Is leaving the right thing to do? (Red Bank: to live, prices)

[ScranBarre]

Originally Posted by BobKovacs

We'll all be dead by then......

I'm an optimist. There was a major article in this morning's Scranton Times-Tribune about how some Federal funding is now in place for the line. Now all that has to be done is for PA & NJ elected officials to cut through red tape and get this project completed.

[njkate]

Originally Posted by SWB

Why don't you suggest that they do what thousands of others are doing in moving just across the Delaware River to NEPA with a much lower cost-of-living while commuting to work in NJ? I know many, many folks who do this---some of whom commute all the way from the Scranton area now (and many more will do so once the Scranton-Hoboken commuter rail line is completed).

I've always been shocked by folks on here who tell me angrily "Hopatcong/Netcong is too far to commute; you know nothing", yet tens of thousands of others willingly commute from MUCH further locations and do far less whining. If you want the benefits of NJ career opportunities with an affordable cost-of-living, then suck it up and move to a place with a decent cost-of-living that is still within commutable range. People from as far away as Scranton's southern suburbs do it (Tobyhanna comes to mind), so why can't others?

Uh..didn't you once go on a tirade about these very same commuters you are now building up and now actually recommending to people?

Something to the tune of how can they stand the hours commuting just so they could afford a big house...children unsupervised for hours..

Just curious as to which side of the coin you are really on...lol

[njkate]

Originally Posted by BobKovacs

We'll all be dead by then......

Agree, how many years was the Mount Arlington station in the works???
Finally opening in January

[ScranBarre]

Originally Posted by njkate

Uh..didn't you once go on a tirade about these very same commuters you are now building up and now actually recommending to people?

Something to the tune of how can they stand the hours commuting just so they could afford a big house...children unsupervised for hours..

Just curious as to which side of the coin you are really on...lol

I'm the side of "NJ folks should stop their whining all the time." Seriously, out of the 50 state forums, folks on the CA, FL, and NJ forums are the ones who do nothing but slam their own states into the ground, whine about how much of a "struggle" it is for them to survive, and tell everyone else "don't come here if you know what's good for you." I've never seen so many bitter people as those who reside in these three states, and all it does it make life more difficult for those who ENJOY living in these three states and who want to make things better.

When folks in Scranton are bashing our fair city, I tell them "get off your rear-end and do something constructive to rectify these issues or get the hell out of our area." They listen. You folks in NJ should do the same. Every NJ resident who does nothing but whine and gripe about corrupt politicians, high housing prices, crime, congestion, being forced to go to a soup kitchen while earning $100,000 annually, yada, yada, yada should either propose viable strategies and solutions to fix these issues or move somewhere where they'll be HAPPY. Not everyone is cut out for every state. If you can't stand living in NJ, then move and let those who love the Garden State work to make things better without having to hear a cacophony of whining and b*tching along the way. As someone working to improve Scranton's quality-of-life, all these naysayers do is make life ten times more difficult for us to get ANYTHING accomplished. Nobody has you chained to your home office. If you're that miserable living anywhere, then pack your bags and relocate to a greener pasture for your own mental and emotional well-being. So much anger and depression can't be good for your physical health either.

I listed NEPA as a viable option that you folks have to find a lower cost-of-living within commuting range of your career positions instead of just slamming North Jersey into the ground all the time. Too many folks here have a "victimized" or "trapped" mentality, and for the life of me I can't figure out why they stay and subject themselves to such misery.

To NJ's boosters---how do you put up with all the negativity and anger? I can't stand even 10% of my city's residents slamming it into the ground, so I couldn't even fathom having 50% of my state's residents doing the same. How do any of you expect conditions to improve if all you do is complain? Complaining gets nothing accomplished. Action gets things accomplished.

[TheEmissary]

Originally Posted by njkate

Uh..didn't you once go on a tirade about these very same commuters you are now building up and now actually recommending to people?

Something to the tune of how can they stand the hours commuting just so they could afford a big house...children unsupervised for hours..

Just curious as to which side of the coin you are really on...lol

SWB - I think she caught you on that one! I have friends that commuted nearly everyday from outside Stroudsburg to the Whippany GMF mail center and it started to take a toll on them after a while. If you even start with a brand new car, you're going to have to replace it every three years or so and with the increase in gas prices you may not come out ahead financially as much as you think. By the time that rail line is built (and I heard that rumor about the time I bought a lot in Penn Estates in 1986), you, young man will be collecting your Social Security benefits!

[ScranBarre]

Originally Posted by TheEmissary

SWB - I think she caught you on that one! I have friends that commuted nearly everyday from outside Stroudsburg to the Whippany GMF mail center and it started to take a toll on them after a while. If you even start with a brand new car, you're going to have to replace it every three years or so and with the increase in gas prices you may not come out ahead financially as much as you think. By the time that rail line is built (and I heard that rumor about the time I bought a lot in Penn Estates in 1986), you, young man will be collecting your Social Security benefits!

What's the answer then for the hundreds of folks on this forum who all seem to be in the same boat? If they can't stomach a longer commute for a lower cost-of-living but can't afford the cost-of-living where they are now with a reasonable commute, then what's left besides downsizing (which folks on this forum aren't apparently too interested in doing judging by how another member was slammed into the ground for suggesting doing just that when times get tough).

[mike0421]

Originally Posted by SWB

When folks in Scranton are bashing our fair city, I tell them "get off your rear-end and do something constructive to rectify these issues or get the hell out of our area." They listen. You folks in NJ should do the same. Every NJ resident who does nothing but whine and gripe about corrupt politicians, high housing prices, crime, congestion, being forced to go to a soup kitchen while earning $100,000 annually, yada, yada, yada should either propose viable strategies and solutions to fix these issues or move somewhere where they'll be HAPPY. Not everyone is cut out for every state. If you can't stand living in NJ, then move and let those who love the Garden State work to make things better without having to hear a cacophony of whining and b*tching along the way. As someone working to improve Scranton's quality-of-life, all these naysayers do is make life ten times more difficult for us to get ANYTHING accomplished. Nobody has you chained to your home office. If you're that miserable living anywhere, then pack your bags and relocate to a greener pasture for your own mental and emotional well-being. So much anger and depression can't be good for your physical health either.

SWB,

From a standpoint of curiosity, what have you and others do to improve the quality of life in Scranton PA? In terms of actions, that is? And what is your definition of 'fixing things'? Your definition may vary from someone else's definition. One man's poison is another man's cure.

Furthermore, if land use planning is one of your points of contention, (and from reading some of your prior posts, it seems to be) again, how are your actions as well as others in the Scranton area influencing how land is used? Like it or not, the 5th Amendment to the Constitution is still in force, and private property rights still prevail (or are supposed to). Accordingly, much of Scranton PA, (at least in the areas that are zoned heavy commercial or industrial) looks a hell of a lot like Cary NC, at least from the highway, where 'big box' outlets and 'power centers' rule the retailing world. It seems that type of land use reviles you (I am not a big fan either incidentally) but the last time I was in Scranton, I was pretty much non-plussed by the homogeneity of the areas that were not residential. Mixed-use zoning is no more welcome there than it is in say, Marietta Georgia. So, from that standpoint or observation, again, I ask, how are you and others improving the quality of life in Scranton, at least as it pertains to your criteria?

[TheEmissary]

Originally Posted by SWB

What's the answer then for the hundreds of folks on this forum who all seem to be in the same boat? If they can't stomach a longer commute for a lower cost-of-living but can't afford the cost-of-living where they are now with a reasonable commute, then what's left besides downsizing (which folks on this forum aren't apparently too interested in doing judging by how another member was slammed into the ground for suggesting doing just that when times get tough).

If I knew the answer to that one, I could probably afford to pave the streets of Scranton and Pittston with gold. It seems that everybody yearns for that "Leave It To Beaver" lifestyle that never really existed. No one wants to deal with "Lowered Expectations", but I'm afraid that's what the future holds for the area and this country in general. It seems the country and more of the world are into "Instant Gratification" and that is slowly becoming impossible to achieve. I wish I had a good answer!

[nic529]

Originally Posted by SWB

I'm the side of "NJ folks should stop their whining all the time." Seriously, out of the 50 state forums, folks on the CA, FL, and NJ forums are the ones who do nothing but slam their own states into the ground, whine about how much of a "struggle" it is for them to survive, and tell everyone else "don't come here if you know what's good for you." I've never seen so many bitter people as those who reside in these three states, and all it does it make life more difficult for those who ENJOY living in these three states and who want to make things better.

When folks in Scranton are bashing our fair city, I tell them "get off your rear-end and do something constructive to rectify these issues or get the hell out of our area." They listen. You folks in NJ should do the same. Every NJ resident who does nothing but whine and gripe about corrupt politicians, high housing prices, crime, congestion, being forced to go to a soup kitchen while earning $100,000 annually, yada, yada, yada should either propose viable strategies and solutions to fix these issues or move somewhere where they'll be HAPPY. Not everyone is cut out for every state. If you can't stand living in NJ, then move and let those who love the Garden State work to make things better without having to hear a cacophony of whining and b*tching along the way. As someone working to improve Scranton's quality-of-life, all these naysayers do is make life ten times more difficult for us to get ANYTHING accomplished. Nobody has you chained to your home office. If you're that miserable living anywhere, then pack your bags and relocate to a greener pasture for your own mental and emotional well-being. So much anger and depression can't be good for your physical health either.

I listed NEPA as a viable option that you folks have to find a lower cost-of-living within commuting range of your career positions instead of just slamming North Jersey into the ground all the time. Too many folks here have a "victimized" or "trapped" mentality, and for the life of me I can't figure out why they stay and subject themselves to such misery.

To NJ's boosters---how do you put up with all the negativity and anger? I can't stand even 10% of my city's residents slamming it into the ground, so I couldn't even fathom having 50% of my state's residents doing the same. How do any of you expect conditions to improve if all you do is complain? Complaining gets nothing accomplished. Action gets things accomplished.

I'm just wondering why you come into this forum if you think everyone from NJ is bitter and whiney? I personally am an optimist...tend to live by the "it can always be worse motto" - but maybe I'm not one of the norm.

I also don't see how you think traveling 1 1/2 - 2 hrs to work would be a reasonable suggestion. I wouldn't do that. People aren't not picking Scranton to come to because of you...so don't take it so personally

[njkate]

SWB..I'm fine in NWNJ, I like it here. My commute can sometimes $uck with all those pesky Pennsy drivers half asleep behind the wheel in the AM, but hey I need to work so I endure.

As for the naysayers..after awhile it's like a drone....goes in one ear and out the other.
For those naysayers that leave NJ..I wish them well in their new state and hopefully they will stay on their new states forum and learn instead of coming here to bash..