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There's a reason why so many in the city live below the poverty level; educational attainment rates are abysmally low. It would make much more financial sense for them to move their operations somewhere where the talent pool already existed as opposed to investing millions in training the existing workforce in another area.
Of course they would have to be ok with high business taxes and a nice wage tax and poor services first.
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As long as the majority of Scranton residents continue to view our institutions of higher learning as blights instead of blessings, we'll continue to have problems in attracting better quality career opportunities than Wal-Mart or Burger King.
Paul I was watching a show on CNBC last night and they were talking about McDonald's and its employees. They talked about how some would look at it like a Mcjob and think that its a low level job. Well a good McDonald's manager can make $100,000 a year. It might not be the glamorious walking to work CPA job but guess what a $100,000 a year is a good job in my mind so maybe you should stop stereotyping people based on employment or education.
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Those cities where a higher percentage of residents hold at least a Bachelor's Degree tend to have much, much higher incomes than those (like Scranton) where finding someone who went to college is like trying to find a needle in a haystack. I have to rush off now to my Macroeconomics class,
Not everyone is dealt the same hand in life and not everyone wants to goto college. Just because someone didn't go to college does not mean that they do not have a good job. Paul do you have any idea what roofers, plumbers, electricians, framers and construction workers make at all? There are some that are quite successful in life and in business that do not have college degrees. If you think or at least look at everyone based on their level of education ON PAPER you will surprised often in life. I just think that constant belittlement of people without a college education is getting old.
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Much of this whining about poverty in the city of Scranton would come to a screeching halt if people simply saw value in education.
Sometimes people see the value in alot things that they cannot have or obtain at that point in their lives, does that make them less of a person? How do you know what others are going thru or have gone thru to give you the ability to see that everyone who is not like you and did not go to college is a lost casue or not worthy of being counted among those of us that were fortunate. You have alot of eye opening to do outside of your small world.
Dan, these statistics are derived from the U.S. Census Bureau's 2006 Annual American Community Survey for Scranton. These are median earnings for those who are age 25 and over based upon their highest levels of educational attainment.
Less than high school graduate: $18,480
High school graduate: $22,075
Some college or associate's degree: $27,500
Bachelor's degree: $30,653
Grauduate or professional degree: $50,577
This mirrors the state of Pennsylvania:
Less than high school graduate: $19,818
High school graduate: $26,275
Some college or associate's degree: $31,909
Bachelor's degree: $43,368
Graduate or professional degree: $59,982
Dan, I'm not implying that those who went to college are somehow "smarter" than those who didn't, as I know of a moron with a Ph.D. and some very wise men who never advanced their educations beyond high school due to serving during WW II. However, on average, the more education you possess, the higher your income tends to be, as shown by the U.S. Census Bureau. You can't argue with that. I tend to think that a lot of those who approach the city council podium week after week whining about how impoverished they are should stop blaming the city for being in the situation that they're in, swallow their pride, receive some more training or earn a degree, and then permit themselves to rise the socioeconomic ladder.
I truly also wish you'd stop acting as if those who went to college are "priviledged." When I enrolled at King's College in 2005, our family's household income was probably just over $20,000, as my mother earns under $20,000 and my father was only earning unemployment checks. Times were tough. Through scholarships, financial aid, and student loans I've been able to afford a great education at a highly-acclaimed institution for business. I plan to repay my parents for the portion of my tuition they are currently paying once I'm established in my career.
ANYONE can work hard through high school to earn merit-based scholarships (as I did). ANYONE who hails from a lower-middle-class or even impoverished family can be eligible for enough financial aid to afford tuition. ANYONE can write essays, ask for teachers' recommendation letters, etc. to apply for scholarships. ANYONE can take out a student loan. I just don't understand where everyone's logic of "college is only for the gifted/rich/enlightened ones" comes from. While it is true that many of my classmates hail from upper-middle-class families, I still know of some who are first-generation college students who hail from families that are struggling to get by. They're doing just fine here at King's.
Dan, don't forget about job quality in relation to income as well. While working at Lowe's Home Improvement I was merely a customer service associate earning $9.92/hr. I could have opted to drop out of college to pursue a career with Lowe's. By this point in time I likely would be a sales specialist in my department, commanding a wage of perhaps $13/hr. With my work ethic I could have seen myself rising to the level of department manager, perhaps earning $20/hr., which isn't bad at all for our area. From there I could take more training and dilligently work my way on up to zone manager, store manager, district manager, or beyond, earning six-figures at those top levels.
On paper one would think "$100,000 with no college education? Sign me up tomorrow!" However, you also have to factor in just how demanding, stressful, and generally undesirable positions in retail tend to be. If a customer was having a bad day, you'd simply have to grin and bear it while they vented their life's frustrations onto you. In my case I was often working alone in my department on busy Saturdays and holidays due to call-offs. At this point I'd often leave home in tears after spending a 10-hour shift getting yelled at all day by impatient customers who didn't appreciate being forced to stand in line to be waited on. There were times when my phone would be ringing, a call button would be going off, a customer would be trying to flag me down, my manager would be hovering, and I'd be called up for returns simultaneously. It truly was a very stressful position. I'd often work through my breaks and spend part of my lunch break roaming the department trying to pitch in whenever possible to help my one remaining co-worker in the department (if any).
The stress only gets worse as you rise in rank. I would often see my department manager frazzled while going over our IRP (inventory) sheets and trying to determine if a missing roll of wire would hurt our gross margin enough to warrant an inquiry from her superiors and cause her to lose our store's shrink bonus. On one occasion when I was alone and being forced to handle several customers at once with differing inquiries, one woman who felt neglected went up to the customer service desk and caused a scene. My department manager had to come back from lunch to be yelled at, and of course I had the stressful position of being forced to defend myself for being understaffed. Our zone managers and store managers work immense hours---some in excess of 60 hours per week---and they have to field all sorts of complaints and problems ranging from tailing shoplifters to hosting unexpected visits from company VIPS on weekends to being forced to hear customers whining that their guest bathroom special order vanity arrived slightly damaged (which is the fault of the manufacturer or distribution center, NOT the store manager or employees!)
While it is true that you can make some serious money with no degree, often times the quality of the job you do is much more stressful, less glamorous, and less satisfying. I would often leave Lowe's day after day feeling empty; how could you help people when your resources are so strained? The same could be said for those blue-collar tradesmen you referenced. Would you want to work as a roofer lifting 90-pound bundles of asphalt shingles up and down ladders in blistering summer heat for a living? Would you want to clean out septic systems for a living? Would you want to spend everyday mowing lawns or laying new pavement? I'd prefer to suffer and indebt myself now in order to have a better job atmosphere later.
I'm well aware that as a CPA I might earn about the same over the course of my lifetime as a roofer, for example, but I'd rather be sitting in the air-conditioning and heating in a cubicle during inclement weather as opposed to being out in the elements. I'd rather give a PowerPoint presentation to a client of my firm regarding our auditor's opinion of their financial statements as opposed to being a cashier at a big-box store and not even receiving a "Hello" from our customers. It's not only about money, Dan, it's also about job quality.
The wife of a professional CDL driver, for example, could probably attest to the fact that she'd rather have her husband home more often as opposed to him being away so much as a professional CDL driver. I have the best interest of my boyfriend and future adopted children in mind as well with my career choice. The field I've chosen will permit me to live and work in the same neighborhood and have a flexible enough schedule to work around recitals, ball games, science fairs, birthdays, sick days, etc. while still earning enough money to live comfortably. I couldn't be happier with my decision.
I read the article that stated that "a McDonald's manager can earn $100,000 or more", but it never said "per year" or even offered any basis in fact for that statement. It threw out a number, like a quarter pounder to go, you ate it up without thinking about it and spit it back out at us to prove some off topic point. It also isn't exactly from a Forbes Magazine article, either. What toy came in that Happy Meal, Dan? More importantly, what flavor kool-aid?
The point is, show me ONE McDonald's franchise in Scranton (to get back on topic a little) that's earning any manager, regardless of skill, anywhere close to $100K a year?
Honestly, you two need to just avoid each other. You're like an old married couple the way you bicker back and forth over the most assinine things.
P.S. Anyway, here's some love for the East Mountain.
I would avoid living in scranton. They have high local taxes as compared to other towns close by. Taylor, Old forge, even carbondale are nice communities. Scranton is a dreary little city wanna be and the corruption is second to none in the area.
I read the article that stated that "a McDonald's manager can earn $100,000 or more", but it never said "per year" or even offered any basis in fact for that statement. It threw out a number, like a quarter pounder to go, you ate it up without thinking about it and spit it back out at us to prove some off topic point. It also isn't exactly from a Forbes Magazine article, either. What toy came in that Happy Meal, Dan? More importantly, what flavor kool-aid?
The point is, show me ONE McDonald's franchise in Scranton (to get back on topic a little) that's earning any manager, regardless of skill, anywhere close to $100K a year?
Honestly, you two need to just avoid each other. You're like an old married couple the way you bicker back and forth over the most assinine things.
P.S. Anyway, here's some love for the East Mountain.
Well, at least Dan and I conflict with CIVILITY now. A few weeks ago we were about ready to hop into a boxing ring while I LOVE PA was the referee! LOL! He and I are polar opposites in much of our reasoning, but I've learned to respect and TOLERATE his points of view, and I'd hope he can do the same as well from now on. I think we're both curmudgeony little old ladies trapped inside the bodies of grown men. LOL!
East Mountain is great too, but the OP wanted a "walkable" neighborhood. There are very few businesses in this part of the city. You can walk to the businesses along Meadow Avenue, River Street, and Moosic Street, like Gerrity's, House of China, Dunkin' Donuts, CVS, etc., but it's not a very desirable walk if you have a small child due to all of the congestion through that stretch, especially near the I-81 interchange along River Street.
I agree with Dan though that there ARE opportunities for growth in retail/hospitality management. However, as I pointed out, the quality of these positions is often abysmal with a lot of mandatory overtime, traveling, stress, and often enduring corporate relocations with brief notice to uproot your family (as was the case with the "management revolving door" at my former employer, where I worked through no fewer than three store managers during my two years there). I wouldn't want my children to have to endure going to a different school every other year just so I could snag a respectable salary.
I would avoid living in scranton. They have high local taxes as compared to other towns close by. Taylor, Old forge, even carbondale are nice communities. Scranton is a dreary little city wanna be and the corruption is second to none in the area.
The wage tax is high in Scranton, but property taxes are in-line with the surrounding suburban communities. Scranton is a little "rough around the edges" in terms of having a nitty-gritty blue-collar atmosphere, but I think that gives it a sense of coziness and personality. As far as the corruption being "second-to-none" is concerned, I must respectfully disagree. Have you ever lived in the suburbs of Pittston? They make Scranton's elected officials look like saints! LOL!
Scranton's taxes maybe in-line with the surrounding communities, but we get less services for our taxes. That is the problem here in Scranton. The mayor sinks money into stuff we really don't need and the residents suffer. I do agree with tinman01. Scranton is and will always be a dreary little wannabe city. That's just the way it is. No amount of hip restaurants or boutiques will change it into Manhattan northwest. I understand that people who grew up here and lived here most of their lives, this is where they call home, and I shouldn't knock it. But the mayor is trying to create another image for Scranton, which will never work and in the process is wasting lots of money at the residents expense.
Scranton's taxes maybe in-line with the surrounding communities, but we get less services for our taxes. That is the problem here in Scranton. The mayor sinks money into stuff we really don't need and the residents suffer. I do agree with tinman01. Scranton is and will always be a dreary little wannabe city. That's just the way it is. No amount of hip restaurants or boutiques will change it into Manhattan northwest. I understand that people who grew up here and lived here most of their lives, this is where they call home, and I shouldn't knock it. But the mayor is trying to create another image for Scranton, which will never work and in the process is wasting lots of money at the residents expense.
Ithaca, NY was never consistently-ranked as one of the nation's best cities to live in as well back in its industrial heyday, but look at what having residents open-minded and willing to embrace change has done to promote that particular city's image to outsiders. If you poke your nose around on the Upstate NY forum as much as I do, you'll learn that outside of Ithaca, Cooperstown, and Saratoga Springs, there are very few communities in Upstate NY in which residents exhibit a lot of civic pride. Scranton doesn't have to be the deformed stepchild of Pennsylvania any longer. What's wrong with wanting Scranton to evolve into something better?
We, too, could rival Ithaca or Saratoga Springs. Ithaca is home to Cornell University and Ithaca College. Scranton is home to the University of Scranton, Marywood University, Johnson College, and Lackawanna College. Ithaca has a lot of tree-lined streets, older homes, sidewalks, and a rebounding downtown. So does Scranton. Ithaca has a setting along a lake. Scranton is set along an underutilized river. Scranton has minor-league sports, an international airport, two shopping malls, two movie theaters, a Philharmonic, a ski resort, a lifestyle center, a waterfall, Steamtown National Historic Site, and the coal mine tour all either within the city limits or just over its border. Ithaca has none of these (perhaps save for the philharmonic and the gorges surrounding the town).
By 2020 Scranton could very well rank right up there with the other "Best Places" lists, just like Ithaca, State College, Boulder, Charlottesville, Naperville, etc. Why shouldn't we aspire to be the best we can possibly be? Why settle for less?
While it is true that you can make some serious money with no degree, often times the quality of the job you do is much more stressful, less glamorous, and less satisfying. Would you want to work as a roofer lifting 90-pound bundles of asphalt shingles up and down ladders in blistering summer heat for a living? Would you want to clean out septic systems for a living? Would you want to spend everyday mowing lawns or laying new pavement? I'd prefer to suffer and indebt myself now in order to have a better job atmosphere later.
Paul I have carried those bundles and I have to tell you that I am more satisfied when I look up at a roof that I did, then I ever was when I was at Prudential handling 401k, 457&403b retirement accounts. Your clients stress will and always does become yours over time in the financial arena. Your clients lose money, they start looking at you. Whether your responsible or not they will always look at you when it happens. I also make more money doing roofing and landscaping.
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While it is true that many of my classmates hail from upper-middle-class families, I still know of some who are first-generation college students who hail from families that are struggling to get by. They're doing just fine here at King's.
A few weeks ago we were about ready to hop into a boxing ring while I LOVE PA was the referee! LOL! He and I are polar opposites in much of our reasoning, but I've learned to respect and TOLERATE his points of view, and I'd hope he can do the same as well from now on. I think we're both curmudgeony little old ladies trapped inside the bodies of grown men. LOL! 
As far as the corruption being "second-to-none" is concerned, I must respectfully disagree. Have you ever lived in the suburbs of Pittston? They make Scranton's elected officials look like saints! 
