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This is not a unique situation to upstate New York. In fact, that scenario replays all over the country outside of just about all mid-sized or larger metros. Generally speaking, jobs in LCOL areas tend to pay less than those in HCOL areas, so it's not much of a gain, especially for older workers or for those without skills/degrees. Depending upon where you go, even finding jobs that pay more than the minimum wage can be a struggle.
But what if you live in that HCOL area and work for a union that negotiates so poorly most of their employees in that school district get section, 8, food stamps etc? That's wrong there too. I maybe a school bus dispatcher, but I have almost 30 years of being in school transportation. Along with my degree. Depends were where go as districts in the south don't do what NYS districts do. No matter how many years experience you have here in NY for say a school bus driver, if you move districts you start again that the very bottom like you never did the job before. Down where we've been targeting, if I had to go back and drive again-I also have my CDL, I'd be able to document my years driving easily and I'd get the higher pay because of my experience.
My hubby used to make $29.65 a hour here dispatching concrete with over 20 years in. He now works at WalMart making $10.75hr because they consider him entry level. Now how is that even possible at his age? And being management for over 20 years. And to boot, they won't give him full time. That's why we are going. We can't make it here at all. Downstaters are taking our jobs and won't hire locals we've noticed. Only people that have moved here too. Example, next door moved here to retire from Long Island. Hubby had been sending out resumes to everything including grocery stores. One that we can see from our home. He went to three interviews. Didn't get the job. Guy next door moves in, three days later and one interview got hired. How is that possible? Makes no sense. Hubby's skills easily transfer. Oh and he's former military too, but forget it we are done trying to make it here. 8 years of trying, how much more?
I am who I say I am. I am unhappy with how much it's costing us to live here as we are both under employed. It's not from lack of trying either to get into better jobs let me assure you. I SHOULD be able to live here as my house is paid for, but the taxes now are more than what we can handle along with all the rest of the bills just to live here. We've lost 35K in income, that's not easy to make up and we've been trying everything we can to get back to that point.
I am not psyching myself to believe it would be better. I know it would. We stayed for two reasons. My Mother was ill and she passed in 2012 at 88. I would have been a lousy daughter leaving her alone and no way to drive, go to Dr's, get the basics as she was unable to. I was raised better than that. Second, our youngest started high school that same year. We've stuck it out as long as we can.
My family are native to NC/VA. My folks moved here for their jobs in the 1953. I know how well my family does down in those areas. Starting over again in our early 50's is not going to easy, but the plan is to work for another 15 years for someone when we get where we are going. We know COL is going to be better in line with our salaries too-it's too wide of a scale here. The last report in our local paper, the median income was 82K to JUST be able to afford a 1 bedroom apartment here. We aren't even making half of that. Again, not with lack of trying to get ahead either.
I am honest to a fault. I don't play games. I have too much to do in life to waste it making up things. As Dad would say, I shoot from the hip.
Your story is also similar to ours. Fortunately for us our house was paid off before we both lost our jobs in manufacturing which moved down south after 50 years of being in New York. Our skills were then obsolete because of computerization. We taught ourselves how to use computers in the same field that we were in. It turned out to be a blessing as it allowed us to live wherever we wanted to live and still have an income.
We never lived beyond our means, and other than once having a mortgage never had any debt. We too started all over again in our early 50's. Having to learn new skills and securing accounts. It wasn't easy but we did it. You may want to consider becoming self employed yourself. There are all types of home based businesses that you can get into using a computer.
The fact that your house is paid off means that you can use the equity from the sale of your house to buy one in another state that more than likely will be nicer than the one you have now. Not only that you will probably have enough money left over that you can live on while establishing your business or looking for employment in your new location.
The nice thing about being self employed is that it is not going to be dependent on the employment situation in your new location. At least for us we already had the accounts a few years before we moved. Realistically speaking at least out here you can live on around $36,000 a year providing you have no debt. You can rent a 3bdr. 2bth. house out here for around $900 a month. Buy a real nice one for about $250,000 on average. I'm sure this is true for most states throughout the United States with the exception of New York it's metro area, CT, MA, NJ included, California and the DC area.
But overall and after living here for 6 years, Arizona is really where we belong. Even if the cost of living were the same. We could never go back to New York. This place is just mesmerizing with it's hauntingly beautiful landscape.
Your story is also similar to ours. Fortunately for us our house was paid off before we both lost our jobs in manufacturing which moved down south after 50 years of being in New York. Our skills were then obsolete because of computerization. We taught ourselves how to use computers in the same field that we were in. It turned out to be a blessing as it allowed us to live wherever we wanted to live and still have an income.
We never lived beyond our means, and other than once having a mortgage never had any debt. We too started all over again in our early 50's. Having to learn new skills and securing accounts. It wasn't easy but we did it. You may want to consider becoming self employed yourself. There are all types of home based businesses that you can get into using a computer.
The fact that your house is paid off means that you can use the equity from the sale of your house to buy one in another state that more than likely will be nicer than the one you have now. Not only that you will probably have enough money left over that you can live on while establishing your business or looking for employment in your new location.
The nice thing about being self employed is that it is not going to be dependent on the employment situation in your new location. At least for us we already had the accounts a few years before we moved. Realistically speaking at least out here you can live on around $36,000 a year providing you have no debt. You can rent a 3bdr. 2bth. house out here for around $900 a month. Buy a real nice one for about $250,000 on average. I'm sure this is true for most states throughout the United States with the exception of New York it's metro area, CT, MA, NJ included, California and the DC area.
But overall and after living here for 6 years, Arizona is really where we belong. Even if the cost of living were the same. We could never go back to New York. This place is just mesmerizing with it's hauntingly beautiful landscape.
I wish you the best of luck!
What he said. I often disagree with Ex NY'er and his politics but he gave you solid advice that I agree with 100%.
I get the impression you've been conditioned by the union to feel you are due more money and perks after many years in the system, and upset they have not met your expectations. The school system and union are indifferent (or borderline hostile) because support staff are lower priority and you could easily be replaced at your job. I know you have decades of experience and you're good at what you do, but bus dispatching is not a special skill that requires a lot of education. Yes, you have a degree, but it's not relevant to your work.
As Ex said, work online. You can take your work anywhere in the world, and no need to be harassed by the NY taxman. There are so many opportunities. Some are lucrative, others not. You need to explore your options and find a good fit. You may want to look into becoming a VA (virtual assistant) early on to get started.
What he said. I often disagree with Ex NY'er and his politics but he gave you solid advice that I agree with 100%.
I get the impression you've been conditioned by the union to feel you are due more money and perks after many years in the system, and upset they have not met your expectations. The school system and union are indifferent (or borderline hostile) because support staff are lower priority and you could easily be replaced at your job. I know you have decades of experience and you're good at what you do, but bus dispatching is not a special skill that requires a lot of education. Yes, you have a degree, but it's not relevant to your work.
As Ex said, work online. You can take your work anywhere in the world, and no need to be harassed by the NY taxman. There are so many opportunities. Some are lucrative, others not. You need to explore your options and find a good fit. You may want to look into becoming a VA (virtual assistant) early on to get started.
Best of luck to you.
Why does everyone thing you don't need special skills to be a school bus dispatcher? I don't get that. You do. Forest Gump did more harm to our industry that the recession ever did. Most people assume that being a dispatcher all you do is a few things all day. I have to make sure I juggle getting buses to 52 different schools between 5:30am and 9am without missing a beat. I have to be knowledgeable in school education laws in terms of the Mckinney-Vento act. Here's just a small glimpse of what my day entails.
Dispatch vehicles and drivers to make the most effective use of manpower and equipment.
Assist in emergencies, coordinating and dispatching when regular scheduled bus operations are interrupted.Receive telephone calls from District personnel or public concerning all phases of work;.
Monitor radio while buses are on the road.Process trip requests sent to transportation department.
Keep records of trips completed for accounting purposes and price them. Perform related duties and responsibilities as required such as drive a school bus if need arises. Develop data and prepare reports as required such as non allowable pupil decimal.Respond to requests for information from students, district personnel, community residents, public officials, media and others by:referencing district policy, explaining transportation policies and guidelines,and transferring undefined policy matters to District administrative personnel.
You don't just learn that in a short time frame I assure you. I also have to have software certification, ICS command certification. I have my 19-A examiner certification to train drivers under NYS Education too. So there is way more than what people perceive about dispatching. Just as there's much more to driving a school bus than driving. That's why most people DON'T get into it.
The district I work for is the lowest paid out of all in our county. By quite a large margin. Our Union is backwards. We are fighting against them and working to get another in that that will help us get pay that will pay our bills. My counter parts doing the same job make a darned sight more than I do. I have the skills to be be a operational manager in the bus industry. I am looking at that.
I know I can find a job driving easily with the huge driver shortage the school bus industry is having. They are in desperate need of drivers all across the county. Like I said, it's not for most people. It's one of the most stressful jobs. I've done medical collections in the past, I've worked summers for a minor league baseball team, I've done retail. But I want a career that means I put all my skills and knowledge in. I know transportation. I'll find it. We did have a business that bombed at one time. It was a central a/c duct cleaning/dryer vent cleaning service. It did well. Then 2008 and it tanked. Now there's a glut of them here. We still have our equipment. Could we do it elsewhere. Sure. Would it be a needed service. I don't know....
Status:
"Let this year be over..."
(set 22 days ago)
Location: Where my bills arrive
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I work in public education (none-teaching) and one of the areas I provide IT support is our transportation department. I am well aware of what is involved with your job and would equate it to herding cats, the only thing more challenging then the students is the parents themselves who know it all...
But unfortunately even here the transportation positions for schools are not that high paying what helps locally is a lower cost of living then you currently experience.
As you move forward with you plans some industries to consider are trucking, railroad, FedEx, UPS all of which pay very well in my area. Your logistical experience combines with your degree would make you a marketable asset and provide more options than working for the schools again.
Why does everyone thing you don't need special skills to be a school bus dispatcher? I don't get that. You do. Forest Gump did more harm to our industry that the recession ever did. Most people assume that being a dispatcher all you do is a few things all day. I have to make sure I juggle getting buses to 52 different schools between 5:30am and 9am without missing a beat. I have to be knowledgeable in school education laws in terms of the Mckinney-Vento act. Here's just a small glimpse of what my day entails.
Dispatch vehicles and drivers to make the most effective use of manpower and equipment.
Assist in emergencies, coordinating and dispatching when regular scheduled bus operations are interrupted.Receive telephone calls from District personnel or public concerning all phases of work;.
Monitor radio while buses are on the road.Process trip requests sent to transportation department.
Keep records of trips completed for accounting purposes and price them. Perform related duties and responsibilities as required such as drive a school bus if need arises. Develop data and prepare reports as required such as non allowable pupil decimal.Respond to requests for information from students, district personnel, community residents, public officials, media and others by:referencing district policy, explaining transportation policies and guidelines,and transferring undefined policy matters to District administrative personnel.
You don't just learn that in a short time frame I assure you. I also have to have software certification, ICS command certification. I have my 19-A examiner certification to train drivers under NYS Education too. So there is way more than what people perceive about dispatching. Just as there's much more to driving a school bus than driving. That's why most people DON'T get into it.
The district I work for is the lowest paid out of all in our county. By quite a large margin. Our Union is backwards. We are fighting against them and working to get another in that that will help us get pay that will pay our bills. My counter parts doing the same job make a darned sight more than I do. I have the skills to be be a operational manager in the bus industry. I am looking at that.
I know I can find a job driving easily with the huge driver shortage the school bus industry is having. They are in desperate need of drivers all across the county. Like I said, it's not for most people. It's one of the most stressful jobs. I've done medical collections in the past, I've worked summers for a minor league baseball team, I've done retail. But I want a career that means I put all my skills and knowledge in. I know transportation. I'll find it. We did have a business that bombed at one time. It was a central a/c duct cleaning/dryer vent cleaning service. It did well. Then 2008 and it tanked. Now there's a glut of them here. We still have our equipment. Could we do it elsewhere. Sure. Would it be a needed service. I don't know....
That's for sure! At one time I wanted to be a long haul trucker and spent 20 weekends going to a trucking school. My wife and I were tired of working in an office environment and wanted to be a husband and wife team. I'm sure glad I got that out of my system. It was fun at first operating such a large piece of equipment but after a while it got on my nerves dealing with all of the other vehicles on the road. I couldn't see us doing it 24/7 not to mention living out of a truck. Got to give those who do it a lot of credit, without truckers this nation would grind to a halt. I can imagine that driving a school bus is no piece of cake either especially with a bus load of noisy children whose lives are in your hands.
Looks like I'm definitely leaving the NYC metro in the next 6 months. No job contract renewal, which is fine by me. I'm leaving to see my last 2 cities on the Vintage Sunlight 2016 National Relocation Tour next week. I've narrowed it down to basically 2 areas since last year and I'm sure I can make a better life somewhere else. I've also saved a lot by living like a hermit. I just can't wait to leave this hellhole.
I parked in NYC last weekend and it cost me $76 for 4 hours. The sign on the wall said $12 for 4 hours. The shady dirtbag parking garage attendant said its a $30 surcharge for a SUV and then taxes and fees. My "SUV" is the size of a Honda Civic. It cost me $30 in tolls to drive 50 miles into the city. Traffic was gridlocked so 50 miles took 1 hour for the first 40 miles and 2 more hours for the last 10. Nothing like being stuck 200 feet under the Hudson River in a tunnel in scorching hot weather with buses spewing exhaust in your face. No other city is like this. I've had it. So, I'm out for sure. I feel both excitement and fear. Its crazy.
Looks like I'm definitely leaving the NYC metro in the next 6 months. No job contract renewal, which is fine by me. I'm leaving to see my last 2 cities on the Vintage Sunlight 2016 National Relocation Tour next week. I've narrowed it down to basically 2 areas since last year and I'm sure I can make a better life somewhere else. I've also saved a lot by living like a hermit. I just can't wait to leave this hellhole.
I parked in NYC last weekend and it cost me $76 for 4 hours. The sign on the wall said $12 for 4 hours. The shady dirtbag parking garage attendant said its a $30 surcharge for a SUV and then taxes and fees. My "SUV" is the size of a Honda Civic. It cost me $30 in tolls to drive 50 miles into the city. Traffic was gridlocked so 50 miles took 1 hour for the first 40 miles and 2 more hours for the last 10. Nothing like being stuck 200 feet under the Hudson River in a tunnel in scorching hot weather with buses spewing exhaust in your face. No other city is like this. I've had it. So, I'm out for sure. I feel both excitement and fear. Its crazy.
Glad you saw the (vintagesun) light. Good luck with the job search and in your new locale!
I've only been here 8 months and already have one foot out the door! It only took a month or two to realize living here long term was a losing idea! Hopefully one of the opportunities I'm pursuing materializes soon.
Looks like I'm definitely leaving the NYC metro in the next 6 months. No job contract renewal, which is fine by me. I'm leaving to see my last 2 cities on the Vintage Sunlight 2016 National Relocation Tour next week. I've narrowed it down to basically 2 areas since last year and I'm sure I can make a better life somewhere else. I've also saved a lot by living like a hermit. I just can't wait to leave this hellhole.
I parked in NYC last weekend and it cost me $76 for 4 hours. The sign on the wall said $12 for 4 hours. The shady dirtbag parking garage attendant said its a $30 surcharge for a SUV and then taxes and fees. My "SUV" is the size of a Honda Civic. It cost me $30 in tolls to drive 50 miles into the city. Traffic was gridlocked so 50 miles took 1 hour for the first 40 miles and 2 more hours for the last 10. Nothing like being stuck 200 feet under the Hudson River in a tunnel in scorching hot weather with buses spewing exhaust in your face. No other city is like this. I've had it. So, I'm out for sure. I feel both excitement and fear. Its crazy.
I couldn't imagine paying/dealing with that on a daily basis. I enjoy living in Northern/Western NY but could never bring myself to live near or in the city. I hope everything works out well for you, good luck on the move!
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