This says it all!! Cost of self sufficiency on LI (New York: how much, house)

[TristansMommy]

Long Island’s cost of self-sufficiency is high.
WHY IS THIS IMPORTANT?
The Self-Sufficiency Standard measures how much income is needed for a family to adequately meet their basic needs. The Standard uses a no-frills budget that would allow a family to meet their basic needs: rent, food, child care, transportation, health care, taxes, and miscellaneous expenses. No provision is made for long-term needs: retirement savings, college tuition, purchase of a new car, emergency expenses.
HOW ARE WE DOING?
Long Island is an expensive place to live. As of January 1, 2007, New York State’s minimum wage increased to $7.15 but a single adult living alone needs to earn at least $11.21 an hour (based on 2000 data for expenses) in order to meet their basic bills; a single adult with an infant and preschooler needs to earn at least $28.66 an hour. Since many families do not earn sufficient wages to cover their bills, alternate options must be found—child care arrangements with friends and/or family, sharing housing, skimping on health care or food, working multiple jobs. But given the wide gap between minimum wage and the cost of self-sufficiency on Long Island, many families live on the financial edge and even a small unexpected expense can wreck havoc on their lives.


This was taken from Long Island Index: Home Very good site.

[TristansMommy]

And i just realized.. THIS WAS FROM 2000 DATA.. IMAGINE WHAT THAT IS NOW!! EECCKK

[clamboy]

Originally Posted by TristansMommy

And i just realized.. THIS WAS FROM 2000 DATA.. IMAGINE WHAT THAT IS NOW!! EECCKK

What scared the hell out of me with the LI Index was that a 100k salary only buys 3% of our available homes.
("Yippeee a crack house in Amityville....the dreams alive I tell ya!!!!!!!!!!!!!!")

Were on a greased pole to hell.

Wheres the jobs?
Wheres Microsoft? Oracle? Where's Indoor Skiing? (I digress)



WTFLI?

C

[nbres]

Once upon a time LI was a leader in aerospace. When the aerospace left LI in the early 90s some 100,000 related jobs were lost. I think that's when things began to head down hill.

[ClarkStreetKid]

Originally Posted by nbres

Once upon a time LI was a leader in aerospace. When the aerospace left LI in the early 90s some 100,000 related jobs were lost. I think that's when things began to head down hill.

Grumman in Decline -- Newsday.com


What about taxes? Long Islanders have to get serious about where they are willing to cut taxes. Seems that housing is in the process of adjusting downward so that may make things easier for home buyers.

[TristansMommy]

Originally Posted by ClarkStreetKid

Grumman in Decline -- Newsday.com


What about taxes? Long Islanders have to get serious about where they are willing to cut taxes. Seems that housing is in the process of adjusting downward so that may make things easier for home buyers.

Loved the article about taxes.. makes sense. I think there are LOTS Of things we can cut and we need tolook to other areas that have school districts that are good AND affordable to see how they keep them that way!!

I always vote NO on the school budget becasue i think its a bunch of poop!! HOw do we know we are getting the best prices on all that we put into the schools.. books, food, etc. We don't!! and ever year we blindly vote "yes" out of fear that our kids will suffer if we don't vote yes! But I don't believe them when they say all that.. but you all buy it anyway and vote their lame overinflated budget through anyway then get upset when yoru taxes go up yet again!!

IT'S TIME FOR CHANGE.. LET'S TRY AND BRING BACK QUALITY OF LIFE LIVING ON LI!!

[nbres]

Yep. ClarkStreetKid is right.

Long Islanders have to get serious about where they are willing to cut taxes. Seems that housing is in the process of adjusting downward so that may make things easier for home buyers.

The market always wins. Home prices will readjust down until buyers can afford to buy again. We are heading into some rough waters.

As far as taxes go, we will never make the necessary changes - we are too short sighted.