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The sad reality is that just as many young people are fleeing Long Island for the similar reasons.
Oppressive taxes, jobs that dont pay to market.Sure you can find a 60k a year job here, the only problem is that 100k/yr buys 3% of the affordable housing.Really, where areyou going on 60k here....NC?
Familes are downright struggling on 100k.
Eliot Spitzer thinks the Islands rich....its not, its just overpriced.
What caps my ass are the pockets of extreme wealth(aka campain contributors) NOT paying their fair share.
4k a year for a Millon dollar SECOND home in the Westhampton is BS.(Search MLSLI.com-you'll want to cry.)
We need a meaningful luxury tax NOW. Chances are if you can swing a 7 figure SECOND home you can bear a bit more of the burden. We could probably cover the NY nut on Holly-Hampton dollars alone.I'm sure they wouldnt bat an eye as long as it kept the riff raff(i.e. you) out.
Long Island leaves an awful lot of money on the table as it continues to pound the Middle Class in the caboose.
I have pointed this out before that people owning expensive homes do not pay their fair share of property taxes.
The deeper problem, and this is the reality, is that New York is on the decline. The trend is obvious. New York was once first in population, but is now third and by 2010 NY will be fourth behind California, Texas and Florida. What does that mean? Less congressional representation and fewer electoral votes. So? Well that means less federal money for New York. Have you ever wondered why our highways suck and when you were in Florida everything is new. Where is our aerospace industry? in the South. The only major income producing activity in New York is Wall Street and even that is losing ground.
So what has happened is that many good paying middle class jobs in the private sector are gone and are not likely to return. The rich are getting ever richer. The huge flood of immigrants help supply cheap labor for the wealthy, and those in the middle are either leaving NY or are employed by some level of government. Why do you think everyone wants to be a teacher, cop, fireman, etc.. those are the only good jobs left for the working class aspiring for a better life in New York.
Suburbia is also on decline. It is obvious to any Long Islander just how much things have changed since about 1985. Long Island was supposed to be different from the city, but we all know that the pathologies of the city are now here as well. Have you noticed more grafitti? Homeless people? run down homes? and in general hardly anyone who is optimistic about the future?
I have pointed this out before that people owning expensive homes do not pay their fair share of property taxes.
You guys must just be getting too used to it but, all homes on LI are expensive. 300K for a little ranch or a cape cod is very pricey per square foot no matter what the Island has to offer. From what you're all saying I gather there was a money grab by almost everyone sometime after I left, and now almost everyone is screwed. Besides getting taxes from the under-taxed (good luck with that), you need to get other things in line like police salaries (good luck with that), getting the pols to recognize the middle class is collapsing under a horrible tax burden (good luck with that), and the populace to realize that their homes may be over valued and that hoped for selling price is a pipe dream.
Sorry guys but I think you're screwed and nothing is going to get better until after if gets worse.
Location: North of the Cow Pasture and South of the Wind Turbines
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Maybe just replace them with 25k a year Security Guards? Hey Like you say 100k a year and making nothing - if the Police cannot afford it then well - gl and they go to college mostly only 4 + year + other get in -
Maybe just replace them with 25k a year Security Guards? Hey Like you say 100k a year and making nothing - if the Police cannot afford it then well - gl and they go to college mostly only 4 + year + other get in -
Why shouldnt a cop with a GED make 125k a year to dodge a Donut?
Makes me so glad we all went to College.
Overeducated and underpaid.
So much for the best schools in the USA.
Screwed.
C
This is what cops get down here. They get a take home patrol car which ups their community presence and they are able to moonlight as security in uniform at events and for companies to supplement their salaries.
Suffolks
Suffolk County Police Dept (http://www.co.suffolk.ny.us/police/new/recruitment.htm - broken link)
ClarkStreetKid said, "all homes on LI are expensive. 300K for a little ranch or a cape cod."
There is nothing anymore for 300K. Small capes and ranches start at about $350K in some parts of Suffolk. But those homes need a lot of work. Anything in good shape goes for over $400K. If you want a better than average school district then you are looking at spending between $450 to upwards of $550 for a small ranch or cape. If you want new construction expect to pay over $550 and perhaps as high as a MILLION in many areas.
This begs the question: How does anyone afford to buy a home here? For many people it means getting a huge ARM and then pay it off by subdividing their home and renting out the basement or upstairs or both. Just look around any neighborhood and you will see the tell tale signs of illegal apartments - and with it the decline of suburbia.
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