[CTartist]

It's amazing there are over 500 pages in this thread and every time I take a look at it there always seems to be bad news about our state. This thread is making me depressed about our state. I wanted to quantify how bad things are by the numbers. Guess what I found.

As of 2015 CT has the highest per capita income of any state at $66,972 . Not too shabby for a state that is often mentioned on the news as having the worst governor and worst economic climate for business.

How do we explain this?**

Per Capita Personal Income by State
NOTE: Per capita personal income was computed using midyear population estimates of the Bureau of the Census.

**I am going to take a guess at this. I think mid range manufacturing jobs and middle class jobs might be leaving. I know many middle class people who have left CT. The people that left are very rich or poor. The wealthy (finance and Wall Street money) in Fairfield County are bringing the income average up. What say my fellow posters to this theory?

[BicoastalAnn]

Originally Posted by East of the River

Average Walmart wage is 10/hr average manufacturing (non engineer non management) salary is 17/hr. They really aren't the same jobs. Also Walmart tends to keep people with low enough weekly hours to avoid paying benefits most manufacturing jobs have some benefits and full time hours. Their really not the same.

I'm sure there are different levels of manufacturing jobs but I was thinking of the Amazon warehouse type ones (pays $11-13 in CT). It's a little higher than Wal-Mart but my point was simply that low-paying jobs are still jobs in this economy, so Wal-Mart is adding value to whichever community it's in.

If Wal-Mart's wages are severely under-market for their industry then over time they'll have trouble hiring and will feel the pressure from the market to up it. But until then, I find it hard to blame them for the fact that these types of low-skill jobs have a low going rate in the industry. If a person with a family is doing the same job the average high schooler can do (and I worked retail in HS), I'm not sure how a company can justify paying them more just because they have more personal obligations. They need to get the heck out of that job and move up - whether the minimum wage does or not.

[Sigequinox]

Originally Posted by BicoastalAnn

I'm sure there are different levels of manufacturing jobs but I was thinking of the Amazon warehouse type ones (pays $11-13 in CT). It's a little higher than Wal-Mart but my point was simply that low-paying jobs are still jobs in this economy, so Wal-Mart is adding value to whichever community it's in.

If Wal-Mart's wages are severely under-market for their industry then over time they'll have trouble hiring and will feel the pressure from the market to up it. But until then, I find it hard to blame them for the fact that these types of low-skill jobs have a low going rate in the industry. If a person with a family is doing the same job the average high schooler can do (and I worked retail in HS), I'm not sure how a company can justify paying them more just because they have more personal obligations. They need to get the heck out of that job and move up - whether the minimum wage does or not.

Agree 100% on "jobs are jobs". We need jobs that less skilled labor can work as well, balance = healthy economy where People of ALL levels of experience and skill can find employment. In fact, generating many of these type of jobs to urbanized and impoverished areas is a trump strategy to increase quality of life for minorities (who statistically have higher distribution in urban centers) and other folks in poverty (rural America). But somehow empowering people through employment is racist and doling out free money is the sustainable "equal" not racist or financially discriminatory thing to do (barf).

Anyway, CTs problem is that it's proportion of high paying stem jobs needs to more accurately reflect its COL and its political chest pounding about being " between NY and Boston" because that doesn't mean squat if leaders can't translate into prosperity for residents. FFC does well with its NY proximity, but from what I've been reading lately the Robin Hood leaders of our backwards state want to redistribute (not emulate) that success- a dumb idea indeed. Like a fitness conscious person balancing their diet and "macros", states need to balance their economic diversity. Maintaining stem jobs is like protein in the diet, building stronger, healthier markets and contributing in a net positive way to support the rest of the [complex] system.

[JayCT]

Originally Posted by CTartist

It's amazing there are over 500 pages in this thread and every time I take a look at it there always seems to be bad news about our state. This thread is making me depressed about our state. I wanted to quantify how bad things are by the numbers. Guess what I found.

As of 2015 CT has the highest per capita income of any state at $66,972 . Not too shabby for a state that is often mentioned on the news as having the worst governor and worst economic climate for business.

How do we explain this?**

Per Capita Personal Income by State
NOTE: Per capita personal income was computed using midyear population estimates of the Bureau of the Census.

**I am going to take a guess at this. I think mid range manufacturing jobs and middle class jobs might be leaving. I know many middle class people who have left CT. The people that left are very rich or poor. The wealthy (finance and Wall Street money) in Fairfield County are bringing the income average up. What say my fellow posters to this theory?

As I said before, the media likes to report only the negative and rarely reports anything positive. Who cares if Company XYZ is adding 100 new employees to their staff when Company 123 is laying off 50. The layoffs are bigger news to them.

I have also before questioned the media's handling of Connecticut and their seemingly enjoyment to tear down our state. A friend who works for a major New York news company told me that he has sat in on Editorial meetings where writers and Editors seemed to delight in reporting negative news items on our state because of its affluence. It was their way of bringing Connecticut "down a notch". The media tends to do that with anything or anyone who appears to be well off or successful.

There is no doubt that Connecticut is not doing as well as could or should economically. We have issues that need to be addressed and I think that the legislature and Governor finally got the message that they had to get their act together. They seem to be on the right path for that but still have a long way to go. Jay

[RunD1987]

I'll agree that on CT having some positive aspects of personal economic growth in regards to business's. What I don't agree with is how the big wigs of CT government are handling it. They are cutting services to so any necessary areas that are having a detrimental effect on the quality of life in CT. I am glad and hopeful that a solution can be found about the mismanagement of funding for city schools. Been saying for a while city schools are greatly underfunded and has a great affect on education.

To bad no strong third party candidates for CT. Stuck voting for Republicans.

Think the State should suspend any future projects for the next 4 years. Finish any ongoing projects within 2 years. Set up a small account for any emergency or maintenence cost for the State ensuring safety of CT residents.

Should work on reducing medicaid cost.

Reduce number of those on welfare by encouraging growth of liveable wage jobs on the State.

Increase spending on medicare. Return within the 4 years the $600 million to CT hospitals.

Improve DMHAS increase funding and avoid cuts to DCF/ECF.

Increase funding to police and judicial services. Work on more rehabilitation programs over corrections.

Fix the income tax rate system of the State either do away with it or lower the burden on the working class, those making $60K or below.

Lower higher education cost.

Do away with town/city taxes create county taxes. Towns fund for school and emergency services.

Make a flat business tax. Offer tax exemption for businesses with no corporate ties and 50 or less employees.

Legalize Marijuana. Tax Marijuana, cigarettes, and alcohol at 12 to 15 percent.

Lower gas tax to 40 cents per gallon.

Lower sales tax by 1%.

[Robert137]

Originally Posted by BicoastalAnn

I'm sure there are different levels of manufacturing jobs but I was thinking of the Amazon warehouse type ones (pays $11-13 in CT). It's a little higher than Wal-Mart but my point was simply that low-paying jobs are still jobs in this economy, so Wal-Mart is adding value to whichever community it's in.

If Wal-Mart's wages are severely under-market for their industry then over time they'll have trouble hiring and will feel the pressure from the market to up it. But until then, I find it hard to blame them for the fact that these types of low-skill jobs have a low going rate in the industry. If a person with a family is doing the same job the average high schooler can do (and I worked retail in HS), I'm not sure how a company can justify paying them more just because they have more personal obligations. They need to get the heck out of that job and move up - whether the minimum wage does or not.

And in fact Wal-Mart announced and implemented a fairly broad wage increase earlier this year. So the free market is working and employees are benefiting. For all the criticism of Wal-Mart, they don't seem to have any great problem hiring people.

[MrGompers]

You guys will love this.

Connecticut Can Work!


If you want to have some laughs search for "opportunity wage" on this website.

[GoHuskies]

Originally Posted by MrGompers

You guys will love this.

Connecticut Can Work!


If you want to have some laughs search for "opportunity wage" on this website.

Let me see...

1) provide incentive to hire or import under 21 workers so they can be paid less than minimum wage.
2) Reduce government regulations involving licensing in various job fields.
3) Encourage Tesla & Uber (???? Uber exists in CT and there are Tesla superchargers do they mean a Tesla store????)
4) Reduce or eliminate fines for OSHA violations.
5) Tax breaks for business.

Sounds like a great plan to turn Connecticut into another Florida with lots of new low wage warehouses jobs. But hey any job is a good job right!

None of these suggestions solve the problem of Connecticut not being desirable for next generation college grads or the major companies looking to hire them.

[RonaldusMagnus]

Originally Posted by GoHuskies

Let me see...

1) provide incentive to hire or import under 21 workers so they can be paid less than minimum wage.
2) Reduce government regulations involving licensing in various job fields.
3) Encourage Tesla & Uber (???? Uber exists in CT and there are Tesla superchargers do they mean a Tesla store????)
4) Reduce or eliminate fines for OSHA violations.
5) Tax breaks for business.

Sounds like a great plan to turn Connecticut into another Florida with lots of new low wage warehouses jobs. But hey any job is a good job right!

None of these suggestions solve the problem of Connecticut not being desirable for next generation college grads or the major companies looking to hire them.

Maybe NO jobs are better. Bc the alternative to fostering an environment that attracts business is one that causes it to flee.

[BobNJ1960]

Originally Posted by BicoastalAnn

I'm sure there are different levels of manufacturing jobs but I was thinking of the Amazon warehouse type ones (pays $11-13 in CT). It's a little higher than Wal-Mart but my point was simply that low-paying jobs are still jobs in this economy, so Wal-Mart is adding value to whichever community it's in.

.

Amen. WM promotes 90k a year-75% w/o a degree. IMO that makes it a more attractive employer than Amazon, and it lacks, Thank God, Amazon's worker safety issues. Their DCs have had tons of folks passing out-some positioned ambulances outside all day long.