Cost of living comparisons (Buffalo, Rochester: sales, home sales, construction jobs)

[donbuy]

Originally Posted by HowardRoarke

Yes, unemployment here was 11.5% in August, and is falling slightly every month. Yes, there's an unemployment problem, here, as well as others. Studies and forecasts are showing SC and other states will have recovered by 2011 or so. Can't say the same for WNY, MI, OH, and other states/regions which will take longer to come around. MI, WNY, and several other places (SoCal, anyone?), will take 5+ years to recover.

Wait 'til Chrysler and GM go under, next year.


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Sounds like you are trying very hard to convince yourself that you made the right move. I moved from Virginia a few years ago and never feel the need to go to the Virginia section and pontificate in order to validate my decision to leave. I am happy with my choice and do not find it necessary to put down Virginia to those that are happy with their decision to stay there. And believe me there is plenty to put down about Virginia - like the thousand dollars a year we had to pay in property taxes on our cars, but why would I want to rub it in the faces of those that like it there? What a sad miserable way to go through life.

[HowardRoarke]

Originally Posted by donbuy

Sounds like you are trying very hard to convince yourself that you made the right move. I moved from Virginia a few years ago and never feel the need to go to the Virginia section and pontificate in order to validate my decision to leave. I am happy with my choice and do not find it necessary to put down Virginia to those that are happy with their decision to stay there. And believe me there is plenty to put down about Virginia - like the thousand dollars a year we had to pay in property taxes on our cars, but why would I want to rub it in the faces of those that like it there? What a sad miserable way to go through life.

Huh?

Just stating facts. Not justifying anything.

200K+ gone from Erie County since 1970. Buffalo, NY's, unemployment rate at this very moment would be in the 30%+ range if all those people had stayed (including retirements).

Rochester's would be around 20% or so, if people had stayed there.

Just stating facts.

Lots of people "justify" their reasons for staying in Upstate, NY, on here, and the reasons ring hollow with those whom have left for greener pastures.

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[coppersink63]

People rightfully were upset when Buffalo was doing poorly but now seem to be even MORE upset that its actually recovering. Strange behavior indeed.

[jblake78728]

Originally Posted by coppersink63

People rightfully were upset when Buffalo was doing poorly but now seem to be even MORE upset that its actually recovering. Strange behavior indeed.

I get that same impression from many transplants that come to this & other WNY boards. Personally, I don't really understand why they care either way? If they are happier where they are that's great for them but they don't have to hate on those of us that are still here. When my family was asking about relocating to the area the responses we received were overwhelming against the move (though most of those that told us the horror stories where people who had moved away years ago). I was amazed when we actually visited the area that it was not the war zone I was led to believe it was.

Buffalo is in a good position to capitalize during the nations rebound from its current economic woes, whether it does or not remains to be seen but the opportunity does exist. Just in the last few days Business Week has listed what it considers to be the 40 strongest metro economies in the US, the haters will be disappointed to know they ranked Buffalo at #21 (Rochester was #20 & Syracuse #27).

Forty Strongest U.S. Metro Economies: Employment and Economic Muscle - BusinessWeek

[donbuy]

Originally Posted by jblake78728

Forty Strongest U.S. Metro Economies: Employment and Economic Muscle - BusinessWeek

Great link though they could have used a better picture

[VegasRocks]

Add the thousands and thousands of people in WNY who's unemployment
insurance has ran out and can not find a job.

[donbuy]

Originally Posted by VegasRocks

Add the thousands and thousands of people in WNY who's unemployment
insurance has ran out and can not find a job.

And I am sure that there are no unemployed in Nevada whose unemployment insurance ran out. Get real dude, they calculate the rate in exactly the same manner for all 50 states.

[VegasRocks]

Buffalo & WNY has been losing jobs & population for the last 40 years
and has been in it's own recession

The national recession just starting effecting Las Vegas in just the last year or two.
before the national recession hit Las Vegas, it was booming with job's, But even during the recession Las Vegas & Phoenix are stilll the 2 fastest growing cities in US.
Their is so much construction in the southwest going on before the recession that
so many projects were put on hold that caused tens of thousands of construction jobs to be layoff and their was the trickle down effect.
Everyday more & more projects that were put on hold are starting back up and even brand new projects are being announced.

[jblake78728]

Originally Posted by VegasRocks

Add the thousands and thousands of people in WNY who's unemployment
insurance has ran out and can not find a job.

Do you honestly believe this is a problem specific to WNY????

The jobless rate in the Las Vegas area continued at a record pace in August with unemployment in the gaming and construction industries on the rise.

The department said the unemployment rate in the Las Vegas area reached 13.4 percent with an estimated 135,100 workers out of a job. That surpasses the record 13.1 percent set in July.

“Taken as a whole, conditions have deteriorated markedly,” says William Anderson, chief economist for the state’s Department of Employment, Training and Rehabilitation.

Las Vegas jobless rate soars to record 13.4 percent - Friday, Sept. 18, 2009 | 6:50 a.m. - Las Vegas Sun


The construction jobs that left Vegas are never coming back. The city saw unprecedented boom & growth for 20 years, while it may still continue to grow it will be nowhere near the rate it had been. When you build your economy on gaming, construction & adult entertainment this is what you get ............

Nevada has the highest rate of high school dropouts in the country.

High percentages of people who live in polluted communities.

And some of the highest rates of unemployment, teen pregnancy and the uninsured. Not to mention a low number of people who donate or volunteer.

Based on these factors and others, Nevada is one of the worst places to live in the country, according to a new study released by the United Way of America. The study ranked Nevada 46th among the 50 states in terms of the quality of life offered. The state was ranked 46th last year, 44th in 1997, and 39th a decade ago.

LAS VEGAS REVIEW-JOURNAL: NEWS: Study ranks Nevada among worst places to live in ...

Police say gang violence is on the increase and there aren't many neighborhoods that are immune. Police say a few recent incidents prove that point.

Gang Activity Spreads to Unlikely Areas - Las Vegas Now

More than one-fifth of Nevada's 18- to 24-year-old population has failed to earn a high school diploma, according to a report released Thursday by the U.S. Department of Education.

Nevada is the second-worst state in the nation when it comes to producing high school graduates ; 22.1 percent of its young adults don't have a diploma. Only Arizona had a larger population of young adults, 26.5 percent of its 18- to 24-year-olds, who failed to complete a high school program or GED.

LAS VEGAS REVIEW-JOURNAL: NEWS: Report: State dropout rate second-worst in nation

A lot of locals are calling it an embarrassment.

The results of the Clark County School math test are definitely not refrigerator art.

The numbers break down like this: 90.5% of more than 17,000 students who took the end of semester exams in Algebra 1 failed.

They scored at 59% or lower.

In geometry, 87.8% of more than 18,000 students earned the equivalent of an F and more than 10,000 students in Algebra 2 also failed.

86.66% of students were unable to achieve a passing grade.

Superintendent Talks About Low Math Test Scores - KTNV ABC,Channel 13,Las Vegas,Nevada,News,Weather,Sports,Entertainment,KTN V.com,Action News .:.


While Vegas may be a great fit for you VegasRocks, as a parent I don't think I would be able to live with myself if I moved my children into an area where they were destined to academically fail.

[jblake78728]

Originally Posted by VegasRocks

But even during the recession Las Vegas & Phoenix are stilll the 2 fastest growing cities in US.
Their is so much construction in the southwest going on before the recession that
so many projects were put on hold that caused tens of thousands of construction jobs to be layoff and their was the trickle down effect.
Everyday more & more projects that were put on hold are starting back up and even brand new projects are being announced.

1 out of 13 homes in Vegas received a foreclosure notice during the first 6 months of '09 .......... Phoenix was only slightly better with a 1 in 22 rate. There is just no spin for that as those numbers are staggering

Cities worst hit by foreclosures - Jul. 30, 2009

I really think you need to worry more about fixing your current city than our city as your house of cards in the desert has come tumbling down.