Over-taxed, Over-regulated, Over-litigated....I ha
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4/10/2008
I have been trying to leave. Let me put it in a nutshell:
Taxes: New York has some of the highest taxes. Sales tax is 8.25%. New York State slaps a hefty tax on gasoline, which, anywhere you drive out of New York, except Canada, is substantially cheaper. Property taxes here are outrageous especially for the $8.00 an hour economy in rural western New York. To quote American Legion Magazine April 2008 issue "Counties in Western New York are collecting the heaviest property taxes". This is in regards to property taxes nationwide. New York taxes telecommunications heavily, a $19.00 a month telephone bill will carry about $10.00 in taxes and fees. New York even taxes memberships ie: Sams Club. And tobacco, if this current $1.25 tax goes through, New York will have the HIGHEST tobacco tax of ANY state. The thruway fees just went up and in response to truckers saying that the state is killing them, New York has plans to raise the fees yet again. And the economy and job market here is stale except maybe for the big cities.
Regulations, well New York wants to regulate everything you do. It is expensive and time consuming to get a permit just to have a handgun in your residence. You have to have a permit for yourself and register the gun. And this is in little podunk rural towns, NOT the city. And smoking! New York has banned it just about everywhere except your own home. Whatever it is New York has a myriad of laws/regulations concerning it.
Litigation goes without saying for anyone that has lived here. Turn on the TV and what do you see? Law office after law office selling their services. And for a good reason. New Yorkers sue over just about everything. Want to fire me from work for being a screw up? Well, I am going to sue. Had an accident on a snowy sidewalk? I am going to sue.
The weather here is pleasant for the short summers (usually May through Sept if you are lucky) but the rest of the year is generally gray, damp and cold especially in Western NY where you are bracketed by two large lakes with the finger lakes running through the middle. If you suffer from SADS, arthritis or mold allergies this is NOT the place to be. Although I have seen warm Octobers, I have also seen snow flurries in early May.
Overall I don't have many good things to say about New York. It is expensive, the weather sucks most of the year and it is over-regulated. Yes, other states are just as bad or worse in some aspects but New York has all of this and the elitist, overpaid, PHd
dan | Hammondsport, NY