Pittsburgh Reassurance (California: weather, loud)

[guylocke]

Texas sales tax is 8.25% (in Dallas at least) The last time I was in PGH the sales tax was 7% in Allegheny county, and they had just raised it from 6%). Is that still the case?

Correct, but all the neighboring counties are still 6%. Do your shopping at Pittsburgh Mills!! Remember, no tax on food or clothes, too.

I think you get it coming or going.

This is so true.

No matter where we move, it seems like it all ends up being even at the end of the day.

I completely agree unless you are talking about moving from big city to rural Arkansas, for example. LOL. Besides, not everything is about taxes. Compared to Texas cities, Pittsburgh has a much lower cost-of-living, too.

BoyLocke might now the answer to this one---"Does Pittsburgh have any civic organizations that aim to encourage former residents to move back?"

There is something I am thinking of, trying to find the website as we speak.

[Katarina Witt]

Originally Posted by ScrantonWilkesBarre

I think this is a Pennsylvania problem, not a Pittsburgh one. I live just about as far away from Pittsburgh as you can get in the Commonwealth, yet I'm surrounded by "the sky is falling" types of people as well who can only focus on taxes, traffic congestion, potholes, etc. while totally overlooking our natural beauty, growing arts/cultural scene, low crime, great public schools, sporting events, etc.

Wherever one lives, the activities of daily living are what is important to people. That means taxes, potholes, etc. One may attend a play at a major performing arts center once or twice a year, while driving on pothole riddled streets every day. I think that's where it's coming from. It's the same way everywhere I've lived.

[guylocke]

BoyLocke might now the answer to this one---"Does Pittsburgh have any civic organizations that aim to encourage former residents to move back?"

I found the website I was thinking of, it is a really nice one. It is an initiative to show all kinds of people and businesses what Pittsburgh has to offer. Some of the video's are really great!! Enjoy!!

Imagine Pittsburgh

The video under the Innovation and Technology tab is especially interesting, I highly recommend watching it.

[SteelCityRising]

Thanks very much for that helpful link. I think my favorite part of the web site was reading all of the positive feedback provided through the testimonials---it was nice to see REAL PEOPLE attached to REAL QUOTES. We have those also on Rediscover Scranton We're Electric .

[londonbarcelona]

Originally Posted by boylocke

I found the website I was thinking of, it is a really nice one. It is an initiative to show all kinds of people and businesses what Pittsburgh has to offer. Some of the video's are really great!! Enjoy!!

Imagine Pittsburgh

The video under the Innovation and Technology tab is especially interesting, I highly recommend watching it.

I've found this particular website to be very helpful in answering my questions on Pittsburgh.

Pittsburgh Hotels, Attractions & Vacation Packages : Pittsburgh PA CVB

It's not really just hotels, it's everything! It's called Visit Pittsburgh.com

[Maaz]

Originally Posted by MovingtoPittsburgh

Thanks so much to everyone who has responded, I really appreciate it. We're in Minnesota now, and our state income tax is 7.85%. It looks like we'd be paying only 3.07% in Pittsburgh, and when we did the math the extra money we'd be paying for property taxes all came out in the wash. I think you get it coming or going. We lived in Texas too and we did enjoy having no state income tax, but we paid out the wazoo for homeowners' insurance and flood insurance (someone has to pay for the risk of all of those tropical storms and hurricanes), homeowners' association fees (to compensate for the lack of zoning in Houston), horrible commutes, and evacuating every August and September. No matter where we move, it seems like it all ends up being even at the end of the day. Thanks again to everyone for responding.

Yes, the state income tax is currently 3.07%. However, I j just wanted to make you aware that if you live within the city limits, there is an additional 3% city income tax. Outside the city limits, this tax is usually 1% or 1.5%.
Still lower than what you are paying in Minnesota, though, and I'm not sure how the city tax works there. I know in some states, the state is responsible for collecting for the city as well, but not here.

As for the sales tax, the 1% difference is so minor that I don't really mind shopping in Allegheny county unless I'm making a major purchase. Many items such as clothes or groceries are nontaxable anyway! As for purchasing cars, it is taxed in the county you live in, not where you purchase the car.

[Tallysmom]

Originally Posted by pittnurse70

Wherever one lives, the activities of daily living are what is important to people. That means taxes, potholes, etc. One may attend a play at a major performing arts center once or twice a year, while driving on pothole riddled streets every day. I think that's where it's coming from. It's the same way everywhere I've lived.

You got it -- it's not just in Pittsburgh. I clean a very nice middle class condo building with great amenities -- it shows like a high end building, with a beautifully landscaped courtyard, a spa and pool, and waterfalled water feature. In the clubhouse they have gym club quality exercise equipment -- a tread mill, an elliptical machine, a recumbnet bike and two lifecycles, and a multi exercise weight machine...

And a lot of the residents do nothing but snipe about each other and how awful the building is and cause trouble....

I'm starting to wonder if that's part of the aging process.

[505ci]

Originally Posted by ScrantonWilkesBarre

I think this is a Pennsylvania problem, not a Pittsburgh one. I live just about as far away from Pittsburgh as you can get in the Commonwealth, yet I'm surrounded by "the sky is falling" types of people as well who can only focus on taxes, traffic congestion, potholes, etc.

You're right I guess. I've traveled the state a good bit, and I've see it too in other places as well. Maybe I notice it here more. Obviously I do..considering that I live here.

Although the negativity does exist in all walks of life around here, it's especially concentrated in the elderly population of PA. I swear to God, I've never come across so many mean, cruel, nasty, miserable and pessimistic senior citizens as I have in Pennsylvania. And for the life of me, I can't figure out why they're the way they are here.

I mean is life really that bad for a senior citizen here? What is it..the weather? If so, why don't they move? God knows most of them can afford it! Believe me, I know. I'm a contractor, and I do a lot of work for senior citizens. Most of them have plenty of disposable money...yet they still b**ch and complain about everything and everyone.

Also, what's up with the elderly population's lack of manners? Hold a door open for them at Eat n' Park, and they don't even acknowledge your existence or bother to thank you. Like they're somehow entitled to have the door held open for them. You'd think that after 75 years of life on Earth, they'd have at least learned to say "thank you".

Of course many of them aren't this way, but sadly a very noticeable percentage of them are. I just wonder what makes them so miserable, and also I often wonder if many of these people are only happy when they're miserable.

[kpoeppel]

Originally Posted by 505ci

Although the negativity does exist in all walks of life around here, it's especially concentrated in the elderly population of PA. I swear to God, I've never come across so many mean, cruel, nasty, miserable and pessimistic senior citizens as I have in Pennsylvania. And for the life of me, I can't figure out why they're the way they are here.

I mean is life really that bad for a senior citizen here? What is it..the weather? If so, why don't they move? God knows most of them can afford it! Believe me, I know. I'm a contractor, and I do a lot of work for senior citizens. Most of them have plenty of disposable money...yet they still b**ch and complain about everything and everyone.

Also, what's up with the elderly population's lack of manners? Hold a door open for them at Eat n' Park, and they don't even acknowledge your existence or bother to thank you. Like they're somehow entitled to have the door held open for them. You'd think that after 75 years of life on Earth, they'd have at least learned to say "thank you".

Of course many of them aren't this way, but sadly a very noticeable percentage of them are. I just wonder what makes them so miserable, and also I often wonder if many of these people are only happy when they're miserable.

I've worked in a few machine shops locally, and it was usually the older people that felt they were entitled to boss me around even though they weren't my supervisor. They were just working the same unskilled, entry-level job that I was. One lady actually confronted me and suggested that I "don't have any respect for older people." Sorry, but if you aren't my boss, I don't take orders from you...period.

Perhaps it is just another symptom of the entitlement mentality around here? Today's seniors were in their prime during the "good old days" of the 60's and 70's when the labor unions were at the peak of their power. Part of the union structure is the idea of "seniority"...more money and job security for those who have been at a job the longest, even if they are not much more skilled than new hires. Then steel and manufacturing imploded. Now, these seniors are nearing retirment working crappy McJobs because they have few skills. Also, I don't think they like it when all these young college-grad whipper-snappers are making more money than they are.

[Tallysmom]

Originally Posted by 505ci

You're right I guess. I've traveled the state a good bit, and I've see it too in other places as well. Maybe I notice it here more. Obviously I do..considering that I live here.

Although the negativity does exist in all walks of life around here, it's especially concentrated in the elderly population of PA. I swear to God, I've never come across so many mean, cruel, nasty, miserable and pessimistic senior citizens as I have in Pennsylvania. And for the life of me, I can't figure out why they're the way they are here.

I mean is life really that bad for a senior citizen here? What is it..the weather? If so, why don't they move? God knows most of them can afford it! Believe me, I know. I'm a contractor, and I do a lot of work for senior citizens. Most of them have plenty of disposable money...yet they still b**ch and complain about everything and everyone.

Also, what's up with the elderly population's lack of manners? Hold a door open for them at Eat n' Park, and they don't even acknowledge your existence or bother to thank you. Like they're somehow entitled to have the door held open for them. You'd think that after 75 years of life on Earth, they'd have at least learned to say "thank you".

Of course many of them aren't this way, but sadly a very noticeable percentage of them are. I just wonder what makes them so miserable, and also I often wonder if many of these people are only happy when they're miserable.

I see you've met my mother.... She once heard a story about an old lady shooting and killing some guy, AFTER she plowed into his car with her car, because the little old lady was scared. My mom thought she had every right to do that -- in fact talked for a few weeks about getting a gun too... that heavens WalMart didn't have a hand gun for 2.95.

Actually -- once again -- not just PA... I'm in here in beautiful Northern California and I can count on one hand the nice happy contented geezers I've met on ONE HAND. And not use all my fingers. No matter what the weather it's too hot, too cold, too windy, too still, too cloudy, too bright...

Can anyone tell I'm getting burned out being a janitor? 21 more months.... I don't know HOW I'm going to cope -- thank god for gin....