Richest US state?

[RacerX]

Who knew they are in the NE?

http://www.nytimes.com/2005/11/30/ny...nnecticut.html

[Flametop]

Re: Richest US state?

Put down the glue Ron......

[Birdzeyeee]

Re: Richest US state?

CT. has always been a wealthy state (close to Manhattan). Too stodgy though. And they have shit areas too - just like everywhere else.

Fuck em' - So. California has nicer weather! [img]/images/graemlins/grin.gif[/img]

[shreddermon]

Re: Richest US state?

Yep, CT is basically a commuting "suburb" for NYC's wealthy bankers and businessmen. What doesn't get said in that article is that the NE region also has some of the highest cost of living expenses and taxes, too. [img]/images/graemlins/eyes.gif[/img] (....Well, they do mention housing costs, but only in passing. [img]/images/graemlins/tongue.gif[/img] )

[Newc]

Re: Richest US state?

I see nothing wrong with that - tax the richest at a higher rate.
Of course the no-quite-as-rich get reamed, but as long as the quite-as-rich and filthy-rich are getting reamed as well, it's good [img]/images/graemlins/laugh.gif[/img]

[Wayniac]

Re: Richest US state?

One reason it is so "high income" - there are many corporate headquarters here, so many corporate officers live in the state - their salaries help skew the average a bit.
I live here - expensive as shit, and you get very little for your taxes. Can't say I love it here, but that's where my family is. Plan is to do a few more years hard time at the corparation, and with careful planning and saving - get the f**k out of Dodge ! (the city, not the company ! lol
Hell yeah - MANY low income/real shitty areas - esp in Bridgeport, New Haven, Hartford, Waterbury. Just like any other area of the country I have been to.
Been to other cities such as Atlanta, where even though they have rough spots, their taxes go toward the awesome MARTA system. The mass transit, and roads in CT are shit !
You guys hit on it - you get the ULTRA rich down in Fairfield county or up in Hartford/Litchfield who are for the most part, NYC commuters. Their salaries are what drive the other companies in the area to be competitive.
Newc - I agree that the rich should pay more - but IMO, there should just be a straight tax. 20% of income - covers everything. Overall, that's a higher rate then the rich pay with wll their write-offs now, and lower than what I pay now. It would be fair if everyone feels the pain equally (only grossing 80% of what you make, whether it is $14K a year or $140M a year...)
Also - we have a 6.5% sales tax, property tax on our house as well as vehicles, and a pretty high state gas tax in addition to the Feederal taxes. Not inlcuded the other cots of living (heat, food, etc). Plus, real estate out here is out of control! So yeah - the rich are doing well, and the rest of us are pretty squeezed.
A few benefits - No quakes, wildfires, or mudslides though.
[img]/images/graemlins/wink.gif[/img]

[Newc]

Re: Richest US state?

None yet [img]/images/graemlins/laugh.gif[/img] [img]/images/graemlins/poke.gif[/img]

Definitely like the idea of a Flat Tax Rate - 10%-20% for everyone.
But even then, the well-to-do would still get out cheaper by having more deductions like investment losses and such.

AS Cheech and Chong said - Things are tough all over [img]/images/graemlins/toast.gif[/img]

[Wayniac]

Re: Richest US state?

Yep - it'd be nice if just everyone pulled their own weight. I have no prob with temporary help for those down on their luck, but when you have families with multiple generations that are brought up on welfare, even with EOE and scholarship/grant programs, something is wrong with the system that allows that. And no way that someone who makes more thamn me should pay less than me in taxes...
Anyway - just keep my nose to the grindstone and hope for a winning lottery ticket !

[jgcable]

Re: Richest US state?

Connecticut is a crap place to live unless you are rich or poor. The working middle class take it up the ass.
A 1200 square foot house on a 50' x 100' lot in shitty Stamford, CT will run you an average of $850,000. Drive 2 hours into Copake NY and that same house on an acre will run you $175,000

[Birdzeyeee]

Re: Richest US state?

The surrounding neighborhood outside of Yale University is a slum. Grad students that are naive have been jacked.

Greenwich and New Caanan are nice if you have tons of dough. A lot of old money conservative jackwads and yuppie wannabee striver types. Otherwise, why not just move to Jersey?

[Wayniac]

Re: Richest US state?

Heheh - I hear ya man... uh-huh - I'm moving North to the woods - me, my guns, a bow, few fishing poles.. and guitars ! [img]/images/graemlins/wink.gif[/img]

[Shawn Lutz]

Re: Richest US state?

[ QUOTE ]
Connecticut is a crap place to live unless you are rich or poor. The working middle class take it up the ass.
A 1200 square foot house on a 50' x 100' lot in shitty Stamford, CT will run you an average of $850,000. Drive 2 hours into Copake NY and that same house on an acre will run you $175,000

[/ QUOTE ]

shit...I couldn't live in 1200sq ft. I had apartments that size when I was single..

The thing I love about Texas is the cost of living, you buy an $850,000 home in Dallas or Houston and that 1200sq ft would be your garage [img]/images/graemlins/laugh.gif[/img]

I used to travel a lot or business and I used to like finding those real estate books and check out what kind of home you get for your money. I don't understand how people can afford to live in certain places. Pretty big disparity in home prices around the country, employee salaries for the area doesn't pan out for the cost of living..
.

[Birdzeyeee]

Re: Richest US state?

Texas has more land, hence cheaper living expenses. 850k equals 3M in So. Cal or NY / CT. More for the money. And people tend to be more laid back and friendlier in the South.

The East Coast & West Coast have the highest cost of living expenses. This has historically been the case and probably will continue.

[jgcable]

Re: Richest US state?

I used to work at the Greenwich Car Wash which is the worst job on the planet. All day long, 16 year olds would come in with their M3's, M5's and Porsche's and run them through the car wash.. sometimes with the tops down as a joke. Then they would complain why their doors were frozen shut. What did they expect in February. It sucked living in Port Chester NY. We were flanked by Rye, NY and Greenwich, CT which are 2 of the richest towns in the USA.
Connecticut is even worse. Sometimes is seems like EVERYBODY is rich around here. The casino's are packed to the gills with people wasting their totally expendable money.