Salaries of LI'rs Poll

[GCGuy]

Originally Posted by TristansMommy

I agree with you..but the reason I put the pole is to illustrate the point that while most of us are making over $100K (which is double what is considered national middle class income) more than 50% of peopole living here are strugging or just getting by.
It was to illustrate a point about how ridiculously high the cost of living on LI is here!

While this may mean something, the 2 polls are tough to correlate. How much you make is pretty cut and dry. Definitions of "struggling" to get by can have many different meanings. Also, that does not account in any way for a person/family's lifestyle. Do these people buy $50K cars, shop at Gucci's, and eat at Peter Luger's all the time and make $75K per year? If so, sure they'll be struggling.

[Eco-Prof]

Reported in "Middle Class Squeeze" (December 13, 2002), the shape of income distribution in America is changing and many are finding it increasingly difficult to afford housing while keeping up with necessities such as food, clothing, transportation, and health care. In the article, Anirban Basu, chairman and CEO of Optimal Solutions Group, explains, "Based on those [income data] numbers, the statistical middle class can't afford the middle-class lifestyle. I think that's why there is so much confusion about what it is and why so many people have trouble identifying themselves as anything but middle class."

I don't believe this is purely a Long Island or Northeast phenomenon. The national savings to debt ratio is so disproportionate that the next crisis we will see will involve credit card debt.

[GCGuy]

Thank you...people on this board seem to think LI is the only one with any problems.

Originally Posted by Eco-Prof

Reported in "Middle Class Squeeze" (December 13, 2002), the shape of income distribution in America is changing and many are finding it increasingly difficult to afford housing while keeping up with necessities such as food, clothing, transportation, and health care. In the article, Anirban Basu, chairman and CEO of Optimal Solutions Group, explains, "Based on those [income data] numbers, the statistical middle class can't afford the middle-class lifestyle. I think that's why there is so much confusion about what it is and why so many people have trouble identifying themselves as anything but middle class."

I don't believe this is purely a Long Island or Northeast phenomenon. The national savings to debt ratio is so disproportionate that the next crisis we will see will involve credit card debt.