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nope.
As I've said before, I'm making about $15k MORE in San Diego than I made in Syracuse NY... HOWEVER, to actually LIVE at the same level (you know, be able to afford food as well as rent?) I should be making $20k MORE than I am.
cost of living varies from city to city and state to state.
and I agree, taxes and incentives should take this into account...
for the people that slam us for saying so... should everyone move out of the cities?? are there JOBS in the country that will support us?
if not, stfu.
That's why you guys shouldn't hate everyone who get's bonus checks on Wall St.
The executives make multiples of that $123k and then get bonuses that are multiples of that. If they had any decency they would have passed that up or started taking $1 per year salary when the went on the government dole.
The little guys get a maximum bonus of about 20% of $123k in the best of times after doing the best possible job and that ain't happening this year. It's just enough to help. ( That and hoping you aren't let go in a layoff ).
Mean Income - NYC: 121,549 (although with pay caps on wall st. that may change)
What's really needed in addition to cost of living adjustments, is maximum ratio on executive pay. That way in order for the CEO to raise his salary or bonus, he would have to raise the salary and bonus of the lowest paid employees. Which would then force the salary of all employees, not just executives, higher.
They just keep their heads above water up north, then cash out their expensive big city real estate and use that money to live on in a cheaper place when their money earning days are through.
Or, at least, they used to do that.
you obviously don't know what you're talking about.
It makes as much sense.
Houston (Texas) has high property taxes so if you own a home, you'll be paying a hefty fee each year, often at least $8,000 per year. Houston (Texas) has high sales tax but no income tax. New York has income tax but lower sales tax.
I agree that basing tax incentives or punishments on salary amounts is outdated and ridiculous but all of these factors should be considered. Better yet, just make EVERYONE pay a flat 10% or 12% and get rid of the ridiculous tax code.
Granted, there are going to be many other factors as well, but personally I find little to justify that high a price for living space, depending on availability of amenities (food, medical services, work, social scene).
you see... people won't see rents going down as long as the costs of the buildings are still sky high. and for people who own the buildings outright (maybe they bought them 30 years ago?), they're probably living off the income of the property... how often do you tell your boss to give you a pay cut? why would they lower rent unless EVERY other rental property in the area goes down?
I'm still seeing cond buildings sitting empty or even half-built out here... nobody wants to spend $700k on a condo when all the properties are being foreclosed on (including the half-built condos!).
they whack $100k off the price and STILL don't attract buyers... either you can't get a loan, or you're holding onto your money and waiting for prices to drop even more... OR maybe you're wondering if you're going to have a job in a month.
.
Rent Control good in theory, not so good when the rent control board is controlled by the landlords.
my rent is certainly NOT going down, and I well expect an increase...
Property owners are legendary and mercenary here, established renters are unlikely to see true benefit from any slowdown...
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are you happy where you live or did you get stuck there because of family ties and/or industry?
put it this way... if you're working in the computer industry, you don't move to podunk Montana to find a job. They aren't there.
if you move to silicon valley... you'll find a job, and you'll probably struggle to live on starting pay of $75k (or at least, you USED to be able to find a job... not so much anymore).
city living isn't for everyone... I wouldn't want to live in NYC. San Diego is a slower lifestyle, but its still expensive. When I moved here, there were jobs paying enough to make it affordable (still pricy by comparison to Syracuse, but affordable)... now? all the jobs are going away.
Its going to wind up that the only people who live in major cities are millionaires.
question, who cooks the food at Burger King? who stocks the shelves at the grocery store? when do cab rides start at $40 for the first mile?
are you getting the picture?
we live where we want to live... ALL of us. if you don't, then you lack ambition and I have no sympathy for you. however, slamming someone for 'whining' because they make enough money to barely break even seems like jealousy to me.
put it this way, if you like where you live... would you want someone telling you to move to a 3rd world country? no?
its the same thing... and in JOHN's case... he NEEDS to live in DC. you don't get involved in national politics if you live in a town of 2,000 people in North Dakota... North Dakota where, I might add, $100k a year is probably super-rich.
Hmm, I seemed to have heard something like this before, ....
Where...?
Oh I know: "The poor are poor, because they are lazy" - George W. Bush during his Harvard MBA years.
and the comparison is lame.
Besides, NYC died a long time ago but someone forgot to tell the residents :-0
For those who are living paycheck to paycheck and get laid off, moving for work - to a place that they don't necessarily like - is very common. Get a fucking clue.
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so what's the point? no work-life balance?
again, you live where you want to live... or you move. either you figure out how you can stay (living paycheck to paycheck? multiple jobs? selling your ass? whatever?) or you really didn't want to live there. As I'm doing in San Diego. When the job dries up (as its likely to do... EVERY IT job is disappearing fast, or is paying half of what the going rate was 8 years ago), I'll find a way to stay here.
moving to east bumfuck nowhere to keep a job? you've got to love your job (or money in general) a lot more than you like where you live or your general well-being... otherwise, you resent your job. how is that good??
get a fucking clue? and you live in San Francisco (from the SF I gather)?? seriously, John's right... you've got an anger issue.
.
And yes, it's interesting that folks appreciate my political advocacy on gay rights and other issues, but they don't appreciate that I need to be in DC in order to do it well. Well, most do appreciate that. Some of the vocal minority don't, but you'll never please them anyway, that's why I don't try :-)
It's called living within your means and/or making do, I think, when a city is very expensive. It's a choice, and it might mean living in not so great circumstances.
It's not working class people who raise property values, it's the rich. We're finding that out in this county, where property taxes are going sky high because of McMansion developments which used to be on farmland, sold to people who work in Charlotte and make enough to live there, but live here instead and demand services (more schools, roads, utilities, etc.) The only people who have an advantage are those who moved up here 10-15 yrs ago (or even before) and whose mortgage payments are still reasonable. You can't even rent a place like this (very modest) for anywhere near that payment these days.
:/ corrected for spelling
http://www.gaypolitics.com/2009/02/06/obama-nam...
Problem solved.
I live in the Seattle area and it isn't cheap either.
Google HUD income limits. A map will show you income limits county but county.
In the world of the truly needy, choices between eating and getting meds are a daily routine. In the world of the working poor, living as you do is an unattainable dream. Frankly, I'd prefer to see you tell us how thankful you are for the position of privilege that you have. You may have worked for it but luck plays an important part as well. Just look at how many hard working folks never escape being poor.
I'm not calling you rich - we are probably more or less economic equals. But we have it much better than 80% of the WORLD'S population and we need to remember that. A little humility now and then from you would go a long way.
Sorry for being so bitchy in my reactions to your posts about this. I will work to be more articulate.
Kind of a straw man there, John.
Because a $7500 credit in DC doesn't go anywhere near as far as in, say, Syracuse, NY. It's effectively pocket change on a $300k condo; it's a real difference on a $90k house.
If you're going to argue to scale one, you need to scale both - or else, effectively, the whole scheme is mostly pointless anyways.
Manhattan has always been expensive. If you can't afford it you can live across the river in New Jersey.
I moved from a big expensive city to a small rural town 20 years ago because I couldn't afford the big city. I'm happy with my choice and have never looked back.