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It's all about supply and demand. My salary was increasing at a nice clip for years, then the recession hit and it stagnated, then dropped. Now it's higher than it ever was. Living on a moderate budget during the boom times helped a lot during the down times. A lesson I learned growing up in a place where some men were out of work for extended periods of time.
Partly true but not accurate this time around. Sales tax revenues are up. Quarterly earnings are booming. Until a few weeks ago, stocks were having a tremendous year. In down times, historically businesses with cash reserves did NOT sit on them, they re-tooled, upgraded infrastructure, invested in the business since interest rates were low, acquired other entities that were struggling and could be bought cheap. They didn't just sit around waiting to see which side would win, who they could buy and assess their lobbying needs, who might punish them for outsourcing and make them cut margins by manufacturing domestically. Sitting on cash accruing low interest rates is not good business. This is much more about politics than business. They are aiding in a slowdown of the economy until the election. Whoever wins, unless the euro completely folds, the economy can quickly kick start. If it's the dems, a solid WPA style jobs program would work, if it's the repukes, the bogus "uncertainty" should be over so no reason businesses shouldn't start investing again. The global slowdown definitely matters, I won't argue that but we don't export enough anyway and reducing imports won't hurt particularly if it means manufacturing domestically instead.
Unfortunately none of this really helps LI since our problems stem from lack of business development foresight, will, cooperation, compromise and arrogance. All the things I stated earlier. The Kate's and Pete's can never seem to stop smiling like idiots and saying "see, we have a AAA bond rating" while half of Hempstead Tpke closes shop and moves elsewhere and the ones who want to stay need millions in legal fees to get a parking variance or building permit.
I'm just saying there are many places in the US enticing businesses to open. It is a political PRIORITY. On LI we are the poster child for doing the EXACT opposite.
Businesses are not going to invest in expansion unless they see increased demand on the horizon, if they are not building at these interests rates we are in this for the long run. The County IDA (Industrial Development Agency) is supposed to support attract new businesses ands support existing ones, but mostly they are filled with political hacks looking for campaign donations, they did little to stem the tide of small buisness departure in the last decade. The solutions on LI amount to real estate development, new housing, malls, retail, not much in the area of sustainable companies or other industries.
Larger companies like Cannon, OSI have left for the most part.
I don't know why I'm trying to make rational, non partisan points and you drag me into a) putting words in my mouth like "they're dying to spend money on LI" or b) treating me like I'm GPSMA and pitting this as some union bashing issue. None of my points go to either.
I'll boil it down to one line for the comprehension impaired...
LI is business UNFRIENDLY. It is arrogant, obstructionist, expensive and adversarial. The only time it becomes cooperative is when a large employer threatens to leave and even then the offers to stay are desperate and paltry.
I understand. But you're comparing LI to other parts of the country, where "business friendly" means cutting corporate taxes and offsetting those with social spending cuts, or passing right-to-work laws that gut unions and drive down wages. Those measures, and not silly zoning regulations and hand wringing by local government, is what attracts business. I just don't think it's sustainable here.
I understand. But you're comparing LI to other parts of the country, where "business friendly" means cutting corporate taxes and offsetting those with social spending cuts, or passing right-to-work laws that gut unions and drive down wages. Those measures, and not silly zoning regulations and hand wringing by local government, is what attracts business. I just don't think it's sustainable here.
I get your point but I think you're fixated on Michigan and parts of Florida and the companies that employ low wage laborers that can't afford an area like LI anyway. I'm talking about San Jose, Raleigh, Austin, D.C., Seattle, Minneapolis and Salt Lake City that are booming and attractring white collar engineers, developers, medical techs, etc. All beating us to the punch. Great wages and benefits (often better than LI but not NYC). Some are having the same credit/housing problems that we are but they are stealing entire industries from the northeast and midwest. That is a matter of POLITICAL malfeasance and ineptitude. Pete King is stomping his feet trying to get more homeland security money (one trick pony) but hasn't a clue about bringing modern industry and jobs here. None of them do. Maintaining our "unique suburban character" is cutting our noses to spite our faces. Can't maintain that culture stuffing pill bottles or working at Subways. Thus our over-dependence on public sector jobs and benefits now and all the cop/teacher salary bashing posts (of which I am a part). So the answer to your plight of "union bashing" and "right to work abuse" AND the need to maintain high public pension and salary obligations is to bring in industry. Beg, borrow and steal to get them here. Create a 495 corridor that rivals Mopac or the Research Triangle ('ewwww, but the traffic...how will I get to Nordstroms?!?"). LI had aviation, defense, neutrceutical, mortgage banking, etc but they are mostly GONE. The focus should be on REPLACING them, not bickering about parking spaces, off ramp egresses and occasional helicopter noise. Industry fled to NJ after 9/11 and much of it came back to parts of Manhattan. Why didn't any of it come out to LI?! Because we didn't care. We didn't entice it, didn't support it, blocked it, made it a hassle, taxed it to death (which Jersey did too but didn't seem to suffer for it) and Nimby'd it into submission. And nothing has changed....
Last edited by mongoose65; 07-16-2012 at 08:44 AM..
I get your point but I think you're fixated on Michigan and parts of Florida and the companies that employ low wage laborers that can't afford an area like LI anyway. I'm talking about San Jose, Raleigh, Austin, D.C., Seattle, Minneapolis and Salt Lake City that are booming and attractring white collar engineers, developers, medical techs, etc. All beating us to the punch. Great wages and benefits (often better than LI but not NYC). Some are having the same credit/housing problems that we are but they are stealing entire industries from the northeast and midwest. That is a matter of POLITICAL malfeasance and ineptitude. Pete King is stomping his feet trying to get more homeland security money (one trick pony) but hasn't a clue about bringing modern industry and jobs here. None of them do. Maintaining our "unique suburban culture" is cutting our noses to spite our faces. Can't maintain that culture stuffing pill bottles or working at Subways. Thus our over-dependence on public sector jobs and benefits now and all the cop/teacher salary bashing posts (of which I am a part). So the answer to your plight of "union bashing" and "right to work abuse" AND the need to maintain high public pension and salary obligations is to bring in industry. Beg, borrow and steal to get them here. Create a 495 corridor that rivals Mopac or the Research Triangle. LI had aviation, defense, neutrceutical, etc, mortgage banking, but they are mostly GONE. The focus should be on REPLACING them, not bickering about parking spaces, off ramp egresses and occasional helicopter noise.
Still nothing at Calverton, right? How can people complain about traffic out there? It must have been much worse when there were actually hundreds (thousands?) of people working at Grumman.
We don't want traffic like it was 30 years ago..we want it like what it was 15 years ago!!
Still nothing at Calverton, right? How can people complain about traffic out there? It must have been much worse when there were actually hundreds (thousands?) of people working at Grumman.
We don't want traffic like it was 30 years ago..we want it like what it was 15 years ago!!
Nope not much there still. A few small businesses in some of the old warehouses but that's it. Still mostly abandoned. When I was a kid thousands were employed there (my father was one of them). So sad that nothing has been done with that massive facility.
The solutions on LI amount to real estate development, new housing, malls, retail, not much in the area of sustainable companies or other industries.
Larger companies like Cannon, OSI have left for the most part.
That will be the birth of queens east and the death of long island.
As long as the Oak Beach Inn still stands Long Island will never die!
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