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Now you depressed me! I didn't realize our property taxes went up 2% under Latimer. My best friend got a rare life threatening illness in October. 2017, so I was preoccupied with visiting her in a NYC hospital and with the holidays, so the tax hike slipped by me. I was so upset when Astorino lost, I met him a few times and he responded to my e-mails a few times about county stuff. Some voters were on tv saying they voted against Astorino because he didn't want to make Westchester a sanctuary county! It's always going to be the have-nots against the haves until the haves don't have it any longer. One good thing is my property taxes aren't over 10 grand, so I will be able to deduct all of it, so I won't have to run back to FL like some people are planning to do since they can't deduct all of their property taxes (over ten grand is non-deductible under the Trump tax plan).
I lived in Croton from the late 70's until I moved to Florida in 1989, so it's possible I saw you driving around in one of your fancy cars! The last car show I went to a few years ago was at Empire City, Yonkers Racetrack, it was fun, the cars were parked on the horse racing field at the track. A new casino opened today called Resort World at the old Concord hotel in Monticello/Catskills. They expect to steal players away from Mohegan Sun and Foxwoods in CT. Fat chance! I won't play any video lottery terminal machines and most knowledgeable players won't touch them, so today when I found out they put those in Resort World, I cancelled my plans to take a drive up there to see it. Bad mistake for NY to go with those machines. The random number generator slots are better for the player, which are found in a real casino!
Are there casinos in Arizona or do you have to drive to Vegas? Are there good hospitals around you (that's the number one reason I would hesitate to move out of NY)? Do you see snakes, scorpions, spiders, etc (another reason to stay in NY, lol)?
Anyway thanks for the earthquake info, hopefully I won't have to worry too much about a quake in southern Westchester, I only felt one tremor years ago in Westchester, and one in San Diego that occurred in the Pacific, it was scary!
Yeah, I get all the news from my friends and family back east of how lucky we are to have gotten out of there. Some are just bidding their time until they retire. A few will never leave. Fear of the unknown I guess? But they do complain that's for sure. We just kinda' laugh, not at their situation, but more out of relief that we don't have to deal with it anymore.
I was born and raised in Irvington until 1980 when we bought a home in Peekskill. Bought my first antique car in '76 and still have it, that's when I started to hang out in Croton so it's possible you may have seen me. We always hung out at Croton Gorge Park and cruised around town.
We've only seen two rattlesnakes in 8 years. One that someone had killed while they were mining for gold out on Burro Creek Rd. The other was crossing the highway off of the Apache Trail. We have yet to see any scorpions, they're usually hiding under rocks and you really have to look for them. We've seen about half a dozen tarantula's. They just meander along minding their own business and never bother anyone. There are lizard's of all shapes and sizes all over the place. They're fun to watch, and fast as hell. We love the horned lizards, they look prehistoric and ferocious but are very docile. Their appearance and spines are their defense and meant to scare predators away. There's also bobcats, coyotes, and javelina. Javelina can be mean if you go near their young. We see a lot of them as they parade on by, usually in packs of a dozen or more. They have very poor eyesight. Just stand back and let 'em go and they'll ignore you.
We've yet to see any Gila monsters. It's a threatened animal with diminishing numbers. It is federally protected making it illegal to capture or kill. They're non aggressive and like to hide. The rattlesnakes won't bother you either unless you are a threat to them. Rattlesnakes usually don't like to waste their venom on something they can't eat. If you leave them alone, they'll leave you alone. We've gone out into the desert God knows how many times and may have walked past them not even knowing they are there.
There are roadrunners just about everywhere. They feed on small animals including insects, spiders (including black widows), tarantulas, scorpions, mice, small birds, and especially lizards and small snakes. Baby rattlers are the most dangerous as they can't control how much venom they inject. Adult's like to conserve their venom for their prey.
Yes there are casino's throughout Arizona. We don't gamble so I have no idea if they're any good or not? Las Vegas is about a 5 hour drive from us, I would imagine that many go there. Kingman is about a 2 hour drive to Vegas. That would be the closest Arizona city.
The closest hospital to us is about 10 minutes away. Although there are many places throughout the state where the only ambulance is a helicopter ride. There are a lot of small towns if you want to call them that out in the middle of nowhere where there are fewer than 50 people. Many are ghost towns. It's almost as if time had stopped in the 1800's. Cattle ranching being their livelihood. You can drive for hours and not see a single soul.
Last edited by Ex New Yorker; 02-09-2018 at 08:07 AM..
Yeah, I get all the news from my friends and family back east of how lucky we are to have gotten out of there. Some are just bidding their time until they retire. A few will never leave. Fear of the unknown I guess? But they do complain that's for sure. We just kinda' laugh, not at their situation, but more out of relief that we don't have to deal with it anymore.
I was born and raised in Irvington until 1980 when we bought a home in Peekskill. Bought my first antique car in '76 and still have it, that's when I started to hang out in Croton so it's possible you may have seen me. We always hung out at Croton Gorge Park and cruised around town.
We've only seen two rattlesnakes in 8 years. One that someone had killed while they were mining for gold out on Burro Creek Rd. The other was crossing the highway off of the Apache Trail. We have yet to see any scorpions, they're usually hiding under rocks and you really have to look for them. We've seen about half a dozen tarantula's. They just meander along minding their own business and never bother anyone. There are lizard's of all shapes and sizes all over the place. They're fun to watch, and fast as hell. We love the horned lizards, they look prehistoric and ferocious but are very docile. Their appearance and spines are their defense and meant to scare predators away. There's also bobcats, coyotes, and javelina. Javelina can be mean if you go near their young. We see a lot of them as they parade on by, usually in packs of a dozen or more. They have very poor eyesight. Just stand back and let 'em go and they'll ignore you.
We've yet to see any Gila monsters. It's a threatened animal with diminishing numbers. It is federally protected making it illegal to capture or kill. They're non aggressive and like to hide. The rattlesnakes won't bother you either unless you are a threat to them. Rattlesnakes usually don't like to waste their venom on something they can't eat. If you leave them alone, they'll leave you alone. We've gone out into the desert God knows how many times and may have walked past them not even knowing they are there.
There are roadrunners just about everywhere. They feed on small animals including insects, spiders (including black widows), tarantulas, scorpions, mice, small birds, and especially lizards and small snakes. Baby rattlers are the most dangerous as they can't control how much venom they inject. Adult's like to conserve their venom for their prey.
Yes there are casino's throughout Arizona. We don't gamble so I have no idea if they're any good or not? Las Vegas is about a 5 hour drive from us, I would imagine that many go there. Kingman is about a 2 hour drive to Vegas. That would be the closest Arizona city.
The closest hospital to us is about 10 minutes away. Although there are many places throughout the state where the only ambulance is a helicopter ride. There are a lot of small towns if you want to call them that out in the middle of nowhere where there are fewer than 50 people. Many are ghost towns. It's almost as if time had stopped in the 1800's. Cattle ranching being their livelihood. You can drive for hours and not see a single soul.
Arizona sounds like too much nature for me being a Yonkers city girl, lol! If Westchester gets too expensive for my retirement income, I guess I'll have to either rent a room in my house, get a job, or sell the house and go in senior housing. My friend wanted to rent in an apartment building (not senior housing) in Yonkers, but he was told his retirement income wasn't high enough at $41,000, the same in Dobbs Ferry, so they are pricing seniors out of the rental market. Terrible housing situation here, seniors are forced to rent in private homes or go on a waiting list for years to get senior housing.
If you are paying $35,000 in property taxes annually, don't sit here and preach that you are middle class. No reason why the rest of the country has to subsidize your SALT deductions. I lived in the Hudson valley myself, and when the taxes got to high, guess what,,,,, I moved out of NY. There will never be tax reform in Westchester, these politicians need your money for their little,projects, and with Latimer in office now you might as well start looking for a new place to live, because you're taxes will go up with or without this new tax bill
I find it amazing that people actually think NY'er are the takers in this country...
Arizona sounds like too much nature for me being a Yonkers city girl, lol! If Westchester gets too expensive for my retirement income, I guess I'll have to either rent a room in my house, get a job, or sell the house and go in senior housing. My friend wanted to rent in an apartment building (not senior housing) in Yonkers, but he was told his retirement income wasn't high enough at $41,000, the same in Dobbs Ferry, so they are pricing seniors out of the rental market. Terrible housing situation here, seniors are forced to rent in private homes or go on a waiting list for years to get senior housing.
I don't see how anyone can get by on $41,000 in Westchester County especially if they have to rent. Maybe if they're single or a couple living with parents or relatives? Forget about owning a home.
Our biggest expense was property taxes at $12,000 followed by health insurance at around $10,000. Being self employed we paid for our own health insurance.
Arizona may not be for everyone, but it is for us. We love every aspect of living out here, it's where we belong and couldn't have made a better choice. It's not up to me to decide for others where to live. Only they can be the judge of that. There are plenty of other places throughout the country where those who are fed up with New York can move to and be a lot better off than they are there. Those are the people I'm trying to reach.
I find it amazing that people actually think NY'er are the takers in this country...
I don't know about that? Maybe some. But there's been no animosity towards us here in Arizona when people found out we were from New York.
They are however astonished at how much it costs to live out there and can't understand why the people ever allowed this to happen in the first place? Or why they continue to elect politicians who encourage and perpetuate a socialist welfare state? A socialist welfare state of which they have absolute power and control. That's not freedom it's modern day slavery. New Yorker's are paying for that dearly, that is those that have to work for a living. If you're independently wealthy it's not an issue. Same for if you're a ward of the state.
Out here most of the people that I know believe in self reliance and freedom from the "nanny state" mentality that is more prevalent in any of the "Blue" states. That's just one of the reasons why we got out. Having the economic life squeezed out of us was another. It's like working for the state and local governments with very little left over for yourself. There's nothing like economic freedom. Freedom to buy things you want and not just out of necessity. Instead of watching the fruits of your labor disappear into the giant cesspool of corruption and those of whom they cater to.
Last edited by Ex New Yorker; 02-10-2018 at 08:28 AM..
I don't see how anyone can get by on $41,000 in Westchester County especially if they have to rent. Maybe if they're single or a couple living with parents or relatives? Forget about owning a home.
Our biggest expense was property taxes at $12,000 followed by health insurance at around $10,000. Being self employed we paid for our own health insurance.
Arizona may not be for everyone, but it is for us. We love every aspect of living out here, it's where we belong and couldn't have made a better choice. It's not up to me to decide for others where to live. Only they can be the judge of that. There are plenty of other places throughout the country where those who are fed up with New York can move to and be a lot better off than they are there. Those are the people I'm trying to reach.
Don't forget, many Westchester senior retirees are on company sponsored Medicare plans, paying nothing or very little monthly, so some can squeak by on 40 grand a year. My company sponsored Medicare plan is only $60 monthly, covers in and out of network, out of pocket annual maximum is $1700. My friend in Florida worked for the same company, her monthly premium is lower than mine, but her out of pocket annual maximum is $6,000, needless to say, I'm very happy with my plan. I read a few posts about Floridians complaining that NY has better plans, but I don't know why that's the case. My friend who has the life threatening illness and is being treated in NYC has already racked up a million dollar bill for three months of care, and she has at least one year to go! The hospital told her not to worry, that it's covered, she has a company sponsored plan (non-Medicare).
I researched other places to live on the East Coast where I might be happy, but all had the same complaints..lousy hospitals, too much traffic, too much crime, etc. One southern woman was told by her doctor to get treatment in the North because the hospitals up here are much more advanced! It seems like moving would be trading off one worry (financial), for others like decent healthcare and safety.
Sometimes I think why should I be forced out of NY and leave it to the have-nots who get easy access to some of the best hospitals and doctors in the country and other benefits of living here.
Don't forget, many Westchester senior retirees are on company sponsored Medicare plans, paying nothing or very little monthly, so some can squeak by on 40 grand a year. My company sponsored Medicare plan is only $60 monthly, covers in and out of network, out of pocket annual maximum is $1700. My friend in Florida worked for the same company, her monthly premium is lower than mine, but her out of pocket annual maximum is $6,000, needless to say, I'm very happy with my plan. I read a few posts about Floridians complaining that NY has better plans, but I don't know why that's the case. My friend who has the life threatening illness and is being treated in NYC has already racked up a million dollar bill for three months of care, and she has at least one year to go! The hospital told her not to worry, that it's covered, she has a company sponsored plan (non-Medicare).
I researched other places to live on the East Coast where I might be happy, but all had the same complaints..lousy hospitals, too much traffic, too much crime, etc. One southern woman was told by her doctor to get treatment in the North because the hospitals up here are much more advanced! It seems like moving would be trading off one worry (financial), for others like decent healthcare and safety.
Sometimes I think why should I be forced out of NY and leave it to the have-nots who get easy access to some of the best hospitals and doctors in the country and other benefits of living here.
I guess they could, but property taxes if they own their homes would still be an issue along with rent if they don't already own a home. Then there's utilities. *Con Ed has the highest utility rates in the country. We pay about one third of what we paid out there for gas and electricity.
Indeed 40 grand would be just squeaking by. Especially when you include food and clothing, and the costs of owning and insuring a vehicle. Of course there's always public and private transportation, but that costs money too. But the question is how happy will they be just squeaking by? What happens when something breaks and they can't afford to have it fixed or buy a new one?
This all has to be factored in when choosing a place to live. And of course everyone's situation, needs and wants are different. Along with their financial situation and overall health. But one things for sure 40 grand will go a lot further in most other parts of the country than it ever could in the New York metro area.
Quote:
*Con Ed Brings New Yorkers Highest Electricity Rates In ...
gothamist.com/.../12/new_yorkers_have_highest_electricit.php
Nov 11, 2013 · Con Ed's prices are the highest of any major utility in America.
Con Edison prices are the highest by any US utility | New ...
nypost.com/2015/03/07/con-edison-prices-are-the...
Con Edison’s residential prices are the highest charged by any major US utility — and that’s OK with the state of New York. Con Ed charged its electrical...
To be fair, some middle class residents have homes which originally cost $33,000 or so in the fifties, and some bought homes when the real estate market crashed (in the 80's?). My friend bought a two bedroom co-op in White Plains for $22,000 during the crash! Now they are stuck still working in NY or retired with big tax bills, and can't or don't want to move for various reasons. My retired neighbor rents one floor to make ends meet, he would like to move out of NY, but he has a part-time job in Westchester, his wife has Alzheimer's, his daughter has a life threatening illness and needs to be near a NYC hospital, the only place that can treat her illness (except for a Houston, Texas hospital). I know this is an extreme example, but many are forced to stay due to circumstances beyond their control, and many just like the conveniences here and are willing to struggle to make ends meet.
Listen, i totally get that some people just can’t leave NY, like the example you mentioned. But honestly it really wasn’t a choice for me. I felt like I had no choice. I was tired of being treated as a second class citizen, as an afterthought compare to th illegal aliens and Hasidic Jews who are pandered to all the time. Obviously my circumstances were where I could leave and I’m happier for it. It is a shame that some people are forced to have to be stuck there
If you are paying $35,000 in property taxes annually, don't sit here and preach that you are middle class. No reason why the rest of the country has to subsidize your SALT deductions. I lived in the Hudson valley myself, and when the taxes got to high, guess what,,,,, I moved out of NY. There will never be tax reform in Westchester, these politicians need your money for their little,projects, and with Latimer in office now you might as well start looking for a new place to live, because you're taxes will go up with or without this new tax bill
How proud one is all depends on your perspective. I'll bet you're proud of the Clinton's, the Kennedy's, the Cuomo's, Maxine Waters, Pelosi, Obama? How'd you like that picture of Obama yucking it up with Louis Farrakhan? Or attending the church of Jeremiah Wright? Now that's someone to be really proud of. Right?
The residents of Maricopa County gave the world Sheriff Joe not I or any other resident of Arizona. Had I lived in Maricopa County? Yeah, I would have voted for him. He's planning on running for senator to replace Flake. I plan on voting for either Martha McSally or Kelli Ward in the primaries but will vote for whomever secures the Republican nomination for senator as I would never under any circumstances vote for any Democrat no matter who they run for any public office. I'm against that party and their "nanny state" mentality. They're all about power and control over every aspect of our lives. They need and depend upon an expanding permanent underclass in order to create a socialist welfare state of which elitists will have absolute power and control over the masses. Just as with any other socialist/communist nation throughout the world.
I also don't trust any politician who does not trust law abiding citizens with the possession of firearms. "Those who beat their swords into plowshares usually end up plowing for those who don't". -- Ben Franklin
As for Trump? I did not vote for him in the primaries, Ted Cruz or Ben Carson were my choices. I ended up voting for Cruz. I voted for Trump once he secured the Republican nomination. Never in my wildest dreams did I ever think that he would win. However he was much better than that carpetbagging, pathological lying criminal from Chicago, Ill/Little Rock, AK/Chappaqua, NY wherever she claims she's from.
I'm proud of Trump in that he's keeping his word with regard to judicial nominations and confirmations. I'm proud that he's not putting up with all of the relentless Bull S**t that has come his way. I'm proud that he's an America first president instead of one that vowed to fundamentally change it while simultaneously blaming America for the world's problems. A president who's wife claimed that she'd never been proud of this country until her husband became president. I'm proud that the economy is doing much better under his watch then his predecessor.
Okay so this post is five months old. I bet you're still standing on your soap box touting the glories of Donald Trump. God help you and God help us all.
It sounds like you are bitter about having to leave NY. Well, that's up to you. People pay money to live in good places. AZ is cheap for a reason (lots of them, actually). I'd rather live in NY and pay the taxes than Arizona any day of the week, month or year. Nothing against the state but NY is much more appealing in many different ways. Sounds like you miss it. ( And your Ben Franklin quote is bogus, btw). One thing you can say about your president, he is very loyal to the people he works for. That's why Putin and Russia love him so much.
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