Workers struggle in Hamptons, playground for rich

[dmcowen674]

7-12-2014

http://news.yahoo.com/workers-struggle-hamptons-playground-rich-172325528.html

Workers struggle in Hamptons, playground for rich

Studies show the wealth gap separating the rich from everyone else is widening, and few places in the country illustrate that as starkly as Long Island's Hamptons — America's summer playground for the haves and have-mores, where even middle-class workers struggle with the high cost of living.


Located on southeastern Long Island 80 miles from New York City, Southampton is one of several towns and villages stretching east along 40 miles of the Atlantic Ocean that collectively are known as the Hamptons.


This is a town where people are so rich that a $2 million home can be a handyman's special. A town where the thrift shop is stocked with donations of designer dresses and handbags.


Celebrities spotted hanging out in the Hamptons include Christie Brinkley, Rachael Ray, Kelly Ripa and Howard Stern, among other members of high society in New York and elsewhere.


Many of those who work in the Hamptons — painters, landscapers teachers, even journalists — live west of the region in suburban Long Island and commute as many as three hours round-trip daily. From early spring to late autumn, the one primary road in and out of the Hamptons is jammed most mornings with pickup trucks and vans filled with tradespeople headed east.


Kimberly Piazza is a secretary in her husband's sod business and lives in the North Sea community in Southampton town, several miles north of the oceanfront estates. Coming out of the local general store, she said local milk prices are as high as $5.99 a gallon and eggs sell for up to $4 a dozen — nearly double what those staples cost elsewhere on Long Island. Gasoline prices are 50 cents to a dollar more a gallon at most stations in the Hamptons.

 

[dmcowen674]

As a kid I was in the Hamptons a lot.

We would take the boat out there and fish on the weekends.

The wealth Gap now I'm sure would make that nearly impossible these days.

 

[Matt1970]

So a society built on charging the rich more for the things they want enrages you?

 

[OBLAMA2009]

why is the hamptons so fun, does it have nice beaches. why not go to fla or hawaii. is it like marthas vineyard, except better?

 

[WhipperSnapper]

Studies show the wealth gap separating the rich from everyone else is widening, and few places in the country illustrate that as starkly as Long Island's Hamptons — America's summer playground for the haves and have-mores, where even middle-class workers struggle with the high cost of living

Many of those who work in the Hamptons — painters, landscapers teachers, even journalists — live west of the region in suburban Long Island and commute as many as three hours round-trip daily.

Then those people should MOVE away from such a high-cost of living area to an area of the country with a more reasonable cost of living. That's how the market is supposed to work. If you have a fungible job that pays a lower class or middle class wage there isn't any reason to live in an area with a really high cost of living when you could obtain a higher quality of life elsewhere.

If the wealthy people who employ the little people in those areas cannot afford to pay them appropriately, then they'll have to deal with having a shortage of little people.

 

[dmcowen674]

Then those people should MOVE away from such a high-cost of living area to an area of the country with a more reasonable cost of living. That's how the market is supposed to work. If you have a fungible job that pays a lower class or middle class wage there isn't any reason to live in an area with a really high cost of living when you could obtain a higher quality of life elsewhere.

If the wealthy people who employ the little people in those areas cannot afford to pay them appropriately, then they'll have to deal with having a shortage of little people.

Have you ever moved? Costs a lot to move. most of these people can't afford to move either.

 

[Engineer]

Have you ever moved? Costs a lot to move. most of these people can't afford to move either.

From the looks, costs more to stay....

 

[WhipperSnapper]

Moving is expensive, it sucks relocating away from family and friends, it's a pain-in-the-ass, and it's certainly easier-said-than-done, but sometimes it's what you have to do. Long-term, it costs more to stay.

 

[MagnusTheBrewer]

There's more to it than cost of living and cost to move. According to the US census, only 10% of the American population ever relocate more than 150 miles from where they were born.

 

[Jaskalas]

Have you ever moved? Costs a lot to move. most of these people can't afford to move either.

Our southern border would suggest that "moving" is fairly cheap and easy.

It's moving 10-tons of belongings that is expensive, if you've got little it will cost little.

 

[bozack]

oh woah 3 whole hours round trip...please, cry me a river...I work without traffic about 25 minutes away from the office, but normally it takes upwards of 2 hours + each day in and back...so to suggest that a 3 hour commute daily is something outlandish is a bit of a stretch.

And since when is this news? weren't there stories of this in other expensive areas..

Where I live they have residency rules for govt and city employees that get broken all the time due to cost of living restrictions.

 

[Mandres]

I'm also confused as to why this is news? So the playground towns of the rich and famous have a high cost of living? Color me shocked ..

 

[Nebor]

I'm also confused as to why this is news? So the playground towns of the rich and famous have a high cost of living? Color me shocked ..

Next up: The cost of milk in Monaco.

 

[PokerGuy]

Gasp... things cost a lot in places where there are a very high number of super wealthy people? Say it aint so! Next thing you'll be telling me that you can't get a nice home for $100k in manhattan????

 

[Zaap]

They need to do what they do here in LA LA land... rent control.

That way the ultra-wealthy reserve all the open residences for themselves and their cronies, so they get to be ultra-wealthy AND enjoy paying almost nothing to live.

The idiot politicians and their dimbulb toadies will pat themselves on the back for making things better for "the little people"... even as the little people can't afford to live in the area even worse than before "rent control" made everything cheap for all the rich people.

 

[Keeper]

MAN... Have not seen one of these posts for awhile. In addition to what everyone else has pointed out........... There is NO ONE here on Long Island that commutes to the city (that would be Manhattan) in total, for 3 hours, round trip.

OH THE HORROR...........

:awe:

 

[bshole]

Well at least it is nice to know where all the rich will be holed up when we come for them.

 

[Londo_Jowo]

What are you going to do when the poor in Wisconsin come for your million???