Quoted Text

Family to high-tax N.Y.: ‘We’re outta here!’

    We are voting with our feet. New York is no longer meeting our needs, and we believe that moving to a different state will be the best thing for our family.
    The first need that New York is not meeting is the need for smaller government. Compare New York’s 690-plus school districts to Florida’s 63. There are many, many fewer superintendents and their staffs to pay in Florida. This leads to the second need that New York does not meet. It is important for us to keep our taxes affordable. Less government lends itself to lower taxes. Florida has no income tax — at all. New York is the perpetual leader in the “contest” of having the highest property taxes in the country.
    Compare New York’s 4.5 to 5 percent of value property/school tax to Florida’s 1 to 1.5 percent of value property/school tax. According to Education Week, Florida and New York rank among the top fi ve public school systems in the country.
    To add insult to injury with regard to our experience in New York, we recently learned that we will have to pay a nearly $1,000 sales tax just to sell our house and leave this state. This is not a capital gains tax — it is a sales tax. On top of that, we have to pay $5 for the privilege of fi ling the tax form associated with the tax.
    More and more, we are also feeling a need to be free from the infl uence of unions. Florida is a right-to-work state while New York is heavily infl uenced by the deep pockets of public unions. This, of course, fuels the high taxes we seek to escape.
    We believe that our need for autonomy will be better met elsewhere. Florida offers freedoms that New York does not offer. For instance, I can eat transfat in any county in the entire state of Florida. I can no longer purchase my favorite soft serve ice cream with chocolate dip in Albany County because of its ban on transfat. We seek to escape the “nanny state” environment and be allowed to make grown-up decisions for ourselves.
    We love our community and many of the people in it. However, the government has made it unpalatable to continue to work, pay taxes and raise our children here. We bid you adieu and wish you all the best.

    CHRIS PATRICCA
    Niskayuna

http://www.dailygazette.net/De.....r01103&AppName=1

As the economy worsens more people will be joining Chris in more tax friendly states.

one would think that NYS would be the LOWEST....considering ALLLLLLL the activities of NYC....

It is interesting that the writer says EXACTLY what I have been saying for years --- why does our state need over 600 school districts?   The state legislature could pass and the governor could sign a bill that eliminates all of the existing school districts and replaces them with 1 school district per county.  That would eliminate a lot of unnecessary administrative costs.

Quoted from DemocraticVoiceOfReason

It is interesting that the writer says EXACTLY what I have been saying for years --- why does our state need over 600 school districts?   The state legislature could pass and the governor could sign a bill that eliminates all of the existing school districts and replaces them with 1 school district per county.  That would eliminate a lot of unnecessary administrative costs.

Look whos talking. Your job with Rotterdam is even more of a waste of money.

Like schools are the ONLY high tax problem in NYS.............

What about the rest of the crap???

Quoted from bumblethru

Like schools are the ONLY high tax problem in NYS.............

What about the rest of the crap???

Schools are not the only high tax problem but they account for 50% or more of our property tax bills.  Thus they are a HUGE part of the problem.

Once the state legislature consolidates the school districts, it should consolidate and reform counties, municipalities and other special taxing districts.

Quoted from DemocraticVoiceOfReason

or more of our property tax bills.  .

There you go again.   Posting in the "first person" as though you paid tax bills.   Remember, you are NOT a property taxpayer!   You are not even the remotest eligible to deduct property taxes on a tax return (heck without a job, you don't even file a tax return).   You are not even eligible for the "real property tax credit" available to renters.   And, when there local issues to vote on that only the property taxpayers can vote (like what the REMS ovote was to that area of town), YOU are NOT ELGIIBLE because that is limited ONLY to the TAXPAYERS...more EVIDENCE that YOU are NOT taxpayer.

And I would NOT want to be paying the exhorbitant cost to be busing children all over the county

And also, for you info, DV, taxes are higher here not so much because of having different municipalities and school districts, but because you dems want all this social spending...swimmning pools in the schools for the kids, dance classes, international cooking classes, hairdo classes, fingernail painting classes, (all these frills classes but the kids can't read and they don't know basic math), sports,breakfast and lunch at taxpayer expense, medical and dental services, social workers, the pill, teacher "aides,"   fat salaries for superintendents, assistant superintendents, assistants TO THE superintendents, assistants to the assistant superintendent, school principal, a ton of asst principals, overgenerous pay and benefits for the teachers.   Pensions for teachers that are so lavish that the amount of the pension excludes them from eligibility for the Senior STAR property tax exemption (yes, YOU personally know someone who gets paid such a lavish pension---far greater than even a NORMAL retired couple gets combined), elimination of "neighborhood" schools, and on and on and on.

And of course, let's not forget how much higher Schdy City school taxes are because YOUR DEM PARTY has chosen increase taxes on the financially struggling homeowner by exempting the millionaires and political cronies downtown from paying taxes, AND YOUR DEM PARTY makes the city homeowners pay the STAR exemption on Philip Morris' house---an exemption that he is NOT entitled to!!!

Quoted from DemocraticVoiceOfReason

It is interesting that the writer says EXACTLY what I have been saying for years --- why does our state need over 600 school districts?   The state legislature could pass and the governor could sign a bill that eliminates all of the existing school districts and replaces them with 1 school district per county.  That would eliminate a lot of unnecessary administrative costs.

same reason why there are multiple nursing homes....oh, you could go to the 'warehouse' style and call it saving...

but you become Orren Boyle

Quoted from mikechristine1

And also, for you info, DV, taxes are higher here not so much because of having different municipalities and school districts, but because you dems want all this social spending...swimmning pools in the schools for the kids, dance classes, international cooking classes, hairdo classes, fingernail painting classes, (all these frills classes but the kids can't read and they don't know basic math), sports,breakfast and lunch at taxpayer expense, medical and dental services, social workers, the pill, teacher "aides,"   fat salaries for superintendents, assistant superintendents, assistants TO THE superintendents, assistants to the assistant superintendent, school principal, a ton of asst principals, overgenerous pay and benefits for the teachers.   Pensions for teachers that are so lavish that the amount of the pension excludes them from eligibility for the Senior STAR property tax exemption(yes YOU personally know someone who gets paid such a lavish pension---far greater than even a NORMAL retired couple gets combined), elimination of "neighborhood" schools, and on and on and on.

I've heard this school district consolidation crap spewed from other DEMS as well. They want consolidation so it covers up all the waste they have floating all over the place.

Stop spending all our money on crap (see bold text above) ...we'll save NOW!!!

Quoted Text

High taxes a good reason to abandon New York for Florida

    The Aug. 2 letter [“Family to high-tax N.Y.: ‘We’re outta here!’] got me thinking about how right the person who wrote it was, as my wife and I feel the same way and also plan to leave the high-tax state of New York.
    I also did a little checking just to compare the two states mentioned in the letter as far as taxes are concerned, and I thought maybe your readers would like to see what a vast difference there is between New York and Florida.
    First New York does have a sales tax, which can vary from a low of 4 percent to a high of 9 percent, depending on what county you are in, whereas Florida has a tax of 6 percent — period.
    Next, the gas tax: New York is 49 cents per gallon, while Florida is 16.6. Then I checked cigarette tax (I do not smoke, but feel for any smoker who lives in New York), which is only $4.35 per pack upstate but if you live in New York City you can add another $1.50 per pack to that for a total of $5.85 per pack — compared to 33.9 cents per pack in Florida!
    New York’s state income tax is a low of 4 percent to a high of 8.97 percent, depending on your income; Florida has no state income tax. Property tax: Don’t even go there!
    I can go on about the massive differences, but don’t want to totally ruin your day. Am I disgusted about the sad state of affairs in New York? You bet, and I am doing the same as the other writer and voting with my feet as I do not see any chance of it getting better.
    So, to the rest of you who do stay and continue to pay higher and higher taxes each year, I say turn off the lights on your way out, and good luck!

STEVEN ROBERTS
Fonda

http://www.dailygazette.net/De.....r00704&AppName=1

Florida?  UG!  I much prefer to live in this part of NY than any part of Florida.  Much of Florida is like living in a
Nursing Home.  The elderly are the driving force in many communities there.  Instead of 'progress', it's 'nostalgia'.  

Florida = Gods Waiting Room.  

Quoted from Box A Rox

Florida?  UG!  I much prefer to live in this part of NY than any part of Florida.  Much of Florida is like living in a
Nursing Home.  The elderly are the driving force in many communities there.  Instead of 'progress', it's 'nostalgia'.  

Florida = Gods Waiting Room.  

So you prefer giving money to political cronies who have no problem making you homeless if you don't come up with the tax money they want to take from you to give to their cronies and millionaires downtown?   You prefer spending your hard heard money to give it to others to live like royals while you might have to go without necessities?   You know, those retirees who worked 180 days a year and get pensions of almost $60,000 a year plus benefits?

The cost of living in Florida is so vastly lower than up here.   We have a good 15+ years of working yet so it's off in the future, but if taxes keep up, we may leave the state too.  We happen to be into winter skiing so we like the winters in that respect but I'm sure other northern states are better than NY.   We are also water skiers too.  Nursing homes are places where the elderly are just laying around waiting to go.  

Florida is where the elderly, the retirees, go to actually live life and enjoy the fruits of their years of labor without having to pay all those greedy political cronies.   Retire to Florida and you can actually afford to buy a boat because you don't have to pay the high taxes.   Up here in NY, the retirees are almost broke after paying their taxes, especially in Schenectady where the leaders are penalizing them when they can't afford to make repairs on their homes because they are paying the taxes of the downtown millionaires.
  

Quoted from mikechristine1

So you prefer giving money to political cronies who have no problem making you homeless if you don't come up with the tax money they want to take from you to give to their cronies and millionaires downtown?   You prefer spending your hard heard money to give it to others to live like royals while you might have to go without necessities?   You know, those retirees who worked 180 days a year and get pensions of almost $60,000 a year plus benefits?
The cost of living in Florida is so vastly lower than up here.   We have a good 15+ years of working yet so it's off in the future, but if taxes keep up, we may leave the state too.  We happen to be into winter skiing so we like the winters in that respect but I'm sure other northern states are better than NY.   We are also water skiers too.  Nursing homes are places where the elderly are just laying around waiting to go.  
Florida is where the elderly, the retirees, go to actually live life and enjoy the fruits of their years of labor without having to pay all those greedy political cronies.   Retire to Florida and you can actually afford to buy a boat because you don't have to pay the high taxes.   Up here in NY, the retirees are almost broke after paying their taxes, especially in Schenectady where the leaders are penalizing them when they can't afford to make repairs on their homes because they are paying the taxes of the downtown millionaires.

Mike/Christine...
Your life sounds like it really sucks.  You shouldn't put up with all the terrible things you mentioned any longer.  
Sell out now and move.
What you post may be your impression of 'living in NY' but it certainly isn't mine or many others who like living
in this part of NY.  
~ "Retire to Florida and you can actually afford to buy a boat because you don't have to pay the
high taxes"
I live in NY and can afford a boat... several.

~ "Up here in NY, the retirees are almost broke after paying their taxes"
I'm sure that is true for some retirees, but not most that I know.

~ "The cost of living in Florida is so vastly lower than up here"
Paying for AC or paying for heat... there is little difference.

Other reasons I'd rather live in Upstate NY than anywhere in Florida:
~Florida has no hills... it's boring flat flat and more flat.  If you are at 300' in Florida, you are standing on
their highest mountain!  Many of Florida's "mountains" just over 50' high.
~Similarly, Florida has few actual 'rivers'.  They have a few nice ones, but most are muddy, drainage
ditches.  The drinking water in Florida is, for the most part, awful.
~Bugs!  Lots of em.  Fire ants, Slugs, termites... Florida was made for bugs... (not humans).
~It's a sad fact, but a true one that older drivers are not the best drivers.  Florida's Rt 19 on the Gulf
coast is a multi lane demo derby.  If you own a body shop, it's a gold mine. Much worse than driving in
NY Snow.
One last point... Driving in NY, you will occasional encounter an "elderly, slow moving, pokey driver" in front
of you.  In Florida, you will occasional encounter one that isn't!