New York State is trying to make extra money with new fees and taxes. Some of it

I wonder if the Governor will respond to the petition.

Since there are millions of people in NY City who don't drive and we need some huge number of people to petition, I don't know. It is very discouraging to those of us who live in the country. Anything NYC wants they get. Anything we want, we have to get the entire rest of the state behind and that means other cities like Albany, Buffalo included as well as suburbs. Many times the cry, "North Country should leave NY State!" It's hard to even get people to vote in state elections. We can only effect change in our local elections and then Albany, AKA the puppet of NYC We're very discouraged, but it NY City taxi drivers and people from cities who have cars (most people that I've ever met from NYC don't drive cars)will unit with us, we may have a chance. It's a lot of work, but people are trying petitions, letter writing campaigns, etc.

If I could, I would walk everywhere, but unfortunately, I can't. One job is over 20 miles away, another is 14, and the shortest one I can't walk when it's sub-zero, but I have walked the less than a mile one, I don't get called there very often and often the weather is inclement. Today was 10 miles and 8 miles of it was in fog so bad that I could only see headlights, had I been walking, I would have been run over. People are petitioning the governor and saying, "We've had enough."

New York did raise the minimum wage, that was back in 2005, I think, but it's still not a liveable wage for our state. Esp. two years later. The stimulous package helped the rich and didn't trickle down to anybody. We've sent most of our manufacturing jobs away with higher hourly wages than other countries, free trade agreement, and so on. The banks just got bailed out and the bail out for the car manufactureres didn't take, one went bankrupt. When Bush was in, he gave tax rebates, but that didn't help. Obama lowered the tax rate so the average worker received $12 more a week in their paycheck, but increased prices quickly ate a lot of that away. Mostly gas and fuel prices were increased and now taxes. I'm working three part-time jobs and treading water as fast as I can. All three aren't very high paying for this area, but more and more good paying jobs are leaving our area. Pfizer just closed two research plants and will be getting rid of 400 people. Sold one part of its plant with 200 employees who can keep their jobs, but if they do, they will loose their retirement. My husband was just told that he will probably loose his job because the contracts will run out and his temporary termination date is Feb 26th 2010. How are you guys doing in Hong Kong?

Your English is absolutely amazing. You're like talking to a neighbor. It sounds like your standard of living/expenses are close to ours. We were buying $60 worth of food and sometimes with sales and coupons, $50 a week and now that won't go as far, sometimes. Food prices are swinging a little more. For example, right now is harvest season in Canada and the USA so lots of local food is coming in cheaply and anything that could handle a ton of rain like squash and apples are very cheap this year. Plus people with too much food from their gardens have been giving us food.

Thanks for the information. I was sort of thinking about that, even if it was raised two years ago, the recession started sometime in 2008 so yes, you're right. As for the stimulus, well, that's what usually happens unfortunately. The rich are the ones that usually benefits. I was hoping to see more aid extended to the average joe but evidently, it's not the case. Hong Kong is doing alright thus far but just like the US, everyday items and commodities have gone up due to inflation. Back years ago you can buy a lot of groceries with about 60USD to last you a week at least for a family of 3. Today, that'll set you straight for a couple of days. Three, if you're lucky. Most of the jobs that were lost here are in the financial and trade sector. When the Lehman brothers collapsed and other financial institutions let go of their staffers, a lot of them were expats actually, so they had to leave. So far, the Government has done what they could to stimulate the economy by spending locally. I think they've done well because our unemployment rate has not exploded to an unimaginable figure. Apart from that, there are still a good number of jobs available. Maybe they're not exactly high paying ones but a job is a job. While there is inflation, at least people have jobs to cover the cost of basic necessities. Most of us don't get to spend as much as we used to but at least there is food on the table. Sorry to hear about what you're going through. Yes, the US does outsource a lot. I should know - China is just next door. I hope everything works out. 3 jobs is really something. I admire you for having the strength to do that.

I wouldn't be surprised to see it here. For some reason, we seem to do ok on the local level, but on the state level, we have too many airheads, I guess. They don't think past their noses. I can understand their thinking that they "need" more money so they will raise taxes, but they don't think of how that will affect the overall economy. Or if they do think of it and then go ahead, they're really stupid.

I agree with you. I don't think they think. Our locals are more responsive to our needs, but if you read what I wrote to Carolbee, you can see part of why.

Taxing soda. Just 5 cents returnables charge on juice right now. I hope Colorado isn't right behind. I'd like to think the state a lot of our teachers went to, to get their start and a lot of our massage therapists go to has a little more sense. Also, my husband had Air Force courses there. I agree. If they would stop wasting $, there would be more. Yes, many businesses leave NY State. Why be here when other states don't have as many regulations that translate into a ton of paperwork and lots of fees when they could go somewhere else? If you have a fleet of vehicles to maintain, you can't survive here.

Awful. How do they expect people to be able to keep affording a car? Or do they?

Of course they want us to have cars. The tolls are being replaced by license-plate readers, so the car's owner will be billed for al tolls and held responsible for paying them. Joy riders and car thieves will have a ball when they are activated in January!

WOW! Yeah, good thing I don't smoke either...lol.

We still have no tax on food. Thank goodness. The Farmers are going under without that foolishness. I thought a liter was less than a gallon, so shouldn't that be like 5 cents a gallon? Yeah, we have our polution abatement crap that they found out doesn't work and yet we can't take it off our vehicles or we can get fined and imprisoned. Didn't realize you guys were suffering with that, too. I forget what our tax is per gallon, but NY State is higher taxing gas than most states.

I guess I shud re-read my posts before I submit them...YES, you are so right...in Canada (as we use Metric/converted from Imperial)an Imperial gallon is 4.546 litres, and a US gallon is 3.786 litres! SOOOOO....now I will get the math right, that is 11.4 cents INCREASE every July 1...as a Carbon Tax...supposedly to deter us from using our vehicles sooooo much! What a joke...it only lines the coffers...and this is legislated for every July 01! YUP..Air care redundant here, but don't get caught without the emission control devices! Cheers!

Now this makes more sense! 11.5 cents a gallon doesn't make much sense, just the math. So much craziness. I'm wondering how much we pay in tax on gas. Lost track. Have to ask a friend of mine who runs a gas station. At least you know when you'll get hit with it (small consolation), we never know. Prices go up and newspapers tell us the cost per barrel of raw petrol went up. Yup, both sides of the border are in the same soup. Think the governments watch each other and copy each other some?

Here's the problem in a nutshell. Below Albany, they're left. Above Albany, they're right. City people tend to be left; Country people tend to be right. Pataki was the only one to try to help Country people because he actually had a farm. Most of the people elected don't know any places above Albany. We need to secede from this state. We don't get any representation because there's too few of us. We've had Republicans in and they are just as rich, just as in the pocket of the special interest groups. Rich people don't know a thing about the rest of us. In history of the USA, when the parties in power became useless, a new party or parties emerged. We haven't had a new party in a long time. The Rs and Ds keep any new party out. As far as I'm concerned neither party represents us. But most of all, no one in Albany tends to represent us because even when we vote for someone, we're a small population and the big populations outvote us. We had a short period of time this summer when the Ds and Rs were even and they refused to do anything! The Senate was even and did nothing. Our state is basically useless, but for one month, it really drove home.

Sorry Maggiepie, but you will never get me to believe there is any difference between the two groups of rich people that run the state and this country. Laisez-faire is a Republican thing and no one watching the banking and the real estate people helped to get us into this mess. Welfare is a Democrat thing and we are up to 3, 4, and 5 generations of welfare people who have never and will never work. Plus I think it was both the Dems and Reps that sent most of our jobs overseas by abolishing the things that were working. Terrifs on anything imported or made from other countries, but with the free trade agreement, there is nothing to level the playing field for our workers who get minimum wage and the workers in other countries who get paid a dollar a day. Regardless of who is in power in NY State, the budget was not on time for over 30 years. Then they lied to us and told us it finally was. Some of it was, but not all of it. When a budget is due in April and you're lucky if it is done for schools, colleges, etc. to open in the fall, when roads don't get constructed by state money, but some will by federal money, when there is a constant impass because the Dems and Reps can't put aside their differences for the good of the state they're in, they need to be out. I want to vote no confidence and I did, straight across the board for all of the NY State people going in. Most of the Adirondackers are being taxed out of homes and farms they've lived in for as many as 5 generations. But welfare people from all over the USA come here because we have no limit on welfare. A friend of mine was on a bus and another state had sent a family of 8 here with a free bus ticket. We are slowly becoming a welfare state. The Republicans are powerless to stop it and the Dems don't seem to care if anybody works. But the rich Republicans will buy up all the land that people who used to live up here had and make it their playground just like the Dems, so you'll forgive me if I don't see the difference. The only people who will be in my state soon will be as follows: Criminals, we get more of them every day; welfare, Correction Officers who watch the first group and Police who catch them , the rich, and people who wait hand and foot on the rich. North Carolina has a limit of 2 years on welfare and you'd better be ready to get college or training or something and a job at the end. New Jersey has a limit that they will pay for one child. NY State, as many years and as many children as you want. The two party system does us all no good. We need a Working People party, but nobody's working. We need a "We Wish We Were All Working" party. In one state 1/3 of the people voted no confidence and was almost the majority vote. What did the legislature do? Outlaw no confidence votes. I rest my case. They're there to perpetuate themselves, their goals and their interests. They've never been middle class or poor. They're useless.

[b]It's not really about Dem vs GOP, but about Left vs Right. Conservatives care more about people, so the trick is to get enough people knowledgeable about that, & seek out the conservatives in all/any parties. I hear you about seceding, & Texas even has the right to do it! It's in our constitution! However, as good as that would probably be for most of the state, I happen to be stuck in the liberal heart, with no way to move to any of the other 4 parts we could have. I suppose if it came right down to it, though, I'd put the welfare of Texas' parts over my convenience, rather than vote selfishly o stay one big block. Sigh.... Maggiepie IMPEACH HIM![/b]