viable strategies for progress in Scranton? (Carbondale, Mayfield: pollution, money, areas)

[FightinPhils]

Originally Posted by I LOVE PA!

Moving from a rural area to the city is a move some are just not ready for. A more suburban setting is what I'm looking for.
No politics involved!

You'll find that politics infests every part of this area...even the suburban towns.

[FightinPhils]

Originally Posted by NYRangers 2008

I do want to thank the city for after 5 long years, they finally paved North Hyde Park Ave. from Washburn Street to Oram Street in West Side. I mean it's only fair to expect the city to provide decent roads for the taxes we pay. I would also like to thank my neighborhood in Hyde Park for behaving last night on Halloween. There were no eggings, toilet papering or shaving cream incidents to my knowledge in the area. Thank You for being human beings.

Yes, a lot of streets have been paved in West Side...lately, and over the past few years. The roads aren't so bad here now, and Scranton's roads used to be like the dark side of the moon, especially during Jimmy Connors' tenure as mayor.

And you are right about Halloween....no problems here at all, and my house would have been a prime spot for trouble makers, since I don't have a fence and we had pumpkins right out in front of the house. Never any trouble in my neighborhood on Halloween or any time. When I lived "up da line," eggings and soaped windows were to be expected on Halloween.

Plus, the trick-or-treating is great here in my West Side neighborhood. Lots of people get involved and let trick or treaters in, and getting festive for the holiday. I don't remember it like this growing up in the 'burbs. And for how everyone says that Scranton's population is old and like one big geriatric ward, out neighborhood seems very young....LOTS of kids, which is evident by streets packed with parents and kids trick-or-treating. Growing up, trick-or-treating was pretty dead where I lived then.

[weluvpa]

Originally Posted by ScrantonWilkesBarre

I'm sure posting all of these numbers all over the Internet will do wonders to attract the middle-class tax base back to the city when what it truly does need most is a little faith and hope.

The tax impact that comes with living in Scranton hits the middle class harder than any other group. The elderly on fixed incomes get hit hard and so does everyone else but the middle class with a median household income of $30,000 gets it the hardest. They on the other hand are the ones that CAN afford to leave and they are, they are leaving. The exodus of middle class residents will not stop. You can build parks and boutiques and open coffee shop after coffee shop and throw office convention after convention all year long and they will continue to go. Know why? TAXES, TAXES, TAXES. The cost of living is rising and so is the cost of living in Scranton. The rich or upper class can afford to pay the increase and the poor cannot, but the middle class can afford to leave and that they are. They can afford to move to to a surrounding town and pay the same amount of taxes or maybe a bit more on the property tax, but they will save on the wage tax, get a larger piece of land and services that they can count on and the roads that are good and plowed when it snows. They will get what a resident should get in return for their hard earned money. I could post numbers all day long but they are still going to leave and hope and faith will not keep them here. Its not alway about whether or not the Scranton taxes are more or less than the surrounding towns. Its more about what are you getting for your money? The return on the dollar in Scranton is poor, very poor.

[FightinPhils]

I'm middle class, and I like it here. There wouldn't be a tax savings by moving out, since most likely the property taxes would be higher in another town. Plus, I got such a good deal on my house that I wouldn't be able to get a house anywhere, Scranton included, for anywhere near the mortgage payment I pay now. My mortgage payment is less than the rent on a one-room apartment. It would make no financial sense for me to leave....and plus, I'm happy living here.

[weluvpa]

You and I are in the same place. I love this city but it is not what everyone wants. Regardless of what you or I say there is alot of middle class residents leaving the city. There some blocks that 4 and 5 homes for sale on one block. These people are not leaving just do so not with over 500 homes on the market in the city of Scranton. If you balance the services against the taxes it doesn't balance out. They could move and pay more in property taxes and a lower wage tax and then it balance out to be close to the same but they could get a larger property and have great services and not have to deal with being in a city with increasing taxes and shrinking fire and police depts. Its just not worth it to stay in the city right now. What I am getting at is until we can stabilize the spending and at least level out the taxes and increase our services they will not stay. No park or boutique or convention is going to make a bit of difference when people sit down and do their books and balance their bank statements. Its like trying to sell tickets to passengers of the titanic while telling them it will not make it and it will sink, but hey the rooms are great so come on lets go for a cruise.

[FightinPhils]

I agree....the neighborhoods need to start being the priority in this city. We can keep the parks looking good without dumping millions into them....just keep them clean and maintain what we have, and the parks will be fine. The city needs to focus on the residents.....the neighborhoods and public safety. That's the only thing that will stop the bleeding of residents. Plus, if we do those things and stabilize the neighborhoods, the end result will be more businesses investing in the city to serve a growing or even just a stable population. Supply and demand....no KOZ's or government grants needed.

[Chefkey]

I heard something about a methane plant that was shot down in Mountaintop. Any chance of securing somewhere else in the region? What I think this area needs is a boost in good steady jobs. There is a workforce here that can fill the new factories that we need to be enticing here. Once we start bringing in money from new sources people from other areas will follow in.

[ScranBarre]

Originally Posted by Chefkey

I heard something about a methane plant that was shot down in Mountaintop. Any chance of securing somewhere else in the region? What I think this area needs is a boost in good steady jobs. There is a workforce here that can fill the new factories that we need to be enticing here. Once we start bringing in money from new sources people from other areas will follow in.

Everyone in NEPA has the "NIMBY" mentality, especially the suburbanites. I had to laugh hysterically last year when I saw that residents in West Pittston were fighting the construction of a new bank because it would "deteriorate their quality-of-lives", as well as when residents of South Abington Township fought tooth-and-nail against a new convenience store, which would have permitted them to WALK to buy a loaf of bread or gallon of milk if they so chose. If our suburbanites go "icky" when it comes to a convenience store or a BANK, what do you think the odds would be that they'd welcome a solid blue-collar employer?

[Chefkey]

A positive aspect I think of the steady migration from Philly and New York will hopefully fill the void for workers who would happily fill these new blue collar jobs. Plus, why not try to attract some white collar firms that have factories with blue collar jobs as well as white collar. With technology growing so rapidly I am sure this is some lucrative company that is looking for places to have new plants and expand their company beyond California or New York. If we don't keep the ideas flowing the area truly will never get out of the coal ditch that we are sitting in right now. If we place these factories in places like the huge open spot off of 81 near Pittston instead of a new Walmart that we don't need we will create jobs away from the complainers who want to stifle growth.

[ScranBarre]

Originally Posted by Chefkey

A positive aspect I think of the steady migration from Philly and New York will hopefully fill the void for workers who would happily fill these new blue collar jobs. Plus, why not try to attract some white collar firms that have factories with blue collar jobs as well as white collar. With technology growing so rapidly I am sure this is some lucrative company that is looking for places to have new plants and expand their company beyond California or New York. If we don't keep the ideas flowing the area truly will never get out of the coal ditch that we are sitting in right now. If we place these factories in places like the huge open spot off of 81 near Pittston instead of a new Walmart that we don't need we will create jobs away from the complainers who want to stifle growth.

I happen to live in a subdivision along Highway 315 within spitting distance of all of the new growth coming to the Pittston Area, and being stragically-located midway between both Wilkes-Barre and Scranton puts it at a HUGE advantage for luring in major employers, especially Wall Street West firms. Thankfully the developer, Rob Mericle, has promised us that this Center Point project (which will consist of several parks throughout rapidly-growing Pittston Township and Jenkins Township) will only house "quality" employers, which was his way of assuaging fears of another T.J. Maxx debacle in another part of Pittston Township.

Thus far several distribution centers have become tenants, including Men's Wearhouse and Lowe's Home Improvement. As a recent employee of Lowe's, I know that they pay very fair ($mid-teens per hour) wages to their distribution center employees, and I'm sure Men's Wearhouse will be competitive as well. When I spoke with Mr. Mericle at a township meeting regarding the project, he promised me that Wall Street West financial firms were also coming to a future phase of the park that would be geared towards white-collar employers. When this park was first announced all I could think of was "Great. More illegal Mexicans moving here for $6/hr. crap jobs right in our backyard." Now most of my concerns have been assuaged (the increasing congestion along 315 near Oak/Armstrong is still WICKED at rush-hour though with road-rage and accidents, and will only be getting worse as the township continues to explode in growth).

As far as the new Wal-Mart is concerned, that was originally supposed to anchor the new "Pittston Crossings" Mall across the street from Wendy's. Since then we've heard that the plans have fallen through; Wal-Mart is building a regular store over in Exeter and is scrapping plans for a new Wal-Mart Supercenter in Pittston Township. Mericle wants that land worse than a hungry monkey wants a banana, so perhaps now that Wal-Mart, the main anchor, has pulled out, George Zamias, the developer of Pittston Crossings, will sell the land for yet another phase of Center Point (which at full build-out will have my community resembling the NC Research Triangle Park).