Hey Christie – Where are the jobs?

From the Record:

NJ job rebound trails its neighbors

New Jersey will trail neighboring states in the time it takes to recover the jobs lost since the recession, a study released by global economic research company IHS says.

The study concludes that it will take New Jersey until 2014-15 to return to the pre-recession peak of January 2008. Most other Northeastern states will recover them by 2012-13, except Connecticut — 2016-17 — and Rhode Island, which will not see full recovery until at least 2017, says IHS, of Englewood, Colo.

Four states — Alaska, North Dakota, Texas and Louisiana — have already recovered their jobs, mainly due to the energy boom. And New York is within one percent of recovering its lost jobs, the study says.

The research firm predicts that nearly half the 50 states will regain their lost jobs by 2013, earlier than New Jersey. The Garden State lost about 250,000 jobs during the recession, and is still about 177,000 off its pre-recession peak.

Jim Diffley, chief regional economist, said one reason for New Jersey’s struggling performance is the weakness of the pharmaceutical industry.

Another is the still “sluggish” housing market, he said.

“The real estate bubble in New Jersey is still not resolved yet,” he said.

This entry was posted in Economics, Employment, New Jersey Real Estate. Bookmark the permalink.

158 Responses to Hey Christie – Where are the jobs?

  1. Mike says:

    Good Morning New Jersey

  2. grim says:

    From the WSJ:

    Good news for real-estate agents: In a recent Gallup poll of trustworthiness, they ranked higher than lawyers, a turnaround from a 2008 survey. And they continue to leave telemarketers, members of Congress and stockbrokers in the dust.

    The public even may start to believe the message from the National Association of Realtors, advertised throughout the housing debacle, that this is “one of the best times to buy a home.”

    Sinking prices have made a mockery of their exhortations, but the S&P/Case-Shiller index of home prices in 20 major cities is showing signs of stabilizing. And, if it stops falling when the March reading is released Tuesday, it would mark the first time since last August that the index hasn’t shown a month-over-month decline.

    Meanwhile, other housing gauges using different methodologies already appear to be turning the corner. CoreLogic’s national home-price index perked up in late winter and has risen in recent months at the fastest pace since the bubbly spring of 2006. And the Federal Housing Agency’s purchase-only house-price index rose 1.8% in March from the prior month.

    So it is premature to predict a boom. But if prices really are turning the corner, that has positive implications for banks’ and consumers’ balance sheets.

    Don’t take a real-estate agent’s word for it, but prices don’t lie.

  3. serenity now says:

    So if property taxes stabilize at current levels and inflation picks up
    a bit, taxes may be less painful…..those who are looking to buy (3b / Gary etc.)
    may find themselves in a sweet spot. Time will tell.

  4. gary says:

    So if property taxes stabilize at current levels…

    He11 will freeze over first.

  5. Neanderthal Economist says:

    Im buying a home built in 2004, which concerns me but i asked an unbiased developer who lives in similar model about newer construction build quality in that neighnbothood and he claims they havent been relaxing building standards over the years. He thinks the foundation and major parts of these newer homes are solid but they put lots of cheap finishings and fixtures and fences on all the base models. Does that sound right to anybody who knows more about this?

  6. gary says:

    Jim Diffley, chief regional economist, said one reason for New Jersey’s struggling performance is the weakness of the pharmaceutical industry.

    Another is the still “sluggish” housing market, he said.

    “The real estate bubble in New Jersey is still not resolved yet,” he said.

    Dying industries on top of out-of-control property taxes = price decline.

    Tick… tick… tick… tick…

  7. gary says:

    Italics off

  8. gary says:

    I think…

  9. Dissident HEHEHE says:

    “Hey Christie – Where are the jobs?”

    He ate them?

  10. Libtard at home says:

    Old Home vs. New Home

    Both will have their problems and the average costs to repair them will tend to be similar. I have two siblings who bought new and both had similar issues to my multi which was very old. The thing that kills me is how bad the vinyl siding always looks on these new buildings after about ten years. Whoever invented that stuff should be imprisoned.

  11. freedy says:

    Its seems to me that CC is getting bigger by the day. Shameless

  12. Fabius Maximus says:

    I think CC has the jobs in a magical box with the budget cuts and debt reduction.

    I am trying to think of one real acheivement of his admistration.

  13. freedy says:

    paid his taxes

  14. freedy says:

    http://www.trulia.com/property/3072838796-57-Surrey-Ln-Tenafly-NJ-07670

    This property is under contract for 725k . How is this possible ?

  15. Mike says:

    Freedy 14 It’s a great oppurtunity to get into a town with multi million dollar homes. Oh yeah the buyer a dumb a$$ too.

  16. 3b says:

    #14 I wonder what it will close at?

  17. 3b says:

    Tenafly may be killing it, but in Spring Lake and Seagirt, there are lots of houses for sale, some blocks it is 5 or 6 on the sam block, some right next to each other.

  18. Juice Box says:

    JJ – Here is a fixer upper in Huntington, the owner is 96 and looking for a quick cash sale.

    http://www.nydailynews.com/new-york/drunk-brooklyn-woman-crashes-car-long-island-home-article-1.1085665#ixzz1wDPTX64g

  19. gary says:

    Fabius,

    I am trying to think of one real acheivement of his admistration.

    Cutting the pigs off from the trough is a monumental task!

  20. Juice Box says:

    3B – I went through a realtor for this years summer rental in Spring Lake and heard lots of local Jersey Shore scuttlebutt, there are tons of homes not even listed anymore. The owners have decided to wait it out for when they can get “their” price.

    Who is buying million dollar beach houses these days anyway? Needs to be a mostly cash transaction I would think.

  21. Mikeinwaiting says:

    April Chicago Midwest Mfg. Index: +2.4% M/M. +12.0% Y/Y. Regional auto sector production rose 7.6%.

  22. freedy says:

    Extended unemployment benefits end in Sept. in NJ. Now what ? How will that effect
    housing in the Garden State?

  23. seif says:

    14 – my guess is that it closes somewhere in the $625K-$640K range.

  24. 3b says:

    #20 Juice: And even with all of that, still so many For Sale Signs. And one project right on Ocean, appears to be abandoned, and boarded up. What an eyesore for the neighbors.

  25. Comrade Nom Deplume says:

    [25] traveler,

    I am getting a guilty pleasure out of that.

  26. seif says:

    14 – here is another on the same street that closed a while back:

    48 Surrey Lane
    3bd 2.5ba COL CNTR HL
    Direct: OFF CLINTON AVE.
    Orig LP: $649,000
    Sold: $617,000
    SD: 12/6/2011 UCD: 9/28/2011 DOM: 13

  27. newbie says:

    #18. Juice box that was shocking, never seen anything like this. here is one more disgusting news from the same website. Most bizzare….
    real life hannibal lecter.
    http://www.nydailynews.com/news/national/real-life-hannibal-lecter-ate-face-naked-homeless-man-identified-31-year-old-rudy-eugene-article-1.1085810

  28. Mikeinwaiting says:

    March S&P Case-Shiller Home Price Index: 0.09%M/M vs. 0.2 expected, 0.15% prior. -2.6% Y/Y vs. -2.6% expected, -3.5% prior.

  29. Mikeinwaiting says:

    More on Case-Shiller: Things have improved, but “housing prices have not turned,” says S&P’s David Blitzer. Prices in 5 out of 20 tracked major cities hit new post-crash lows vs. 9 doing so in February. Prices in seven cities – Phoenix, Miami, and Detroit among them – are now seeing positive annual rates of change.

  30. freedy says:

    http://news.cnet.com/8301-1001_3-57442700-92/panasonic-eyes-major-layoffs-at-headquarters/

    No problem for Panasonic as they build the new Headquarters IN, yes Newark.

    Combat pay ?

  31. chicagofinance says:

    The workweek doesn’t start until we get a post from JJ.

  32. Anon E. Moose says:

    Juice [18];

    What a looker! She should make that her FB photo…

  33. Comrade Nom Deplume says:

    NJ isn’t recovering at the same rate. I’m shocked, shocked.

    Decades of institutional corruption layered over everything, high taxes, high fees, high costs, and an Assembly and Senate openly dedicated to perpetuating the same policies that led to the catastrophic fail we call NJ. A federal government intending to turn the state’s biggest industry into a massive nonprofit. And other states and provinces that are willing, indeed eager, to exploit NJ’s situation and either divert jobs that might have come here or poach the ones that are here, and have proven quite adept at doing so.

    No, I can’t explain it. Got nuthin’ Real head scratcher.

    As far as Christie not accomplishing anything, you need only look to the Senate and Assembly. It’s full-on war in Trenton. Personally, I am amazed he has managed to accomplish what he has done, given the implacable hatred. And if you don’t like Christie in the first place, then why are you complaining about the stasis?

  34. Juice Box says:

    re # 34- Moose their is another story in there, most likely Sugar Daddy’s car?

  35. Juice Box says:

    re # 28 – Zombie Apocalypse, starts in Florida I guess.

  36. The Original NJ ExPat says:

    JJ has some splainin’ to do to Mrs. JJ this morning, something about being with a young girl in a red Mercedes going to (through?) an open house. The open house is new, but the house isn’t.

  37. The Original NJ ExPat says:

    Anderson and an unidentified man riding in the car suffered minor injuries.

  38. Comrade Nom Deplume says:

    And here is another thing to ponder, especially when we talk about all those shore houses for sale: Only eight states have an inheritance tax — Indiana, Iowa, Kentucky, Maryland, Nebraska, New Jersey, Pennsylvania and Tennessee.

    Baby boomers with some residential property wealth getting out of Dodge? Makes sense, especially since those homes are probably carried as “primary” residences, making the gains at least partially tax free on income taxes, and its easier to get cash out of your estate quickly if need be.

    And those not selling are well advised to do some creative planning. There’s ways to keep the shore house and get the taxable value out of NJ.

  39. Mikeinwaiting says:

    Link some good charts: http://www.standardandpoors.com/servlet/BlobServer?blobheadername3=MDT-Type&blobcol=urldocumentfile&blobtable=SPComSecureDocument&blobheadervalue2=inline%3B+filename%3Ddownload.pdf&blobheadername2=Content-Disposition&blobheadervalue1=application%2Fpdf&blobkey=id&blobheadername1=content-type&blobwhere=1245334287526&blobheadervalue3=abinary%3B+charset%3DUTF-8&blobnocache=true

    2012 Q12012 Q1/2011 Q42011 Q4/2011
    Q3LevelChange (%)Change (%)1-Year Change (%)
    U.S. National Index 123.33 -2.0% -3.9% -1.9%March 2012March/FebruaryFebruary/JanuaryMetropolitan AreaLevelChange (%)Change (%)1-Year Change (%)
    Atlanta 82.53 -0.9% -2.5% -17.7%
    Boston 145.92 -0.2% -1.1% -1.0%
    Charlotte 109.40 1.2% -0.4% 0.4%
    Chicago 102.77 -2.5% -2.5% -7.1%
    Cleveland 94.65 0.4% -1.4% -2.4%
    Dallas 114.49 1.6 % 0.0% 1.5%
    Denver 123.66 1.5% -0.9% 2.6%
    Detroit 66.66 -4.4% -0.8% 2.3%
    Las Vegas 89.870.0% -0.4% -7.5%
    Los Angeles 159.7 30.1 % -0.8% -4.8%
    Miami 140.76 0.9 % 0.6% 2.5%
    Minneapolis 109.21 -0.9% -1.0% 3.3%
    New York 157.87 -0.9% -1.0% -2.8%
    Phoenix 106.38 2.2 % 1.2% 6.1%
    Portland 129.01 -0.5% -0.3% -2.8%
    San Diego 149.68 0.4% 0.2% -2.7%
    San Francisco 125.9 41.0% -0.7% -3.0%
    Seattle 131.23 1.7% -0.8% -1.3%
    Tampa 125.49 1.3% -0.2% -1.0%
    Washington176.48 1.0%-1.3%
    -0.6%
    Composite-10 city 146.61 -0.1% -0.9% -2.8%
    Composite-20 city 134.100.0% -0.8% -2.6%

  40. xolepa says:

    (5)
    Builders nor inspectors can relax standards. If anything, the standards keep tightening. That’s for most parts of construction. Vinyl siding thickness, quality of floors, fixtures, etc. are all beyond reach of construction official’s domains, so that’s where the chopping still goes on. Anything structural has to meet the latest codes. Otherwise, building inspectors will be out of their full-time jobs.

    here’s how it works:

    -Builder(s) find ways of cheating or using liberal interpretations of code which is allowed by some inspectors. – Home construction parts fail (foundation, electrical, etc). – Homeowner files claim against homeowner insurance company. Insurance company sends inspector, pays off homeowner claim and logs issue into universal database. – Home Insurance companies then lobby Code Enforcement writers to tighten standards so number of claims can be reduced in the future. – Code enforcement officials implement the new regulations by upping inspections fees and forcing more inspections upon homebuilder. – Homebuilders cheat again….

  41. seif says:

    “As far as Christie not accomplishing anything, you need only look to the Senate and Assembly. It’s full-on war in Trenton. Personally, I am amazed he has managed to accomplish what he has done, given the implacable hatred. And if you don’t like Christie in the first place, then why are you complaining about the stasis?”

    are you talking about Washington or Trenton? Or both.

  42. Mikeinwaiting says:

    seif 43 “are you talking about Washington ” and thank goodness for that.

  43. 3b says:

    House I was going to bid on, went UC over the weekend> guess I will throw a bid in on the other one. Should I hurry, hury!!!!

  44. JJ says:

    I am impressed that she kept the car right side up and moved oven to back yard. Although I have seen better, like 25 years ago a levittown cape (they dont have basements) that was on a corner plot an out of control speeding 18 wheeler truck missed the turn and went right through house and actually left an empty plot. Nothing there at all he just left sticks and debris out on road. Now that is funny stuff.

    Huntington has a amazing bars and when you leave the bars at 4am there is no highway close by, lots of snakey roads with decent speedlimits. Route 25a out there is a curvey road with no divider, hilly, dark and a speedlimit of 55mph, you get some good accidents.

    I got pulled over there once after nickle beer night on route 25a at 3am for crossing the double yellow line 23 times. Apparantly it is ok 22 times. Which I actually asked officer. He said I was following you running your plate and my Partner and I was pretty amazed, once on-coming traffic started coming we pulled you over. The cop actually threatened to take my keys and make me walk five miles home, I was like really. I can just roll my window down, turn radio on and do last four miles without a problem. Guy mulled it over and let me go and said I had 15 minutes grace. I guess as long as I dont push widows ovens out into street it is ok.

    The Original NJ ExPat says:
    May 29, 2012 at 9:48 am

    JJ has some splainin’ to do to Mrs. JJ this morning, something about being with a young girl in a red Mercedes going to (through?) an open house. The open house is new, but the house isn’t.

  45. gary says:

    3b [45],

    What was the price range on this house?

  46. gary says:

    Nominal price declines in the NY area are now down 25.8% from peak.

    Any questions?

  47. Shore Guy says:

    “if property taxes stabilize at current levels ”

    How? The pension funds are under funded and this will need to be made up by municipalities. Thus, in order to keep property taxes level at a time that municipalities will be making increased pension payments to fill the gap caused by over-optimistic projections on the rate of return of pension plans, one would need to slash spending at the municipal level. I will believe that will happen when I see it a couple years in a row.

    http://www.nytimes.com/2012/05/28/nyregion/fragile-calculus-in-plans-to-fix-pension-systems.html?_r=1&src=me&ref=general

    Public Pensions Faulted for Bets on Rosy Returns

    By MARY WILLIAMS WALSH and DANNY HAKIM

    Published: May 27, 2012

    Few investors are more bullish these days than public pension funds.

    While Americans are typically earning less than 1 percent interest on their savings accounts and watching their 401(k) balances yo-yo along with the stock market, most public pension funds are still betting they will earn annual returns of 7 to 8 percent over the long haul, a practice that Mayor Michael R. Bloomberg recently called “indefensible.”

    Now public pension funds across the country are facing a painful reckoning. Their projections look increasingly out of touch in today’s low-interest environment, and pressure is mounting to be more realistic. But lowering their investment assumptions, even slightly, means turning for more cash to local taxpayers — who pay part of the cost of public pensions through property and other taxes.
    snip

  48. Brian says:

    Maybe the quality of the product you’ve seen was substandard?

    I just covered my house in vinyl siding. I was really sick of painting. Now if it gets dirty, I just hit it with the hose and some soapy water. I bought the thicker stuff, hopefully it holds up well.

    The fence I just put in is vinyl too. After watching my neighbors replace rotten pickets and paint their fences every few years I thought it might make sense to go for the maintenance free product. Anything I can buy that helps me enjoy my house rather than fix it all of the time seems like a good investment to me.

    My Mother-in-Law lives in a Townhouse complex that was built in the early 80’s. All of the buildings were covered in that stuff. It still looks great after 30 years.

    10.Libtard at home says:
    May 29, 2012 at 7:39 am
    Old Home vs. New Home

    Both will have their problems and the average costs to repair them will tend to be similar. I have two siblings who bought new and both had similar issues to my multi which was very old. The thing that kills me is how bad the vinyl siding always looks on these new buildings after about ten years. Whoever invented that stuff should be imprisoned.

  49. Mikeinwaiting says:

    Urber inspector Monday the 4th guys. I don’t mind telling you even at the price and taxes having second thoughts. My rental now is such a sweet deal and as long as I want.
    Ran the numbers for 100th time will trying to get to sleep last night 5 years save like 30k but tied to the mother FK er come what may. Not to mention loss of liquidity, gotten used to having a lot of cash around, good feeling.

  50. Mikeinwaiting says:

    Shore 49 Oh yea “if property taxes stabilize at current levels ” pigs are going to fly.
    Anybody who believes this is just plain crazy or rationalizing away the numbers we all know are there.

  51. Mikeinwaiting says:

    3b 45 Hurry hurry I know you know better, but on the flip side how much of a hurry is your LL in.

  52. Shore Guy says:

    Mike,

    If various levels of government would just cut their spending, in real terms, 1% per year over the next 10 years, things would be much better. Of course, I expect Sela Ward to come over and give me a bath before that happens.

  53. gary says:

    freedy [22],

    Extended unemployment benefits end in Sept. in NJ. Now what ? How will that effect housing in the Garden State?

    We’re insulated here, not to worry. Besides, it was all limited to subprime loans.

  54. 3b says:

    #47 gary: House was originally 415k, dropped to 399k, which was IMO still over priced. It was in good condition, very,very, dated, with only 1.5 bath,and forgive me a toilet next to the washing machine in the basement does not really qualify as a half bath.

    Anyhow after the price drop to 399K it sat for another 6 or seven weeks. I was hoping they would drop it to 375k and then I would throw my bid in. I don’t think the house is worth more than 350K(my spouse says its not worth more than 325k), especially when the house across the street with 2.5 baths sold for 300k, with a bigger piece of property, although it needed more work than the one we were going to bid on.

  55. Shore Guy says:

    Tenafly, wasn’t that a Curtis Mayfield song from ’71/’72?

  56. Shore Guy says:

    “a toilet next to the washing machine in the basement does not really qualify as a half bath.”

    It is NOT a toilet next to the washing machine, it is a spacious 1/2 bath, which includes a washing machine.

  57. 3b says:

    #53 Mike: It has sort of been a cat and mouse thing. I believe he is a little miffed that we don;t want to buy the place. He is retired (forcibly) now, and I believe he is helping his kid out with a disastrous real estate purchase.

    It went for the longest time as stay as long as you want, to now, call me as soon as you sign a contract, etc. The whole tone and dynamics of the conversation if you will has changed. I don’t think I have the option to stay here much past the end of the year. Meaning he will call me in the Fall and tell me we have to leave. In the meantime the place is falling apart.

  58. JJ says:

    I actually in a strange way like that homes are more expensive than years ago. The two new neighbors, behind and too left are both young couples who work full time. One has an infant the other, quite honestly I have no clue what they look like. Funny as prior own blew house out and it is only 48 inches from my property line. Anyhow, unlike people who bought from 1940s to around 2001, none of the wives can afford to stay home.

    Also people go away on vacation. So the houses next door are empty Monday through Friday 49 weeks a year and then around three weeks a year they go away on vacation. They only have at most one day a week to use yards, and with family committments, games etc. Even that is cut down to twice a month. Meanwhile neighbor to right drives me nuts, with a stay at home wife and he works from home they are always there. Houses right on top of houses are great if neighbors are not home. Anyhow, unlike noisy old neighbors of ten years ago when I first moved in. Kids wanted one of those monster trampelines, which I hate I gave in and put up this big thing this weeking.

  59. Brian says:

    I think they call those a “Pittsburg Potty”. Many of them are in the basement and were pretty much out in the open in the middle of the room. Seems wierd. There was one in the basement of my grandparents house in Cliffside Park. My grandfather was decent enough to put up some plywood and paint it so nobody could see you when you were doing your business in the basement.

    I think they exist in older homes because in working class neighborhoods, the husband would come home really dirty from his blue collar job, would enter the home through the bilco doors in the basement, get cleaned up showered, poop, washup etc., then head upstairs for dinner.

    I hated using that toilet at Christmas.

    58.Shore Guy says:
    May 29, 2012 at 10:54 am
    “a toilet next to the washing machine in the basement does not really qualify as a half bath.”

    It is NOT a toilet next to the washing machine, it is a spacious 1/2 bath, which includes a washing machine.

  60. Juice Box says:

    3B – Why are Westwood taxes so low? I was talking to a NJ state government workers at a barbecue this weekend about taxes. He complained about his 6k tax bill believe it or not. I didn’t think there was a town in Haughty BC with taxes that low. The folks from the land of the unicorns are paying double for the same privileges.

  61. Brian says:

    JJ even my neighbor’s wife with a stay at home wife is never actually home. She’s always carting the kids to camp, dance class, play dates, karate, etc. They never really cut the kids loose and let them play in the neighborhood.

    60.JJ says:
    May 29, 2012 at 11:01 am
    I actually in a strange way like that homes are more expensive than years ago. The two new neighbors, behind and too left are both young couples who work full time. One has an infant the other, quite honestly I have no clue what they look like. Funny as prior own blew house out and it is only 48 inches from my property line. Anyhow, unlike people who bought from 1940s to around 2001, none of the wives can afford to stay home.

  62. All Hype says:

    “The owners have decided to wait it out for when they can get “their” price.”

    In other words, their children will be selling the house via an estate sale after mom and dad have passed away.

  63. gary says:

    Facebook down another 5.25%. A couple of analysts place the stock at about $13.50 per share. The Ralph Kramden crowd really got hornswoggled on this one.

  64. Comrade Nom Deplume says:

    [43] seif,

    Trenton. Apologies to all if that wasn’t clear.

  65. Comrade Nom Deplume says:

    [64] gary

    You’re dating yourself. It’s the Bert and Ernie crowd.

  66. Mikeinwaiting says:

    Shore 54 I truly hope you get your bath, fat chance on either happening.

  67. Comrade Nom Deplume says:

    [45] 3b

    Are you still in the Brig? I should have you down (up?) for a beer sometime; I am going on market soon but still interested in renting it out.

  68. JJ says:

    My house is a living hell if my neighbors were home. I have four houses backyards touching my fence. Which is odd, luckily my neighbors have between 70 and 100 feet of yard and have no reason to sit next to my 6 foot six inch fence. Old fence used to be six foot tall, talk about a nightmare, had a noisy annoying big nasty German guy next door with a bad attitude, he was around six foot four. A six foot fence is useless with a six foot four guy next door. Sixfoot six is great. On top of that I have out of control privacy bushes, I say 30 feet tall. My wife knows all the stay at home moms, and most dont do day camp, they all do play-dates to keep kids busy, of course no kid wants to go to a house with nothing to do, so most have jungle gyms, trampolines and swimming pools all jammed into backyards that are less than 30×60. Now must have between 2-4 kids, playdate days are insane. I took one day off and OMG I found out why I would never own a gun. 10 kids in my yard, oldest kid is nine. Pool/Pizza play date with dog running around and pool pump going. High sound level. My old neighbor told me this is nothing. Back in 1960s he told me the entire row of houses all 60×100 plots had no fences and everyhouse had four kids and no camp. He had hundreds of kids screaming and yelling all summer in his backyard. Levitown was even worse, He said fences and working parents.
    Brian says:
    May 29, 2012 at 11:17 am

    JJ even my neighbor’s wife with a stay at home wife is never actually home. She’s always carting the kids to camp, dance class, play dates, karate, etc. They never really cut the kids loose and let them play in the neighborhood.

    60.JJ says:
    May 29, 2012 at 11:01 am
    I actually in a strange way like that homes are more expensive than years ago. The two new neighbors, behind and too left are both young couples who work full time. One has an infant the other, quite honestly I have no clue what they look like. Funny as prior own blew house out and it is only 48 inches from my property line. Anyhow, unlike people who bought from 1940s to around 2001, none of the wives can afford to stay home.

  69. Comrade Nom Deplume says:

    [68] juice,

    Is tipping the norm in Italy? Been so long I cannot remember. I do recall that it isn’t done in Australia, though they won’t turn down the money.

  70. The Original NJ Expat says:

    Anybody have an idea about where regular commuters to NYC endure the highest all-in dollar cost? Is it far-off (Poconos?) car commuters or far-off train commuters that really pay the highest expense to get in and out of the city? I’m talking about the under $250K/year Joes, not the guys in Sands Point and Pound Ridge taking limos to work.

  71. The Original NJ Expat says:

    ^^^ I’m just talking about transportation cost.

  72. Mikeinwaiting says:

    3b 59 So bottom line you going to have to make a move within 6 months or so, maybe hurry is in order as much as I hate to say it. Eh whatever our crystal balls are broken, we will either look like heroes or fools in ten years. The fact that we timed the last one right will mitigate any lose, hate to blow that move though.

  73. The Original NJ Expat says:

    [71] No tipping in Amsterdam, except maybe the red light district. I spent a week there one night.

  74. JJ says:

    And she serves fish and chips and pints of beers for a living. She truly is perfect.

    xmonger says:
    May 29, 2012 at 11:41 am

    Britain’s Most Natural Beauty

    http://www.reuters.com/video/2012/05/10/a-look-at-the-uks-most-beautiful-face?videoId=234790523

    JJ, your comments please.

  75. JJ says:

    Sands Point is on the Portwashington line of LIRR, they have a quick train ride to city and even off peak on weekends trains run every 30 minutes. Poundridge even a limo wont help you, traffic through the bridge and bronx is a nightmare.

    The Original NJ Expat says:
    May 29, 2012 at 11:40 am

    Anybody have an idea about where regular commuters to NYC endure the highest all-in dollar cost? Is it far-off (Poconos?) car commuters or far-off train commuters that really pay the highest expense to get in and out of the city? I’m talking about the under $250K/year Joes, not the guys in Sands Point and Pound Ridge taking limos to work.

  76. Mikeinwaiting says:

    Expat “I spent a week there one night.” sorry I missed it.

  77. gary says:

    Nom [66],

    It’s the Olive Garden crowd, actually.

  78. Juice Box says:

    re # 71 – Nom – In most parts of Italy no except for the tourist traps, however if you are a celeb and word gets around that you are cheap then you are going to have issues because of it.Last thing you need is some waiter messing with your food or a cab driver dropping you off in the middle of nowhere.

  79. Mike says:

    Gary 64 FB down in the sewer with Norton

  80. chicagofinance says:

    I wanted to post something in response to the Toll Brothers Hobokeb condo-hype article article from Friday. For some reason the site was rejecting me out….here is actually something else, but in the same vein….reposted from 3 weeks ago.

    “Another big draw: Google’s 2010 purchase of a former freight warehouse in Chelsea. The company’s move signaled the tech world was taking New York seriously and has acted as a magnet, pulling other digital companies to the city.”

    chicagofinance says:
    May 10, 2012 at 7:01 pm
    Bear this one in mind folks….sorry to get all pretorious on you….good for any neighborhood served by the PATH trains…..

    WSJ
    NY REGION

    Tech Boom Sets Pace

    Study Shows Start-Ups Making Their Mark With Boost in Jobs Across City.
    By JENNIFER MALONEY

    New York has the nation’s fastest-growing tech sector and has surpassed Boston as the No. 2 hub, behind Silicon Valley, for Internet and mobile technologies, according to a report released Wednesday by the Center for an Urban Future.

    The study, funded by the Association for a Better New York and AT&T New York, compiled data on 486 digital start-ups formed in New York between 2007 and 2011 that received angel, venture-capital or other outside funding.

    “New York for a long time has badly needed to diversify its economy to rely less on Wall Street,” said Jonathan Bowles, executive director of the Center for Urban Future and co-author of the report. “Tech is providing such a boost for New York…It’s attracting capital from outside the city. It’s luring incredibly smart people to New York that otherwise would have stayed in Silicon Valley or Boston.”

    Of the seven leading technology centers in the U.S., New York was the only one to see an increase in venture-capital deals, which are predominantly, though not exclusively, with tech companies, according to the analysis. Nationally, there was an 11% decline in venture-capital deals.

    In the last five years, information-technology jobs in the city have increased by 29% to 52,900 from 41,100, according to the center’s analysis.

    The report gives substance to what tech-sector observers say they have been seeing over the past few years: an explosion of tech start-ups in Manhattan neighborhoods such as the Flatiron District, Hudson Square and SoHo, and more recently in Dumbo in Brooklyn.

    “When I walk around Dumbo, you see a lot of web designers and engineers talking about building websites,” said Chad Dickerson, CEO of Etsy, which was founded in Brooklyn in 2005. “It definitely has the feel of a burgeoning tech sector.”

    Mr. Dickerson said he moved to New York in 2008 after working for a decade in Silicon Valley.

    His career path mirrors a shift of more than a dozen established tech start-ups, which have moved to New York in recent years from the San Francisco Bay area, Boston and other places, according to the report.

    New York is drawing tech companies in part because much of the innovation happening now is connected to industries that are centered in New York: advertising, fashion, financial services and media.

    “The technology world needs expertise that it hasn’t needed in the past,” said Seth Pinsky, president of the New York City Economic Development Corp.

    Another big draw: Google’s 2010 purchase of a former freight warehouse in Chelsea. The company’s move signaled the tech world was taking New York seriously and has acted as a magnet, pulling other digital companies to the city.

    The 10 New York tech start-ups that received more than $50 million in funding between 2007 and 2011 include Gilt Groupe, an online designer fashion sales company; ZocDoc, a platform for finding and booking appointments with doctors; Tumblr; and Foursquare.

    The city’s support services also have grown to accommodate start-ups.

    The city now has more than a dozen incubators and co-working spaces, up from just a few in 2009.

    Still, challenges remain for the future growth of the sector. Tech companies have cited a lack of engineers and the need for better broadband infrastructure, said Bill Rudin, chairman of the Association for a Better New York.

    The planned Cornell University-Technion Applied Sciences Campus, coming to Roosevelt Island, should help, he said.

    Mr. Pinsky said the city is working on improving broadband infrastructure and creating even more incubator space for start-ups.

    The demand for real estate in downtown neighborhoods by tech companies and others attracted by the “cool factor” of start-ups has led to plummeting vacancy rates in SoHo, Herald Square, the Flatiron District and Chelsea, said Ken Fishel, president of president of Legacy Real Estate, a commercial real estate company.

    “It’s a tectonic shift in which the center of Manhattan has, from a commercial standpoint, moved south and west,” he said.

  81. chicagofinance says:

    FB sub-30

  82. JJ says:

    Facebook Shares Fall Below $30 to New Low and it is also a New Low in Scumbag IPOs.

    Zuckenberg and Madoff I guarantee you are cousins/

  83. Brian says:

    Thanks, that was interesting. I found another article in the times that had a similar theme published on the 27th….

    For Tech Start-Ups, New York Has Increasing Allure
    http://www.nytimes.com/2012/05/28/technology/for-tech-startups-new-york-has-increasing-allure.html?pagewanted=all

    84.chicagofinance says:
    May 29, 2012 at 12:05 pm
    I wanted to post something in response to the Toll Brothers Hobokeb condo-hype article article from Friday. For some reason the site was rejecting me out….here is actually something else, but in the same vein….reposted from 3 weeks ago.

  84. JJ says:

    Someone last week told me in Hunterdoom the average family makes 150K and since they bought years ago and have no mortgage the high RE taxes drives out the riff raft and they can afford taxes and house.

    Wait a minute. A married man making with kids making 150K can afford a hunterdooom house mortgage free? How

    First a 50 year old middle aged man with a stay at home wife has these deductions.
    $22,500 401k
    $5,000 Flex spending (braces and stuff)
    $10,000 529.

    So now at $112,500

    Then lets add in payroll taxes, SS, Disability, income tax etc.
    $35,000

    Now add in Family Medical plan, around $6,000

    Now we are at, $71,600

    Auto, home, life insurance, $6,000
    $65,500

    Food for family, around $12,000 a year

    $53,000
    Commute to City
    $6,000

    Now we are at $47,000

    Taxes on house $21,000

    Now we are at $26,000 income.

    Not yet at cars, lawnservice, repairs, sports, dance classes, vacations, and fact the 10K in 529 aint going to pay for four kids college.

    And this is without a mortgage, how the heck can a family buy a house in Hunterdoom on 150K income.

  85. gary says:

    New York is drawing tech companies in part because much of the innovation happening now is connected to industries that are centered in New York: advertising, fashion, financial services and media.

    Just arranged an interview with a software firm. I need to create a Power Point presentation on a subject of choice for management, take a technical test, then an interview. That’s 3 different sessions for those counting. It’s been the most competitve and rigorous job market in my adult life. Advice to all of you: be prepared to do anything short of “favors” in order to land a job worth any salt these days.

  86. Shore Guy says:

    John,

    Food alone will eat up much of the rest

  87. gary says:

    And to all of you on this site, you have absolutely raised my IQ level at least 10 points in the last few years. I swear to G0d! :)

  88. JJ says:

    The housing market is improving dramatically in sync with the record affordability that has come about with super-low mortgage rates. The value proposition is stunning. You can buy a house with a 3.8%, 30-year mortgage. Take away 2 percentage points for inflation, then cut the result in half due to the federal tax advantage and you’re paying less than 1% per annum for 30-year money.

  89. gary says:

    JJ [91],

    Two words: property taxes

  90. The Original NJ Expat says:

    [88] gary – Do you just submit the PP, or do you actually have the opportunity to present?

    a Power Point presentation on a subject of choice for management

  91. Fabius Maximus says:

    #19 gary

    I don’t see it. Where the rubber meets the road in the budget, CC pulled his 3billion contribution to the pension. Taking that away he is running at the same spending level as Corzine. The only real cuts have been at the federal aid level.

  92. WickedOrange says:

    RE: 88

    I can vouch for that. I work at a digital ad agency in NY. When I started in March 2000 (bubble peak), the company was one office and 80 people. Now the company is over 1,100 (800 in NYC) people and a bunch of offices around the world. Two rounds of layoffs in 2002 and 2008 on the way to 1,100.

  93. Dissident HEHEHE says:

    JJ how was D’jais this weekend?

  94. JJ says:

    Growing up lots of LI dentists and doctors who bought rental properties loved to buy in Little Neck/Bayside area, why Property Taxes. The NYC income tax results in lower property taxes in Queens. Since Landlord pays RE taxes and lives in Nassau County he gets benefit of lower property tax without income tax.

    To this day people still do this. Rental properties on Long Island are bunched in Levitown or Island Park, towns with small easy to maintain homes, no zoning or landlord restrictions and low property taxes. We talk about low rates bringing out investors, well it only works if home is easy to maintain and have low taxes. From an investment perspective a large older home in a town with high property taxes is a money pitt. A tidy small cap in good condition with under 5k taxes is rentable, a big white elephant with 27K in taxes in not an investment it is a sinkhole to throw cash into.

    gary says:
    May 29, 2012 at 1:32 pm

    JJ [91],

    Two words: property taxes

  95. gary says:

    Expat [93],

    I have the “wonderful” opportunity to present it. Remember, this is a technical position. :) I guess you gotta do whatcha gotta do.

  96. Dissident HEHEHE says:
  97. JJ says:

    I wish, when I retire I will buy the D’jais or Bordy Barn and spend my last summers on earth getting my knob polished twice daily.

    Dissident HEHEHE says:
    May 29, 2012 at 1:38 pm

    JJ how was D’jais this weekend?

  98. 3b says:

    #91 JJ And one day last week you said housing was still a lousy investment. Which is it? Someone has to keep you honest! I await the backpedal.

  99. 3b says:

    #74 mike: It looks that way, although after he calls and tells me I have to leave he may than give me another 3 months or so, who knows.

    I don’t even have a lease, just a handshake. And if I wanted to be difficult(which I don’t), I could drag it out; NJ laws are very friendly to renters. It’s time to go at this point whatever happens.

    However, I still believe prices will continue to fall, I won’t change my tune, once I become a so called homeowner.

  100. 3b says:

    #61 Juice: I am not sure why Westwood taxes are low. There is a regional school system with Washington Township, whuch may help. although as you know that arrangement is a disaster from Oradell’s perspective with RIver Dell.

    There is what appears to be a fairly thriving down town, which probably helps, but there is no big office/industrial complexes that I am aware of. But a lot of Doctor’s/Specialists offices around from the old Pascack Hosp days, which by the way I understand will be reopening. Westwood also has a lot of rental apartments which I guess have not impacted the school system yet like it has in River Edge. Washington Township also has low taxes but they have Seasons, which I imagine picks up a nice chunk.

    Perhaps 30 Year and Jill can give more color.6k a year is cheap!!!!

  101. 3b says:

    #69 Comrade: I Am in the land of Unicorns, which along with coming up with the name Brigadoon AKA the Brig is my only claim to fame on this blog.

  102. gary says:

    Facebook down 10%. I wonder how much “wealth” has been evaporated today alone with this scam?

  103. The Original NJ Expat says:

    [98] Excellent. Think about how you differentiate yourself from the competition. If a PP is required, everyone will have one. Some will be slick, some won’t, doesn’t matter a bit. Everybody in the business world has yawned their way through a zillion slick PP presentations so what your potential bosses are likely looking for is what’s not in the PP, but how you carry yourself. What does matter is how you open and how you close. I’ve had the luxury of being sent to $20K/head sales trainings, even while occupying Tech management positions. You really do learn some good stuff there. If I was doing the presentation, I might even skip the PP altogether and use just a whiteboard or an easel, I would really stand out from the crowd that way. I took a week long training in learning just that, how to present without PP when everyone in the room expects you’ll be showing one. No matter what you do, I’ll offer up a great open, it was taught to me as a “grabber”, where you grab the room’s interest before your presentation even begins, but in a relevant way. It works like this: after you know what your presenting on and have maybe completed the work on your PP, find a relevant and recent newspaper, magazine article, etc. with a big bold headline referencing the same subject. You start off by standing up in front of the room and tell them, “I was working on this presentation on _______ and look what I just happened to read today in the WSJ”. At this point you turn the paper or magazine, which you had held facing yourself as if you were reading it, around and show the room the relevant headline and recite it. Then mention just one short quote from the article, you can even turn it back around and read it out loud (“..it says here..”), say how that’s such a coincidence because you found the same thing (or opposite, doesn’t matter) and ask them to keep that in mind as you go through your presentation, then go right into your presentation. This is a very simple and effective open and it works 100% of the time to grab the attention of the whole room.

    I have the “wonderful” opportunity to present it.

  104. JJ says:

    Actually I was quoting someone. Nearly all housing is a lousy investment. People who buy investment properties always fail to mention the following:
    Cost to buy and dispose of asset
    Insurance Costs
    Property Tax costs.
    Mortgage Financing Costs
    Maintenance and Upkeep
    Amount of time you spend buying, managing and selling property.
    Extra tax to hire a tax professional
    Possible cap gains on sale.
    Opportunity Costs, surely money would have been invested elsewhere.

    Instead they say I bought a home for 200K and and sold it for 400K hence doubling my money.

    But let go back ten years ago to 2002 and say your choice was to take 100k and buy an investment property to hold for ten years or just buy a ten year treasury.

    A ten year 100K treasury was yielding 5%. Risk Free Rate. Without even re-investing interest you would have earned $50K

    20% down on a 500K house with an average mortgage rate of 5% and 10K property tax you would have spent 50K property tax and around $120K in mortgage interest. Housing prices are same at 2002 so you are out 170K which is very impressive, you managed to lose 170K on a 100K investment.

    Granted you would have rented it and go some tax breaks. But still lots of stress. And I am not counting buying and selling costs. The ten year treasury would be free to buy at treasury direct and held to maturity no cost to sell.

    Housing is only a good buy depending on purchase price. Safe to say 1986-1988 and 2002 to 2011 a ten year treasury beat housing. Even a housing bull has to realize sometimes stocks, bonds or commodities or plain cash makes more sense. No one investment is always the right investment. I would say the following.

    1992 Stock
    1993 Stock
    1994 Stock
    1995 Stock
    1996 House (inflation adjusted low for housing in 1990s)
    1997 House
    1998 House
    1999 House
    2000 Treasury/Commodity
    2001 Treasury/Commodity
    2002 Commodity
    2003 Stock
    2004 Treasury
    2005 Treasury
    2006 Treasury
    2007 Treasury
    2008 Treasury
    2009 Junk
    2010 Housing?
    2011 Muni
    2012 Housing

    Housing can and could be a great investment. It is a lot of timing. For instance in the panic of Whitney on 60 minutes briefly long term investment grade munis hit 7%. No way can housing ever return tax free 7% a year. Heck back in 2009 Citigroup/AIG A rated bonds are at 16% once again no house is going to return 16% a year for 30 years.
    Back in 2000 thirty year treasuries are at 7%, or gold at $262 in 2002.

    Housing has had plenty of bad years. By my account since 1992, as a long term investment homes made sense 5 or 6 times out of last 20 years.

    3b says:
    May 29, 2012 at 1:58 pm

    #91 JJ And one day last week you said housing was still a lousy investment. Which is it? Someone has to keep you honest! I await the backpedal.

  105. JJ says:

    No wealth has evaporated. Bono and Mark Zuckenberg has it. It just changed hands.

    gary says:
    May 29, 2012 at 2:22 pm

    Facebook down 10%. I wonder how much “wealth” has been evaporated today alone with this scam?

  106. Happy Renter says:

    [64] “Facebook down another 5.25%. A couple of analysts place the stock at about $13.50 per share. The Ralph Kramden crowd really got hornswoggled on this one.”

    FBInvestor101 should be along any moment now, telling up that he is not going to give his damn Facebook shares away because of some damn stock market “terrists” . . . he has “ekwity” in that Facebook stock that buyers will need to pry from his cold, dead hands . . . they aren’t making any more Facebooks . . . buy my Facebook now or be priced out forever . . .

  107. grim says:

    87 – So how do they afford to rent in Hunterdon county? Rent will far outstrip what they pay in taxes.

    $26k in taxes puts you squarely above the $1m mark, maybe closer to $2m. These properties would probably rent for well above $60,000 a year.

  108. gary says:

    Expat [106],

    Thank you for the advice! It must be a 20 minute PP presentation on my subject of choice. Since I worked on opening my pool all weekend, that’s the first topic that came to mind. lol! I don’t know what topic I’ll choose yet but my personality always shines in interviews regardless.

  109. JJ says:

    Facebook down almost 8%, lots of people made fortunes today. Options trading started today and out of the money puts went into the money quickly. Anyone still in facebook stock should have sold already or hedged at open today.

    Naked longs in a highly risky stock with lots of potential downside is well going to get you caught naked.

    I like Facebook to be honest. I would say if you like it wait till it hits like 25 and then buy a long dated out of the money call on it for like $500 bucks and be prepared to lose whole $500 bucks or make some really good cash. Smarter than buying the dog.

  110. Brian says:

    If you were in Rome on your honeymoon, where would you take your new wife? To the most romantic place in all of Europe. McDonalds of course.

    Zuck’s McHoneymoon
    http://www.nypost.com/p/news/international/zuck_mchoneymoon_rAxESj7LdVj3mHcXFRErcN

  111. Juice Box says:

    re #113 – Brian – all of the restaurants around the Spanish Steps are tourist traps, somewhere around 10 bucks for a cup of coffee and they expect tips and you cannot sit for too long they will take away your cutlery before you know it to make room for another tourist. I believe Zuck must be doing the Fodor’s Guide trip or something like it to Rome. I wonder if he did one of those flop house family run roach coaches as well…

  112. gary says:

    Mark Zuckerberg and bride Priscilla Chan enjoyed a romantic repast on their honeymoon — McDonald’s to go in Rome.

    Ah, yes… the millenials. The no anger, no edge, no ego, ho-hum, Peter Pan crowd. How invigorating (yawn…). Do you think they’ll consume some wine and try to bang each other’s brains out or would they rather listen to Justin Beaver and take a nap?

  113. BklynHawk says:

    #88 Gary, did they give you topics or is it wide open and you can choose?

  114. gary says:

    BklynHawk [117],

    It’s wide open. Maybe I can give a presentation on how to prepare for impending doom? Here’s my opening line: “Three words my friends: guns, gold and ammo!” lol!

  115. Anon E. Moose says:

    It is already nearly impossible to save Greek membership in the euro area: depositors flee banks, taxpayers delay tax payments, and companies postpone paying their suppliers – either because they can’t pay or because they expect soon to be able to pay in cheap drachma.

    http://www.huffingtonpost.com/mobileweb/simon-johnson/euro-collapse_b_1549444.html

  116. Anon E. Moose says:

    Con’t [119];

    File under: piling on.

  117. njescapee says:

    High Tech Worker Shortage: Has Anything Changed?
    http://www.cnbc.com/id/46902840

  118. The Original NJ Expat says:

    Everybody check out my I love Facebook page on Google Plus!

  119. Bystander says:

    Gary,

    I think you should give the presentation in blackface. That would grab some attention. Seriously, to keep from getting depressed about the job situation I fantasize about being wealthy and not caring about landing the gig. Man, the fun you could have. If I struck it rich I would become a professional interviewee. And if I really did not like the person or co. then I would try to get hired and have some real fun.

  120. Juice Box says:

    Here is a little interesting survey on Greece.

    The U.S.-based polling and research firm Pew Research Center has done an interesting survey of European public opinion, in light of their ongoing fiscal and political struggles. The survey results track how the European countries feel about their fellow Europeans, and also how they view themselves. Some of the results aren’t surprising — everyone in Europe, including the Italians, agree that Italy is totally corrupt. But a point that might lead to some interesting, if awkward, chit-chat at European diplomatic functions is that every country in Europe, except one, agrees that the Germans are the hardest working people in Europe.

    The lone exception are the Greeks. They think the Greeks are the hardest working people in Europe.

    That will lead to many chuckles, or perhaps some colourfully phrased rebuttals. Greece has been held up as an example of the ultimate lazy, entitled nanny state since the crisis began. We’ve heard again and again about generous, and astonishingly early, retirement packages being treated as a right — because Greece treats them like a right. None of that exactly screams “hard work.” But according to a survey published last year, there is some support for the notion of the hard-working Greek.

    In 2011, the global management company McKinsey & Company surveyed the Greek economy. It reiterated the many ways in which Greece is an economic basket case — enormous debt, an unsustainable degree of public-sector involvement in the economy, corruption and chronic tax evasion to name but a few. But it also surveyed the Greek workforce, and found that in comparison to its European peers, relatively few Greeks work. In Europe, 73% of the workforce works. In southern Europe, it’s still a relatively healthy 70%. In Greece, it’s only two-thirds — 66%. (Canada measures the labour market somewhat different than did this survey, but our figure would be in the high sixties or low seventies, once retirees 65 and older are removed from the calculation — generally in line with the European average. The U.S. hovers around the same level as Greece — or worse — due to continuing economic weakness).

    The McKinsey study concluded that a fewer number of Greeks are working longer hours to prop up those who don’t work. That doesn’t necessarily mean they’re working in productive jobs — as said above, Greece has an enormous public sector — but it still needs someone to keep the lights on and water flowing. Those Greeks who don’t work — the study found that primarily meant the young and women — are being kept in relative comfort thanks to the labour of those Greeks that do work (plus boat loads of borrowed cash). Or, in the words of the report, “A relatively smaller percentage of Greeks works longer than their European peers to support a generally unproductive economic system.”

    It’s an interesting finding, and one that neatly explains the apparent contradiction. Greeks do work hard, at least those who work. But they generally don’t work in productive jobs, which is why even their sweat and tears isn’t enough to help the Greek economy. This prevents Greece from truly recovering economically, leading to the collapse of the welfare programs that allowed a relatively few number of workers to support the rest.

    It’s clearly not sustainable, and might help explain another trend currently being observed in Greece: The young, hard-working Greeks are getting the hell out of dodge. As a member of the European Union, Greeks can live and work in Europe freely, and roughly half-a-million have chosen to get out (though tens of thousands have chosen farther destinations in North America and Australia, fearful that Greece’s problems will bring down the EU altogether). The trend is accelerating, which will only further compound Greece’s problems.

    But it’s not because they’re all lazy. Maybe some of them are. But others are working hard — producing little, but working hard. Perhaps the Pew poll, by some coincidence, only polled these people or their families. It would explain a lot.

    http://fullcomment.nationalpost.com/2012/05/29/matt-gurney-greeks-work-really-hard-say-greeks-and-some-do/

  121. The Original NJ Expat says:

    [118] gary – remember to ask if there are any questions at the end of your pres.

  122. The Original NJ Expat says:

    [124] Juice, working on the Railroad, Greek style. The biggest money loser in Greece is the State operated Railways. The highest salaries? You guessed it, the Railways:

    “The transport perks are not confined to the customers. Incredibly, the average salary on Greece’s railways is £60,000, which includes cleaners and track workers – treble the earnings of the average private sector employee here.

    The overground rail network is as big a racket as the EU-funded underground. While its annual income is only £80 million from ticket sales, the wage bill is more than £500m a year — prompting one Greek politician to famously remark that it would be cheaper to put all the commuters into private taxis.

    ‘We have a railroad company which is bankrupt beyond comprehension,’ says Stefans Manos, a former Greek finance minister. ‘And yet, there isn’t a single private company in Greece with that kind of average pay.’”

    http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-2007949/The-Big-Fat-Greek-Gravy-Train-A-special-investigation-EU-funded-culture-greed-tax-evasion-scandalous-waste.html

  123. JJ says:

    Whats up with RIM, Research in Motion, they halted trading, some big announcement, are they going BK or getting bought?

  124. The Original NJ Expat says:

    Also from the dailymail article:

    “Ridiculously, Greek pastry chefs, radio announcers, hairdressers and masseurs in steam baths are among more than 600 professions allowed to retire at 50 (with a state pension of 95 per cent of their last working year’s earnings) — on account of the ‘arduous and perilous’ nature of their work.”

  125. Shadow of Tony Soprano says:

    Yo, Gary,

    No sweat. For your PP presentation I suggest that you find out who will be in the room and you find out where they live, where their kid’s go to school, the cars they drive, etc. Your powerpoint presentation would be: Why it is not a good idea to reject a guy who knows all this about you and your family and who is one rejection short of going over the edge — a no-dhow job works also.”

    I admit that the title is a bit long but it also has a certain impact. Bada, bing!

  126. Shadow of Tony Soprano says:

    no-show job

  127. JJ says:

    Just hack into his on-star, home alarm and company badge card reader and lock him out of all three till he gives you a job.

    Shadow of Tony Soprano says:
    May 29, 2012 at 4:21 pm

    Yo, Gary,

    No sweat. For your PP presentation I suggest that you find out who will be in the room and you find out where they live, where their kid’s go to school, the cars they drive, etc. Your powerpoint presentation would be: Why it is not a good idea to reject a guy who knows all this about you and your family and who is one rejection short of going over the edge — a no-dhow job works also.”

    I admit that the title is a bit long but it also has a certain impact. Bada, bing!

  128. Comrade Nom Deplume says:

    [72] expat,

    cannot say, but I was amused to see a park n ride in Allentown that had a regular stream of intercity buses stop there, with “New York” on the banner sign. Saw some nice cars leaving the lot. And I did meet some people living in the area who could clearly afford to live elsewhere, but chose there. Why, I don’t know.

  129. Jill says:

    3b #103: Westwood’s downtown, medical, and legal offices pick up a decent chunk of the taxes, but it also depends on what kind of house you have and where. There are little capes on areas like Ward and Taco Avenues…David Hooper Place…that are probably around $6K…but the Bogert’s Mill area can be $$$. WT has relatively low taxes because we have no services. Mine were $8400 for a POS 4/2 cape on 75 x 100 lot on a a dead end street until I appealed, now they are $6900.

    We pay private haulers for trash collection which depending on who you use (we have a choice of 2) is ~$200-$400/year, plus the cost of bags, which are 10/$5 at the A&P because both haulers make you buy “their” bags. Recycling is 2x/month. Leaf pickup is 2x/season in a town with many old growth oak trees. Snow cleanup is somewhat better, but not much.

    We have a half-empty strip mall owned by a woman in Florida who doesn’t give a rat’s @ss about it. We have an intersection that’s impassable at rush hour and the local governance has just granted a variance for a tumbledown gas station to be torn down and replaced with a convenience store and six pumps. The guy who owns Seasons also now owns Bacari grill and has bought up more distressed properties, which he will let become decrepit so the town will let him build more commercial properties. Local governance is a joke.

    What we do have is a dive/biker bar with GREAT burgers in the Doghouse Saloon, and an honest mechanic at the Getty station on Washington Ave.

  130. freedy says:

    Jill I think you forgot all the illegals living in the apartments upstairs from the stores .
    Watch for the strollers going up and down the streets.

  131. Brian says:

    Sounds like heaven

    What we do have is a dive/biker bar with GREAT burgers in the Doghouse Saloon, and an honest mechanic at the Getty station on Washington Ave

  132. Brian says:

    Incredible what happened to that company. They actually make decent phones now but if youre not first to market with mobile devices, it looks pathetic when you’re playing catchup. It wasn’t so long ago that they were on top of the world. How the mighty have fallen.

    Apple should learn from it. It could easily happen to them without Steve Jobs. If a few other competitors come out with cutting edge products that take the focus off of them, they could easily lose momentum. Without new products, there’s nowhere to go but down.

  133. Brian says:

    138 was in reference to RIM

  134. grim says:

    I traded my iPhone for an Samsung Android phone.

    Giggled gleefully the first time I was able to download a stack of PDF attachments to my phone, review them, and send out another email with all those same attachments.

    Damn near impossible on an iPhone. I completely understand the importance of a good UI, but there is a difference between simplicity and handcuffs.

    That said, I have absolutely no idea why my notifications/alerts show me my new emails twice, through in what looks like two different, but very similar, email interfaces.

  135. 3B says:

    Freedy I assume you are talking about westwood.

  136. 3B says:

    Jill wow!!! You sound like me in the land of unicorns. I also learned some things like the 200 to 400 for garbage collection plus bags. But still the taxes are attractively low. If the services are lacking in your opinion where is the tax money beinf spent?

  137. Jill says:

    3b #141: Crony jobs and recreation facilities. Aside from James Kourgelis, owner of Seasons and Bacari Grill, the recreation cabal runs the town. Right now they are talking about spending 3 million dollars on artificial turf for Memorial Field. Check out some of the comment threads on the Westwood-Washington Patch:

    http://westwood-washington.patch.com/articles/poll-should-memorial-field-have-artificial-turf

    http://westwood-washington.patch.com/articles/letter-to-the-editor-support-turf-at-memorial-field

    Where the rest of the money goes, I have no idea. Township government is notoriously secretive. It’s been a crony government for thirty years.

  138. cobbler says:

    The question is what portion of $6K is the municipal tax (it will be shocking if the school tax alone is less than $3.5-4K, plus there are county charges). $400 a year max for garbage is pretty decent, actually – I quit Waste Management when the charges went to $750/year, my new hauler is $320.

  139. juice (68)-

    I’d rather marry a Waffle House steak than that miskeit.

  140. plume (69)-

    Rent your house to me. I’m a credit risk and a problem drinker.

  141. gary (90)-

    I’m looking for some reassurance here. Please tell me I’ve had a counterbalancing effect.

    “And to all of you on this site, you have absolutely raised my IQ level at least 10 points in the last few years. I swear to G0d! :)”

  142. gary (111)-

    Damn. My personality just gets me placed on watchlists.

    “I don’t know what topic I’ll choose yet but my personality always shines in interviews regardless.”

  143. Brian (113)-

    Maybe Zuck was hoping wifey would fall face-first into a piping hot fryolator.

  144. The Original NJ ExPat says:

    [133] Nom- Lagarde, double-priceless! The rich have a lock on the future and they are a relative minority. We, the smart, and relatively well off (Ok, that might not go over too well as a preamble) should organize and rise up! Check that, we need minions;-)

  145. gary (118)-

    When I opened a listing appointment with these words, I immediately knew it was time to get out of the RE biz.

    ‘Here’s my opening line: “Three words my friends: guns, gold and ammo!”’

  146. The Original NJ ExPat says:

    [136] Brian – Ever frequent the County Seat? My in-laws go there every Saturday for lunch. It’s on their rotation from Blairstown. They rarely go out for dinner, but they go out for lunch every day, and their Saturday stop is always the County Seat in Newton. They actually added the side parking spots to accommodate them because they’re such good customers.

  147. expat (151)-

    You are scaring the crap out of me now.

  148. Can it accommodate a full stagecoach and four-horse team?

    “They rarely go out for dinner, but they go out for lunch every day, and their Saturday stop is always the County Seat in Newton. They actually added the side parking spots to accommodate them because they’re such good customers.”

  149. The Original NJ ExPat says:

    [139] grim – I’ve been kind of, on purpose, out of the smart phone market for years. Starting in ’98 I had company paid phones, starting in ’06 I had company paid smart phones. “Docs to Go” and “Good Software” was hugely impressive in ’06-’07 on Palm Treos. Excel and Word docs were super easy to download, edit, and resend out. In mid ’07 we switched to Blackberries and the Exchange integration was close, but not as good and we lost the ability to download, edit, and resend spreadsheets and word docs. The last few years I’ve been paying for my own plan (gasp!) and I’ve been using the BB as a PDA, blocking all texts, and don’t have a data plan. Believe it or not, I think my life has improved as a result. I am thinking of jumping back into the fray with the iPhone 5, but I’ve grown accustomed to being non-interuptible and having multi-day battery life, so I don’t know. In the early, early, days our on-call alerts came in as texts and we had to respond with a special text code to acknowledge to the mothership computer that a human was handling the case, within 10 minutes, circa ’96. For that reason and that reason alone, I’ll never do texting again. I’m damaged.

    Giggled gleefully the first time I was able to download a stack of PDF attachments to my phone, review them, and send out another email with all those same attachments.

  150. The Original NJ ExPat says:

    correction, responding to the mother ship was 2006, not 1996. It really sucked though. If you didn’t respond with the proper text your “secondary” on call got woken up. He said F* you and ignored the text and you got it again 10 minutes later. I forget, but after a few ping-pongs between the primary and secondary on-calls, the wake-up went to our boss. I’m still friends with a lot of people on my team, each of us having on-call duty one weekday night a week and every 5th weekend. I don’t think any of them text to this day. We’re all damaged.

  151. The Original NJ ExPat says:

    ^^^^BTW, don’t play that game anymore. We all worked from home, which was kind of cool. We all got 4 weeks vacation, which was also cool. After your first year you and your SO got taken on a one week cruise every year which didn’t count against your vacation, also cool. Still was not an easy job, but it worked for me after staying home for 4+ years. I got to still stay home while getting paid pretty good.

  152. The Original NJ ExPat says:

    [152] Meat, why are you scared? They only come down to Hunterdon every now and then to have lunch with my parents;-)

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