[East of the River]

Here is how it actually reads
Sec. 12-71. Personal property subject to tax. Computer software not subject to tax. Determination of situs of motor vehicles and snowmobiles for tax purposes. (a) All goods, chattels and effects or any interest therein, including any interest in a leasehold improvement classified as other than real property, belonging to any person who is a resident in this state, shall be listed for purposes of property tax in the town where such person resides, subject to the provisions of sections 12-41, 12-43 and 12-59. Any such property belonging to any nonresident shall be listed for purposes of property tax as provided in section 12-43. Motor vehicles and snowmobiles shall be listed for purposes of the property tax in accordance with subsection (f) of this sec

They then except most things like furniture for residential use and jewelry and software, but not electronics further down the link below. Not sure how true it is but an accountant once explained to me they used to have property tax on pretty much everything you owned in the sate but in the last 150 years most of it was removed be exemption but the same basic law still exists.

https://www.cga.ct.gov/current/pub/c....htm#sec_12-71

[rubygreta]

Originally Posted by JayCT

Most people I know in that area would rather live in towns like Mahwah, Ramsey or Allendale which have great schools. Jay

The real definition of great schools: Communities where the poorest residents are comfortably middle calls, and the vast majority of families live in single-family houses.

I guarantee you that the typical Suffern teacher is just as good (or bad) as the typical Mahwah, Ramsey or Allendale teacher.

And a smart motivated kid in Suffern will have a much greater choice of colleges than a plodder in Mahwah, Ramsey or Allendale.

[Henry10]

Originally Posted by BicoastalAnn

This is my issue too and why I've been looking more at Westchester for plotting my next move. I thought NJ was having the same issues CT was though so is it really a better alternative?

Good or bad, NJ is more NYC-dependent than CT. From a macroeconomic POV, NJ is not any better. So it really depends on career, family ties and other factors that each of us weigh differently.

Originally Posted by BicoastalAnn

How does Putnam get you into Manhattan in an hr? Even from Garrison station at the very south, the Metro North ride alone takes 1 1/2 hr.

Train from Garrison makes local stops. You can catch the express trains in Peekskill or Croton on Hudson, which get into GCT in less than an hour. Not many people know, but express train from Beacon gets into GCT in 1:15.

Towns in Putnam: Mahopac, Putnam Valley have decent schools.

Originally Posted by JayCT

I think you underestimate the time it takes to commute from Suffern and to get the PATH into Manhattan at Hoboken. A friends father commuted to Manhattan from Ridgewood and his trip was over an hour each way. Ridgewood is a lot closer than Suffern. There are literally hundreds of people trying to get to the PATH trains in Hoboken which makes it a lot longer than 10 minutes. Also I am not sure Suffern is considered to be a desirable town with good schools. Most people I know in that area would rather live in towns like Mahwah, Ramsey or Allendale which have great schools. Still the commute is longer than an hour. Keep in mind New Yorkers are very smart so any town with good schools ANYWHERE within an hour of Manhattan is going to be pricey. Jay

Express train from Suffern to Hoboken is 45 minutes. Local train (which stops in Ridgewood) takes much longer.

Suffern schools are about the same as Fairfield's for example. One relative lives in Tuxedo Park, and he usually catches that Suffern train and Path into Financial District.

Jay, I used to live in Forest Hills, Queens, which is fairly central in Queens, I could ride 2 express lines (E and F) into work around Penn Station, and it still took me over 60 minutes door-to-door. It's less than 10 miles!!

My buddy who commuted from Summit NJ, it would take him the same time to come from 40 miles away.

[Peter5457]

Originally Posted by Mr_250

Seems fitting! Just learned that AT &T made and offer to buy Time Warner. Looks like that HQ won't be in CT much longer.

I say seems fitting because I'm currently in Dallas and not going to lie, this place is great and making huge positive strides to expand and grow without chaos. They have a plan!

Loving Dallas so far!

Growth without chaos? That is funny. There is Construction project after construction project oozing from every corner of DFW. If TX didnt have one of the most advanced Highway systems in the world we would already be in southern cali level traffic. God help us. We need all the people to stop coming here now. But as long as all the jobs keep coming here there is no stopping the people from coming. All the extra cars are overwhelming all the great planning and infrastructure that was put in place. Definitely isn't paradise sitting in traffic every day. And only getting worse.

[Sigequinox]

Originally Posted by Peter5457

Growth without chaos? That is funny. There is Construction project after construction project oozing from every corner of DFW. If TX didnt have one of the most advanced Highway systems in the world we would already be in southern cali level traffic. God help us. We need all the people to stop coming here now. But as long as all the jobs keep coming here there is no stopping the people from coming. All the extra cars are overwhelming all the great planning and infrastructure that was put in place. Definitely isn't paradise sitting in traffic every day. And only getting worse.

CT has traffic, minimal and/or crappy job prospects (in terms of footprint of any industry besides insurance, which is also trickling out), consistently top 5 highest tax burden and overall one of the more expensive places to live, despite economic, social and service decline. Not to mention a virtually indefinite stronghold of left wing state leadership whose solutions to the latter 3 problems are...you guessed it, more taxes.

Your regional problems are resulting from prosperity. Not a very tough choice IMO.

[East of the River]

Originally Posted by Sigequinox

CT has traffic, minimal and/or crappy job prospects (in terms of footprint of any industry besides insurance, which is also trickling out), consistently top 5 highest tax burden and overall one of the more expensive places to live, despite economic, social and service decline. Not to mention a virtually indefinite stronghold of left wing state leadership whose solutions to the latter 3 problems are...you guessed it, more taxes.

Your regional problems are resulting from prosperity. Not a very tough choice IMO.

Salary vs COL CT does very well top 10 in most studies.
Salary by State: Where Can You Really Earn the Most?

I'm not sure how long that can last unless we can attract more jobs and people here thous (or keep them from leaving) Oddly I'm thinking more and more culture has as much to do with it as cost. If you look at how well Eastern Mass is doing with similar if not higher taxation and regulation, it seems we just need to make our cities more attractive to pull in younger workers and companies then cut what we have.

[MrGompers]

Originally Posted by RunD1987

I wouldn't mind if CT did away with income tax and add a tiered sales and used tax. Where tax on items bought or sold in the State for $25 or under was at a rate of 5%. Then 6% for $26-$75, 7% for $75-$100, 8% $100-$250, 9% $250-$500, and 10% $500+. Them do away with every little taxes except gas tax (lower it to .40 cents a gallon), flat corporate tax rate of 10.5%, and excess sales tax on marijuana /cigarettes/alcohol at 12%.

Originally Posted by JGBigGreen

I'm not an expert on tax policy but I cannot imagine a tiered sales tax system would work well in a small state like Connecticut. If you tell me I have to pay 10% sales tax on a big ticket item like an iphone or a tv, I'm simply going to drive across the border to Massachusetts and save myself the difference in the sales tax rates. I'm quite sure many others would as well.

A tiered sales tax would never work. It would create way to much compliance issues and would be difficult to track.

CT already does impose an "extra sales tax" on certain luxury goods.

"A tax rate of 7.75% applies to the following: the sale for more than $50,000 of most motor vehicles, the sale for more than $5,000 of jewelry (whether real or imitation), the sale for more than $1,000 of an article of clothing or footwear intended to be worn on or about the human body, a handbag, luggage, umbrella, wallet or watch."

Answer

That is only a difference of 1.4%, but I would imagine people who can afford these goods are buying them outside CT if they can get a lower sales tax rate.

CT has or at least has proposed specific taxes on boats and the boating industry. Since I don't own a boat I don't keep up with boating news. It is interesting to note that John Kerry got called out with his boat which was docked in RI (thereby avoiding 500k in MA taxes) Although in the end Kerry brought the boat back to MA and paid the taxes.

Tax Plan Would Sink State's Boating Industry - tribunedigital-thecourant

Conn., RI marine industries say new taxes will sink them - Connecticut Post

[BPt111]

New York and Massachusetts is outshining CT what can state do get things back in order ? NJ is doing bit worst than CT but we not far behind


"Situated between New York City and Boston — but without a big city of its own — Connecticut has become more vulnerable in recent years to corporate relocations to major cities in other states. "

"Connecticut’s unemployment rate now stands at 5.4 percent, compared with 3.6 percent in Massachusetts. The national average is 5.0 percent."

Northern neighbor outshines Connecticut economy - StamfordAdvocate

[Mr_250]

Originally Posted by texan2yankee

Merger of Starwood and Marriott finalized - StamfordAdvocate

The vast majority of Starwood’s Stamford-based corporate team will continue on with the combined company through at least year end, with some teams scheduled to remain beyond that time,” Starwood spokeswoman Carrie Bloom said in a July statement to Hearst Connecticut Media.

This doesn't sound good for the majority of Starwood corporate headquarters employees located in Stamford.

Called it!
CT Warn notice issued 10/28/2016, Marriott hotels is laying off 163 workers. This is just the start with more likely to come once the new office is Maryland is complete.

[East of the River]

Originally Posted by Mr_250

Called it!
CT Warn notice issued 10/28/2016, Marriott hotels is laying off 163 workers. This is just the start with more likely to come once the new office is Maryland is complete.

I seem to have read recently that MD gave them lots of cash for that one.