Well, I don't know how old your kids are, but this is the best place
to raise a family I've found. Lots of jobs, lots of activities, lots
of culture (due to the University), and almost no crime.

Hmmm... sounds a lot like Boise.

Interestingly enough, I ran into a guy at the bank this morning who
recently took a very nice position at Procter & Gamble (they have a
large plant in Iowa City -- really the only "blue collar" jobs
around), and they are short over 100 line workers right now -- with a
starting pay of $18 per hour!

The question is: how many people are willing to pack up and move for
an $18/hour job? Unless the company pays for the move, a lot of
people at that wage level can't afford to move several states away
unless they are young and single...

It's a remarkable economy. Everyone here is dying for workers, wages
are sky-high -- and all I hear about is how "tough" it is out there...
--
In the engineering profession, it is definitely tough. I'm sure that
there are plenty of places with mid-level hourly jobs, but that would
be a pretty big step back for a salaried professional with a technical
degree and 20 years of experience!

Dean