Reviews & Comments
La Crosse, WI
You get what you pay for on taxes -
1/9/2012Those on this forum who complain about taxes and drinking and say there is not much to do in La Crosse simply are not looking very hard. If you add up all of the cultural events and happenings at UW-L, Viterbo & the pump house, all of the free outdoor jazz concerts all summer long, the fantastic live music scene downtown, nature events at Hixon Ecopark...La Crosse is a pretty happening place for its size. Also, the hiking and cross country skiing you can do right in city limits (La Crosse River Marsh, Hixon Forest) is awesome. This person doesn't know what the heck they are talking about.
I have also lived many places in the country of all sizes, and it is hard to beat La Crosse's civic engagement. The community gets involved in all kinds of festivals, fundraisers, etc. For example, a number of organizations team up to decorate Riverside Park with millions of lights and people can drive through and donate money, food, etc. to local organizations after they are done. It's a pretty amazing example of people coming together for a good cause. It doesn't happen everywhere, believe me.
Culturally speaking, it ain't Minneapolis or Madison, but La Crosse holds its own for a city its size.
And finally, regarding the high taxes (my God I am so sick of you tax complainers). You are getting so frickin annoying. La Crosse spends $2000 more per child than the national average. And it shows in the quality of the facilities, teacher ratios, etc. So, if you want to pay more but get more, La Crosse may be one of your best bets.
If you want low taxes and low quality services, move to Texas with Governor Perry.