Free State Wyoming Forum

Prospective Free State Wyoming (FSW) Members and Interested Parties => Prospective Free State Wyoming (FSW) Members and Interested Parties => Topic started by: Bob Thompson on March 09, 2006, 07:01:52 AM

Title: How about more info on Wyoming, or where I can dig it up?
Post by: Bob Thompson on March 09, 2006, 07:01:52 AM

What is the sales tax rate? Is there a state income tax? Do you have to have a license to carry and/or own guns? Primary or secondary seat belt laws? Anything "quirky" or perculiar to Wyoming that a 'foreigner' might need to know? Unemployment rate? Biggest employer? Property taxes? School systems? If I sit here long enough I could probably come up with a lot more questions, and probably a lot I'd never know to ask. Maybe someone who has already moved to the state can come forth with "what I thought it would be" and "what it really is" comments.

Title: Re: How about more info on Wyoming, or where I can dig it up?
Post by: Daveasxx on March 09, 2006, 08:39:30 AM

I can help with a couple of those....  There is no State income tax.  Sales tax varies by County 4-6%.  Property taxes are very low.  There was a report on MSN Money a few weeks ago that listed Wyoming as either 1st, 2nd or 3rd lowest overall taxes in the nation (I can't remember which).  You can open carry!!  Rifles need to be "cased" and unloaded (unloaded in Wyoming means no round in the chamber).   Hope this helps some.

Dave

Title: Re: How about more info on Wyoming, or where I can dig it up?
Post by: wyomiles on March 09, 2006, 12:50:50 PM

Welcome Bob, There is lots of info here, you may just have to look around some. It may take a little more time but there are several links that have been thrown in to different threads.  While you are looking you will also get to know others here. The threads under making the case has some good stuff.   Miles

Title: Re: How about more info on Wyoming, or where I can dig it up?
Post by: John on March 14, 2006, 05:33:59 PM

Yes, this is definitely something that should be in the FAQs.

Income tax: 0%.

Guns: open carry is legal.  Concealed, you are supposed to get a permit.  Wyoming is a "shall-issue" permit state.  That is, you have to ask for permission, but then they have to give you permission (unless you're a felon).  There have been some attempt recently to change to Alaska-style carry, in the last legislature session for instance, the house passed it and it died in the senate.

Seat belt law: secondary violation.

Sales tax: 4% statewide, but counties can add more.  Prescription drugs are exempt, and starting July 2006 food will be exempt also, for at least 2 years.  Here is the actual sales tax rate county by county:

6%   Albany
5%   Big Horn
5.25%   Campbell
6%   Carbon
5%   Converse
6%   Crook
4%   Fremont
5%   Goshen
5%   Hot Springs
5%   Johnson
6%   Laramie
5%   Lincoln
5%   Natrona
6%   Niobrara
4%   Park
5%   Platte
6%   Sheridan
4%   Sublette
5%   Sweetwater
6%   Teton
5%   Uinta
5%   Washakie
5%   Weston


Largest employer: The largest employer anywhere is always the government, and Wyoming is no exception.  For others:

Industry	|	SIC*	|	Company Name**	|	Wyoming Locations
Service	|	8062	|	Wyoming Medical Center Inc.	|	Casper
Service	|	7011	|	Grand Teton Lodge Co.	|	Moran
Fire	|	6351	|	Safecard Services	|	Cheyenne
Retail Trade	|	5812	|	Sugarland Enterprises	|	Sheridan, Casper, Cheyenne
Retail Trade	|	5541	|	Mini Mart Inc.	|	Statewide
Retail Trade	|	5411	|	Safeway Stores 44 Inc.	|	Statewide
Retail Trade	|	5399	|	Hamilton Stores Inc.	|	Yellowstone
Retail Trade	|	5311	|	Wal Mart Associates Inc.	|	Statewide
TCPU	|	4911	|	PacifiCorp	|	Statewide
TCPU	|	4513	|	United Parcel Service Inc.	|	Statewide
Manufacturing	|	2911	|	Sinclair Oil Corporation	|	Statewide
Manufacturing	|	2812	|	F M C Corporation	|	Green River, Kemmerer
Mining	|	1474	|	Solvay Minerals Inc.	|	Green River
Mining	|	1311	|	Amoco Production Company	|	Statewide
Mining	|	1221	|	Amax Coal West Inc.	|	Gillette
Mining	|	1221	|	Kerr Mcgee Coal Corp.	|	Gillette
Mining	|	1221	|	Pacific Minerals Inc. - Rock Springs	|	Rock Springs
Mining	|	1221	|	Powder River Coal Co.	|	Gillette, Wright
Mining	|	1221	|	Thunder Basin Coal Co.	|	Wright

Property taxes: uggh, someone else do the research for that one.  I don't want to think about it.

School systems: Incredibly lousy and horrendous, just like everywhere.  Also just like everywhere, the locals always think "oh yes, the public schools are really bad, but the schools here are actually pretty good.  See the thread here: http://www.fundamentalsoffreedom.com/fswforum/index.php?topic=38.0

Quote

First of all I'm in the 'they aren't that bad' (at least in Campbell county IMO).

(Don't take that the wrong way, RCR.  I just call 'em the way I see 'em)

They're never bad where you live.  It's always somewhere else.  The local schools have diligent dedicated lovable wardens, I mean teachers, and are much better than average.  It's remarkable.  Everywhere I go the schools are above average.  Mathematicians should look into this miracle.

Title: Re: How about more info on Wyoming, or where I can dig it up?
Post by: archy on March 15, 2006, 01:06:45 PM

Quote from: John on March 14, 2006, 05:33:59 PM

[/b].

Sales tax: 4% statewide, but counties can add more.? Prescription drugs are exempt, and starting July 2006 food will be exempt also, for at least 2 years.? Here is the actual sales tax rate county by county:

Note, however that in Montana, just to the north of our immediate Weston/Crook county efforts, there is no general sales or use tax. And pickup trucks and larger haulers are pretty common in the area....

Title: Re: How about more info on Wyoming, or where I can dig it up?
Post by: Paul Bonneau on March 18, 2006, 02:00:39 PM

We have categories and boards in this forum, specifically for researching and posting this sort of info. Just look around and you'll find it. If you don't find info on a particular point you want to know, please research it on the Internet using a search engine and post what you find, for the rest of us to use.

Title: Re: How about more info on Wyoming, or where I can dig it up?
Post by: Hunter on April 23, 2006, 11:21:56 AM

Quote from: Daveasxx on March 09, 2006, 08:39:30 AM

? Rifles need to be "cased" and unloaded (unloaded in Wyoming means no round in the chamber).?

Not true, long guns may be carried uncased on the seat, in a window rack or anywere else ya want. It's a common thing to see them in window racks, overhead racks, or resting against the drivers or passingers leg. ESPECIALLY DURING HUNTING SEASON and ya can hunt some critters the year round.
They tried thar restriction here in Douglas 20 years ago, Ya should have heard the stink put up by the people against it. The proposal QUICKLY went DOWN

IN FLAMES !!!!!

I think the WSSA had a hand in that protest!

HUNTER

Title: Re: How about more info on Wyoming, or where I can dig it up?
Post by: RazorCityRifleman on April 23, 2006, 02:28:31 PM

Quote

(Don't take that the wrong way, RCR.  I just call 'em the way I see 'em)

They're never bad where you live.  It's always somewhere else.  The local schools have diligent dedicated lovable wardens, I mean teachers, and are much better than average.  It's remarkable.  Everywhere I go the schools are above average.  Mathematicians should look into this miracle.

I rekon you do have to call them like you see um.... ;D

How many kids have you raised and what is YOUR personal experience with public and home schooling in WY?

RCR

Title: Re: How about more info on Wyoming, or where I can dig it up?
Post by: Daveasxx on April 23, 2006, 03:38:45 PM

Thanks Pete.  I think I was getting confused.  I was thinking of the rule (at least mine anyway) in Jim Bridger Forest during Elk season.  It's hard to prove that you weren't hunting from a truck when you have an uncased rifle on the seat...

Dave

Title: Re: How about more info on Wyoming, or where I can dig it up?
Post by: John on April 27, 2006, 12:15:06 AM

Quote from: RazorCityRifleman on April 23, 2006, 02:28:31 PM

I rekon you do have to call them like you see um.... ;D

How many kids have you raised and what is YOUR personal experience with public and home schooling in WY?

RCR

Oh RCR, I don't have any experience, as you perfectly well know (no kids).  Didn't claim to.  I do have experience attending schools in other places though.  Vast experience.  Way, way more experience than any decent person should have.  We should get together some time, maybe we can talk about that, or about something more pleasant.

My statement remains that everywhere I go, the people believe gov't schools are bad and failing.  That's the consensus across political/social/all lines.  Everywhere I go, the same people believe the schools in their particular area to be an exception, that they really aren't that bad, in fact are pretty good, test scores are above average, etc. (unless their family has had specific very bad experiences with the school that turned them against it).

Kind of like everywhere I go (except Hawaii) the people believe their weather to be particularly unpredictable and rapid-changing.  "You know what they say about [fill in the blank]'s weather: if you don't like it, just wait 5 minutes and it will change!"  Actually, people may have said this in Hawaii too, but I don't remember for sure.

Thanks Hunter, for the info.  You didn't mention the unloaded part, so I guess that part is right?  If so, looks like you can cart around your rifles however you want, as long as you keep them unloaded.  Be aware: I'd be willing to bet not all cops are aware of this allowance, so count the cost.

Title: Re: How about more info on Wyoming, or where I can dig it up?
Post by: RazorCityRifleman on April 27, 2006, 04:46:05 AM

Quote

Oh RCR, I don't have any experience, as you perfectly well know (no kids).  Didn't claim to.  I do have experience attending schools in other places though.  Vast experience.  Way, way more experience than any decent person should have.  We should get together some time, maybe we can talk about that, or about something more pleasant.

My statement remains that everywhere I go, the people believe gov't schools are bad and failing.  That's the consensus across political/social/all lines.  Everywhere I go, the same people believe the schools in their particular area to be an exception, that they really aren't that bad, in fact are pretty good, test scores are above average, etc. (unless their family has had specific very bad experiences with the school that turned them against it).

We definetly should John, I think about that everytime I drive by that big yellow fronted buliding (about 10 times a day) ;D

I don't have a huge amount of public school experience, other than a short stint in Wisconson, my kids were raised in WY, but other than a couple notable situations it's not been a bad experience. I'm sure it's different in other places, I've heard the horror stories. Thats a mute point though I simply wouldn't live in those places, period.

We have good friends that home school, (my daughter and wifes circle of friends for the most part) so I have spent a lot of time around those kids and thier parents, they are good folks. They have the same problems as everyone else, two of the teenage girls in thier home schooling 'group' came up pregnent this year (yep, the usual way ;D) and a few nights ago my daughter called me to pick her up from the 'home schooler' prom (christian rock band, heavily supervised et' all) early when her friends date broke out the pot. ('home schooled with the home grown'  ;D I thought it was funny, wife did not ;D). I didn't ask why she wanted to leave on the phone, simply went to town and picked up her and her friend up and we laughed about it over a milk shake on the way home.

Home schooling does not cure all. I'm sure that there are families out there who have 9 year olds doing calculous and pre-med bioliogy between reciting the Declaration of Independence from memory for sport, but that isn't the average 'home schooled' kid any more than the average public educated kid is a brain dead robot of the state with various mental issues. My daughter goes to college this year with a fist full of merit based scholarships from private organizations and the WY state mineral based scholarship program. Her best friend couldn't score high enough to qualify. It was a little sad, but not altogether unexpected (by me anyway ;D), my daughter works her butt off pulling a 4.0 in very difficult classes (last 4 years) and her friend gets up at 9 or 10 'works at her own pace' and can't hold a job because it just 'doesn't work out' . Many evenings our phone has rang with her friend wanting to go riding (horses) and my daughter was either on the way out to work (she interns at a vet clinic) or was buried in homework. She's finding out now that the hard work pays off. 

Kids are kids, nothing is going to change that. I think there's a lot of kids out thier that are home schooled more for the parents sake than than the kids sake.

RCR



 

Title: Re: How about more info on Wyoming, or where I can dig it up?
Post by: Hunter on April 27, 2006, 07:02:30 AM

Quote from: Daveasxx on April 23, 2006, 03:38:45 PM

Thanks Pete.? I think I was getting confused.? I was thinking of the rule (at least mine anyway) in Jim Bridger Forest during Elk season.? It's hard to prove that you weren't hunting from a truck when you have an uncased rifle on the seat...

Dave

"Hunting from a truck?? ???

Did ya mean ROAD HUNTING?? :o

He11, that's the Wyoming way! ::) :P

Yeh yer right, I did forget to say "unloaded". For that I'll take 3 lashes with a wet noodle :)

BTW,
Does "unloaded" mean ya sit with the rifle next to ya all the while you've got 2-3 rounds in yer hand ready to use? Does "unloaded mean an MT chamber and a full load in the magazine?

Good question, eh?
Ask 3 game cops that same question and you'll get 3 different interpretations. I know!

Hunter

Title: Re: How about more info on Wyoming, or where I can dig it up?
Post by: KIDGLOCK on April 27, 2006, 08:35:41 AM

 6% SALES TAX IN SWEETWATER CO.

Title: Re: How about more info on Wyoming, or where I can dig it up?
Post by: Paul Bonneau on April 27, 2006, 09:40:29 AM

Quote

Everywhere I go, the same people believe the schools in their particular area to be an exception, that they really aren't that bad, in fact are pretty good, test scores are above average, etc.

Andrew Coulson wrote a book called Market Education (http://www.schoolchoices.org/roo/market.htm) (highly recommended by the way) in which he noted someone once did a study about the state rating of schools. At that point in time, every state in the country claimed to have schools "above average", another mathematical miracle.  ::)  The book does not deal with homeschooling by the way, but does a historical review of private schooling versus government schooling.

I suppose the main influence on kids, is what their parents are like. But RCR, however did you manage to end up living next to all the worst homeschoolers in the state?  ;)

Title: Re: How about more info on Wyoming, or where I can dig it up?
Post by: wyomiles on April 27, 2006, 02:01:24 PM

I had a basketball coach once who always used the phrase, "your actions reflect on your upbringing"  I think parents are the most important link in a childs chain of life. We have always supplemented our kids educations in every way possible. So I look at it as, we have homeschooled and state schooled at the same time. I just want them to know more about their world than I knew about mine.   
I havn't lived in Wyoming for a few years but when I was there I never thought twice about having my rifle in the truck, shells in the magazine. "road hunting" but DO NOT EVER get excited and forget to get out of the truck before you shoot. It kind of hurts your ears, or so I have been told. ::)
 Anyway back on topic, keep digging like Paul says.

Miles

Title: Re: How about more info on Wyoming, or where I can dig it up?
Post by: RazorCityRifleman on April 27, 2006, 05:30:08 PM

Quote

I suppose the main influence on kids, is what their parents are like. But RCR, however did you manage to end up living next to all the worst homeschoolers in the state?

They aren't the 'worst' Paul, they are just like other concerned  parents trying to do the best they can by thier kids. When kids get to be teenagers it doesn't matter who taught them to read ;D they need to be watched pretty damm close and the best way is to stay very involved.

Two things bro, we associate with folks that share our values and many of them home school and I'm very involved in my kids lives to the extent they let me. I always take oppurtunity to chat with thier friends when they are over which is often. No one has dated my dauther that hasn't sat down with my family over dinner or a weekend barbeque first, if they aren't intresting in meeting her family and us meeting him there will be no date, I always find a little time to have a little 'chat' with them ;D My boys aren't aren't quite ready to 'date' yet (17 in my house) but the same will apply thier first date will be with thier family.

I also have another advantage, unless they decide to rob a bank or something there isn't hardly anything they could get involved with that I havn't done ;D

RCR

Title: Re: How about more info on Wyoming, or where I can dig it up?
Post by: Paul Bonneau on April 28, 2006, 09:56:23 AM

I read one way to impress one's daughter's boyfriends. When they come over for the first time, you should be in the prone position on the living room floor, dry-firing your M1A at the TV. An AR-15 will do too.   :)

Title: Re: How about more info on Wyoming, or where I can dig it up?
Post by: SteveL on April 28, 2006, 10:25:24 AM

Well if they run home screamin' for mama ya know thats one relationship yer family's probably better off without ;)

Title: Re: How about more info on Wyoming, or where I can dig it up?
Post by: spatin on January 05, 2007, 11:53:31 AM

We are currently living in Colorado Springs.  I'm interested in getting out of this state and really thinking about Wyoming.  Colorado is getting too crowded, and the whole state is ruled by the liberal anti-gun democrats in Denver.  Too bad.  It's a nice state but they (the Demos) screwed it up and it's getting worse.

Does anyone know of an area or two in Wyoming that has a climate much like Colorado Springs?  We want to look for a small town with low property values where we can buy a little property and retire there.

Sidney

Title: Re: How about more info on Wyoming, or where I can dig it up?
Post by: wyomiles on January 05, 2007, 03:51:58 PM

Howdy Spatin, I am in Denver for a few more years and looking forward to heading back to Wyoming.  Anyway take your time and look around at some of the threads. There is all sorts of info here it just may take a while to find the right thread. Don't give up.   Miles