If you notice Alabama is the 11th lowest cost of living and is right to work. I bring that up because I used to live there (my parents still do). When I lived there I worked for a Ford dealership where the mechanics were unionized but others like the parts dept. were not and it worked fine. In the past 8 years the area that my parents live in has gained a Briggs & Stratton plant, a Kia/Huyundi plant, a startup motorcycle manufacturer, a G.E. high tech coatings facility and multiple other new industries. My quality of life there was no worse than it is here. The big difference is that they are drawing industry and new jobs where we are not.