[HeadedWest]

Originally Posted by nep321

I think once Bernie Sanders becomes president, the grotesque income inequality that exists in CT will begin to fade away to sustainable levels.

https://berniesanders.com/issues/inc...th-inequality/

Well, Venezuela did away with income inequality using Socialism. Nearly everybody is dirt poor now.

Except for Hugo Chavez's daughter, of course.

[Sigequinox]

Originally Posted by HeadedWest

Well, Venezuela did away with income inequality using Socialism. Nearly everybody is dirt poor now.

Except for Hugo Chavez's daughter, of course.

lol, that can be said for just about all of south and central america as well as all of africa and the middle east. If someone wants to be poor just like everybody else, there's plenty of options...

These are the kinds of places that remind me even CT ain't so bad in a global sense...Oh well, back to my middle class 1st world problems

[nep321]

Originally Posted by HeadedWest

Well, Venezuela did away with income inequality using Socialism. Nearly everybody is dirt poor now.

Except for Hugo Chavez's daughter, of course.

Bernie's brand of socialism is democratic socialism. It's NOT the same socialism as seen in the Soviet Union or Venezuela.

All of the things that we feared would happen under communism have happened under CAPITALISM.

[CTMountaineer]

Originally Posted by nep321

The 10 Best States To Make A Living In 2015 - In Photos: The 10 Best And Worst States To Make A Living In 2015 - Forbes

I figured I'd share this new list that just came out. As a former resident of CT, the article certainly resonates with me, as with many others I'm sure.

However, there are states that are even worse to make a living in, such as California, Maine, Vermont and Oregon.

Connecticut is a vassal of New York City, and there is a lot of money in the southern parts of that state. However, the state's laws are archaic, almost feudal in character. They actually have a landlord court there where a person can be charged with a crime if the landlord says the tenant didn't leave the place clean, and the burden of proof is on the tenant to prove otherwise.

Those quaint little houses often have 60 year old electrical systems, burn oil for heating that is far more polluting than coal fired power plants, but they keep pointing fingers elsewhere rather than investing in infrastructure to burn natural gas. Septic tanks are the norm in many areas, and most of the school systems are only geared for college prep, and slots in the state operated vocational schools are scarce, so a lot of kids get left out and drop out of school in frustration. There is some affluence there, but in many ways the state is 50 years behind times. There is a huge income gap in some of the cities, and the northwestern reaches are absolutely poverty stricken on a par with the worst areas of Appalachia. Subsidized school lunches run as high as 50% in some districts. I say these things as a 13 year former resident of Fairfield County.

[atgss]

Originally Posted by JayCT

The one reason I find this list to be seriously flawed is that New Jersey is not on the worst list. It has higher taxes and cost of living than Connecticut while wages are not much different. It has a higher unemployment rate than us and since Connecticut is often listed as one of the healthiest state I doubt there is much difference in workplace safety and health. So how the heck did it not make the list??? Jay

I agree as other than the taxes NJ housing costs are pretty much "through the roof" enough.

Also Colorado being #7?? The Colorado forum will mostly say differently and if there are any jobs they mostly pay too low for the COL there. I was looking there for the low humidity to help my back.

[JayCT]

Originally Posted by lol-its-good4U

I agree as other than the taxes NJ housing costs are pretty much "through the roof" enough.

Also Colorado being #7?? The Colorado forum will mostly say differently and if there are any jobs they mostly pay too low for the COL there. I was looking there for the low humidity to help my back.

You don't agree that taxes in New Jersey are higher. I have compared taxes with several friends that live in NJ and they are higher overall. Remember we are talking local, state and county taxes. Connecticut does not have a county level of government so it must assume the duties counties serve in NJ. If you compare state taxes alone NJ is cheaper but if you compare all taxes, Connecticut is. Jay

[WouldLoveTo]

Originally Posted by Sigequinox

That's absurd to say. People do it all the time and are much better off because of it. Plenty of liberals move to CT from NY to "escape" the unaffordable taxes . I would imagine many industries involve a hefty pay cut between California (one of the highest paying in tech industries) and CT as well. The pay cut might be worth it though, when entry level houses in the bay area cost 900 large. That's about where CT's advantages stop, however. After NY, NJ and CA, you can now start applying the same concept to other state with CT on the other side of the equation.

You want to talk about building wealth in home ownership? lol. I seriously will not be surprised to barely break even on my house, which I bought at the "bottom of the market" right before the "come back". Yet houses in the greater Nashville area, Franklin in particular have seen double digit increases in the same time period. If I had not made, what I consider one of the most expensive and stupid decisions in my life, to buy a house in CT, I would be flipping my house in Franklin right now and upgrading. Or making a lateral home purchase and buying a lake boat. Or saving to have kids. or saving for retirement. Or....well, you get the point.

Instead, i'm here, getting squeezed for every dollar with nothing in return and a stagnant housing market I will probably have to pay to get out of. I would say CT definitely fits the bill of a "bad place to earn a living", but we all have different expectations. To each his own.

I knew I wasn't the only one! I bought just before the big crash in 1990 (but after the little crash) and my house is probably worth 10K more than what I paid for it, if I'm lucky. My equity is what I've paid off the loan, not the appreciation.

And no one here believes it.

[JayCT]

Originally Posted by Sigequinox

That's absurd to say. People do it all the time and are much better off because of it. Plenty of liberals move to CT from NY to "escape" the unaffordable taxes . I would imagine many industries involve a hefty pay cut between California (one of the highest paying in tech industries) and CT as well. The pay cut might be worth it though, when entry level houses in the bay area cost 900 large. That's about where CT's advantages stop, however. After NY, NJ and CA, you can now start applying the same concept to other state with CT on the other side of the equation.

You want to talk about building wealth in home ownership? lol. I seriously will not be surprised to barely break even on my house, which I bought at the "bottom of the market" right before the "come back". Yet houses in the greater Nashville area, Franklin in particular have seen double digit increases in the same time period. If I had not made, what I consider one of the most expensive and stupid decisions in my life, to buy a house in CT, I would be flipping my house in Franklin right now and upgrading. Or making a lateral home purchase and buying a lake boat. Or saving to have kids. or saving for retirement. Or....well, you get the point.

Instead, i'm here, getting squeezed for every dollar with nothing in return and a stagnant housing market I will probably have to pay to get out of. I would say CT definitely fits the bill of a "bad place to earn a living", but we all have different expectations. To each his own.

You are comparing one of the most desirable towns in TN to the entire state of Connecticut??? That does not make sense. You should be comparing Franklin to towns like Greenwich, West Hartford or Madison which also have seen big jumps in home prices. Compare apples to apples before complaining. Jay

[WouldLoveTo]

Originally Posted by JayCT

You are comparing one of the most desirable towns in TN to the entire state of Connecticut??? That does not make sense. You should be comparing Franklin to towns like Greenwich, West Hartford or Madison which also have seen big jumps in home prices. Compare apples to apples before complaining. Jay

Why not? I've been told more than once here that it's because I live in CT that I will be able to move to a lower COL state. When in reality I'm not really making anything on my house. Which means that you cannot take that statement about high home prices and huge increases, and apply it to the entire state of CT either.

[ctguy87]

Originally Posted by JayCT

You are comparing one of the most desirable towns in TN to the entire state of Connecticut??? That does not make sense. You should be comparing Franklin to towns like Greenwich, West Hartford or Madison which also have seen big jumps in home prices. Compare apples to apples before complaining. Jay

Please show me where West Hartford and Madison have seen big jumps in home prices. Housing in even the most desirable towns in CT (aside from maybe the gold coast, which is untouchable for 99% of the state) remains at the same level or even lower as the recession bottom in 2009/2010. It's been stagnant for years. If you stretch it out further, it's at the same level as a decade ago or even longer, and has not kept up with inflation.

Not to cherry pick data, but see the below house that sold in December 2009 for 309k, and sold nearly 6 years later in July 2015 for 245K. It took over 2 years to sell and the original list price was 344k!

33 Blinnshed Rd, Madison, CT 06443 is Recently Sold | Zillow

See this house in West Hartford, sold in 2006 for 245K, and in 2015 for 223K. The description boasts many upgrades.

http://www.zillow.com/homedetails/12...59022153_zpid/