know we discussed this in pm's, but great news. I'm a little jealous as Jacksonville is growing so quickly it will be like NJ soon and I'll have to look for someplace new.

Rosie beat me to it, was gonna correct you on the song.

Safe trip and good luck!

John Denver wrote it in '66.  PP&M sung it in '67 for an album.  In '69 PP&M released it as a single (their highest rated).  I much prefer PP&M version.  Mary had golden pipes :)  And the three part harmony of PP&M is, well, untouchable even today.

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Good thing I ain’t taking a jet..... [emoji6]

Thanks guys...... [emoji16]

Leaving early Friday for the hotel ~0400.... then chilling and enjoying some quiet time while waiting for the truck.

BTW, as mentioned early on in other threads, Allied Movers have been great so far and are firearms friendly...... [emoji106][emoji2532]


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Good to know about Allied, will keep that in mind. I can't imagine how emotional it must be leaving a home you've been in your whole life. I know it will be tough for me leaving mine having hand built my own home and blah blah...but hey, money talks lol.

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On 10/30/2018 at 8:59 AM, SW9racer said:

A beautiful site is seeing that Delaware river toll booth disappear in your rear view mirror!

My favorite sight on I-95 was "Welcome to Virginia". Maryland isn't exactly too welcoming to gun owners. :ninja:

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