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I'll agree with you up to a point, but better roads? You've got to be kidding me. The roads in NY, especially around NYC are a complete joke. Some of them look like they haven't been re-paved in decades. I've seen some potholes so big that I thought they would swallow up a car whole.
Just go across the border to NJ or CT. The roads in those states are 10x better than they are in NY.
Quote:
Originally Posted by Upstate Dave
Note: NYS has some of the overall highest tax rates in the nation. And we have better schools, better roads, better social services, better healthcare, better sports stadiums, better mass transit, better local governments than anyone else..... ever! OK... that may have been a little over the top, but I hope I've made my point. This state has an unbelievably huge bureaucracy and there is no real belief that will change.
I'll agree with you up to a point, but better roads? You've got to be kidding me. The roads in NY, especially around NYC are a complete joke. Some of them look like they haven't been re-paved in decades. I've seen some potholes so big that I thought they would swallow up a car whole.
Just go across the border to NJ or CT. The roads in those states are 10x better than they are in NY.
I'm sorry.... I was using sarcasm. My point is that NY does NOT have all those things... So if NY has one of the highest tax rates in the nation, why don't we have all these things? I know, I know... too simple a question for too complex a situation.
I'm sorry.... I was using sarcasm. My point is that NY does NOT have all those things... So if NY has one of the highest tax rates in the nation, why don't we have all these things? I know, I know... too simple a question for too complex a situation.
Why the highest taxes? Lots of reasons. Consider in Long Island: Local independent school boards led by people with no business experience running 90 million dollar budgets; lobbying of politicians by police departments and teacher's unions allowing them to be among the highest paid in the country with overly generous retirement packages; allowing sanitation districts, libraries, water departments, volunteer fire departments etc all to set their own tax rates; overly generous rules that allow wealthy to hide income/house when applying for nursing home medicaid; allowing people with cash income (non reportable) to get their kids on child health plus while they're living in upscale communities which any idiot in the world would realize they couldn't afford on that miniscule reported income;NIMBY ism which prevents businesses/factories/energy facilities from coming in and providing jobs/lower energy costs.
Good post! Our school board which negotiates salaries is packed with teacher's spouses. Now how ironic is that? Starting teacher pay here is about half the price of the avg house price and runs up to over it. It would have to be three times as much elsewhere to be on par to buy a home. Also, people here wouldn't believe me if I told them that LI uses 'volunteer' fire departments for towns the same size as the city I live in.
One thing that is going to bite us later is the pensions which some can receive after 20 years. Theoretically, and realistically, if you started at age 20you could retire at 40, andstart collecting your pension right away. Now if people are living till say 80, you could be collecting for twice as long as you worked. This needs to be changed so that you begin collecting at age 60.
I realize it's still early but I'm very disappointed in Governor Spitzer. What has he done for Upstate NY so far?
- As far as I know, there have been no new companies locating here.... at least not in Greater Syracuse since he became Governor.
- Tax cuts didn't go far enough - property taxes are still one of the highest in the nation
- No new plan to invest in Greater Syracuse's infrastructure
- No vision to bring back a thriving economy to Greater Syracuse
- No new announcements about Spitzer's so called plan to "revitalize downtown Syracuse"
Maybe I had really high hopes for this new Governor, but I'm just not seeing the effort there. Why isn't Gov. Spitzer making deals to bring new jobs to Greater Syracuse? If Spitzer really believes Upstate's economy will start humming again (like it used to in the 1950s and 1960s) then why isn't there a plan to invest in Greater Syracuse's infrastructure so that it can handle all the new growth?
From the looks of it, Spitzer is turning out to be just a re-active type Governor for developing Upstate NY. His grand vision to turn the Erie Canal corridor into a new economy High Tech corridor must have been just a campaign gimmick. Greater Syracuse is smack dab in the middle of the Erie Canal corridor and I'm not hearing any good news lately on the business front. Just more rumors that another large local manufacturer is looking to outsource by this September.
Well, there is that whole Berger Commission thing, to try and reorganise the hopsitals and healthcare facilities...of course, one hint at spending cuts and the unions are out like mad dogs, saying people will die if they cut spending, and flooding the TV with doomsday prophecies. This is why I hardly watch television anymore.
I have lost all faith in NY State politicians. They are addicted to the flow of tax revenues. None of the politicians in Albany know how to turn off the money spigot. Any property tax cut will be followed by a raise in fees somewhere, such as car registration, driver's license renewal. What they give with one hand they will take back with the other, then pat themselves on the back for a job well done and vote themselves a raise.
The only realistic way to control taxes in NY is term limits for the NY State Legislature. In other words, throw the bums out.
I'm glad that Spitzer wants campaign finance reform, but to hinge all the bills that would help the Upstate NY economy on campaign finance reform is not right.
Senator Bruno was ready to pass a few major bills that potentially could help turn around the Upstate economy including....
-Wicks law reform
-Article X
-Brownfields
-Public capital projects
-Senate plan to eliminate the school property tax
Typical New York State, the Legislative session ends with no bills that will help the economy of my part of the State recover from decades of stagnation.
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So if NY has one of the highest tax rates in the nation, why don't we have all these things? I know, I know... too simple a question for too complex a situation. 
Little off topic
