Pythons

One of my questions from August was answered, at least in part. And that is about the Python problem in Florida. It apparently is a bigger problem than what was first believed.

We were watching an episode of Animal Cops on Animal Planet where a 13 foot Burmese Python was caught in a backyard pool several miles away from the everglades in a heavily populated area. I have no idea when the snake was captured but by looking at an article on Gizmodo I can safely say it was Christmas 2011.

I do know that a 17 foot 7 inch 164 1/2 pound monster was dispatched in the everglades earlier in August of 2012.  And it had 87 eggs in it.  And recently (12/28/12) another 17 footer was shot and killed when it slithered into a picnic area.   Not very reassuring that monsters like that exist in Florida.

17 foot 7 inch python that was caught in August 2012

In the Miami Herald is was stated that a 13 footer was captured at mm 105 on Key Largo on August 30th of 2012.  It was a female but had no eggs.  Upon examination it was still a virgin.  The Herald also reports that about a dozen Pythons were captured or killed on Key Largo since 2007.

Python captured at MM105 in Key Largo, photo from KeysNet.Com.

A few months ago in Key Largo two pythons were spotted but got away before the authorities responded.

There was a quick blurb about the Pythons in Key Largo on TV where scientists were amazed these things swam through salt water to get to the island. In theory reptiles do not do well in salt water.  Looking at articles that were published, salt water is no deterrent to the pythons.  They have been spotted swimming across Florida Bay.

On November 12 of 2011 a 7 footer was captured on Marathon in the Key Colony section sunning itself in front of a driveway.

Python being captured in Key Colony.  Photo from Key Colony Real Estate

And as recent as  mid-December three pythons were caught.  One was behind Publix in Marathon where FKAA workers discovered a 7 foot Burmese python when they moved a mattress clearing land behind the supermarket.  They quickly dispatched it with a front-end loader.  Also in December two ball pythons were caught near mm106 a few day apart.  The Ball Pythons were 3 footers which is about the maximum size those snakes get unlike the Burmese which can get to over 22 feet in length.

Python caught behind Publix, photo from Keysnet.com

 

What I find is amusing is that only ten days prior to the article the KeysNet published one stating that the python problem was more hype than problem.

I've even read that the snakes captured in the Keys in the articles that I mentioned were escaped pets.  Err if you expect me to believe that, then I have a great used bridge in Brooklyn for sale for you.

In tests that were conducted scientists took captured baby pythons.  They separated them into thirds.  One third was given fresh water to drink,a second third drank only brackish water and the final third was given only saltwater to drink.  To everyone's astonishment the snakes that were give saltwater lived for 30 days with some even as long as 200 days.

This gives more credence that these monsters are swimming great distances through salt water.  It was hoped that the saltwater that surrounds the keys would protect the Keys from the invasion of these monsters.  Yes these are truly monsters.

I posted in an earlier blog that Florida should enact an open season on these monsters. In part they have. You need to get a $25 permit and can hunt only in certain areas. There are no bounties though which really can deter the desire in hunting them.

But Florida has seen some light, they now are holding a hunting contest running from January 12 to February 10th where the most killed will earn $1,500 and a $1,000 goes to the biggest one caught. Great ideas but a little to skimpy. The prizes should bet higher to attract more hunters.  And the hunt is only in certain areas only.  Right now only Florida residents can get permits or participate in the hunting contest.

Florida should open the hunting to everyone. The sale of the permits will bolster the economy not only in the permit sales, but by bringing in business from out of state hunters who will need lodging, fuel, food and what have you. There is good financial potential there.  Not to mention the money guides can make as well.  Plus the hunting should include the entire state and not just the everglades.

As an idea give residents property tax breaks for say for every 10 snakes caught or killed in a 6 month period could help bolster the removal of these pythons.  And to sweeten the pot, let's say that if a person kills 10 pythons over 8 feet in the 6 months can get say 25% off their property taxes.  And for killing 10 pythons over 12 feet would get as much as a 50% reduction in property taxes.


By expanding the hunting would not only help with bringing in money, but help the eco-system by ridding the state of these monsters once and for all.


With the Keys now getting invaded by these monsters hunting python should even extend to there as well.  And not in the future but as of right now.  There are many animals that are fair game for these monsters.  Even the protected Keys Deer can be consumed into oblivion by these snakes.

What if someone is walking their dog either on or off the leash say on Big Pine Key or Ramrod Key.  No problem with being off the leash at all BTW.  But what if one day the dog is a little close to the bushes and a large python latches into it.  At the speed these things can attack there would be no way the person could save their beloved pet.  Can this happen?  I am sure it can.  Will it happen?  If these snakes are not eliminated I am sure it will happen one day.

Right now only the reports have been from the populated islands within the keys have had snakes spotted and captured.  I have to ask if anyone has looked into the unpopulated islands?  I wonder how many pythons have made it to those.  At least there you can blast away with just about anything short of a missile launcher and not worry about a stray bullet which is always a concern when hunting near a populated area.

Let's do the math:  Python + Mini-gun = no more python.  I like it.  Of course a mini-gun is slightly illegal.  But if it wasn't I'd love to drill down a few pythons with one.

The invasion of these snakes can seriously hurt tourism and the dollars that tourists bring if the snakes are not eradicated.  Only the handful of people who are experienced with snakes would not have a problem with them but for the most part, most people loath or fear these killers.  Granted the pythons do not attack humans as a rule but a small child can make a great snack for a large python.  Several children in the United States have already been killed by pythons.  Either escaped pets or by those in the wild.

A few people I know have already canceled their winter trips to the Keys because of the pythons.  I am sure more will follow in time.  If it snowballs then the financial security of the keys is in jeopardy.

I feel that Florida needs to do a lot more, not control the pythons but to totally eradicate then from the face of the planet.  Not only by the state but each county needs to marshal people to work on destroying these snakes which not only are endangering the eco-system, but can endanger the flow of tourist dollars.  And can also hurt the sale of homes as well in an already volatile housing market.

Can the Keys become the next Lehigh Acres if the pythons are not eradicated?

With the finding of the pythons on Marathon, which is one of the places I was thinking about moving to if my search is cannot land me a job in Key West, really makes me want to think twice about moving to the Keys at all.  Of course I still hope to move there but I would seriously consider have a modern version of the good old fashioned snake charmer at the ready just in case I do run into a python.  If not that then a very sharp machete or other cutting instrument.  If I find a python on my property, permit or not that python will become hamburger.  Mmm, I wonder if they can be used for shark bait?  After all they do resemble a large worm.

Modern Snake Charmer

Now I want to point out that I am not afraid of snakes in general.  I used to work in a pet store and walked around the place with a 3 foot boa constrictor on my shoulders all day and never had a problem.  It was a good attractor for business.  Even looking at the Burmese Python it is really a very pretty snake.  But when you have an animal that is destroying the eco-system and can be potentially dangerous to humans no matter how pretty it is then it is time to remove that threat.  These snakes serve no purpose slithering freely in the Untied States.  They need to be eliminated.

'till next time





References:


Hugh Burmese Python Caught in Florida Everglades
http://usatoday30.usatoday.com/news/nation/story/2012-08-13/burmese-python-florida/57039860/1

Python Challenge 2013 
http://pythonchallenge.net/

Miami Herald, Python magnet? Experts aim to rid Keys of invaders, September 18, 2012
http://www.miamiherald.com/2012/09/18/3008162/python-magnet-experts-aim-to-keep.html

Gizmodo, Florida Keys Could Be Heading For A Python Invasion, January 12, 2012
http://gizmodo.com/5873461/the-florida-keys-could-be-heading-for-a-python-invasion

Fox News, 17 foot long python caught in the everglades
http://www.foxnews.com/us/2012/08/13/17-foot-long-burmese-python-caught-in-everglades/

WPEC-TV CBS12 News: 17 foot python slithers into families Everglades Park Picnic
http://www.cbs12.com/news/top-stories/stories/vid_3998.shtml

Key Colony Real Estate, Are you missing Your Pet Python, November 30, 2011
http://www.keysproperties.com/blog/keys-news-florida-keys-key-colony-beach-python

KeysNet.com, Python 'was ready to fight', September 9, 2012
http://www.keysnet.com/2012/09/05/477896/python-was-ready-to-fight.html

USA Today, Giant non-native pythons spreading across Florida, January 6, 2012
http://usatoday30.usatoday.com/tech/science/environment/story/2012-01-04/invasive-giant-pythons-florida/52383352/1

KeysNet.com, 7-foot Python found behind Marathon Publix, December 29, 2012
http://www.keysnet.com/2012/12/29/484066/7-foot-python-found-behind-marathon.html

Water Quality

As part of my due diligence in looking to move to the Keys, I pulled some information on the quality of the drinking water for the Keys and for East Egg.  This came about after reading how bad the drinking water is here in East Egg in the on-line news media, The Patch.

I went to the website, Environmental Working Group to obtain the data which is the same place that The Patch got theirs from.  Granted no place will have 100% perfect water but looking at the results it is amazing that anyone is alive in East Egg.

With the table below you can see that the Keys is in the green which is favorable while East Egg is heavily i the red zone.

	East Egg Drinking Water System	Florida Keys Drinking Water Syatem	National Average
Exceed Health Guidelines	13 chemicals	6 chemicals	4
Health Standard Exceedences	2 chemicals	0 chemicals	0.5
Pollutants Found	28 chemicals	10 chemicals	8

Contaminants Exceeding Health Guidelines For East Egg

Contaminant	Average/ Maximum Result	Health Limit Exceeded	Legal Limit Exceeded
Tetrachloroethylene	1.53 ppb 9.6 ppb	Yes MCLG: 0 ppb	Yes 5 ppb
Nitrate	6.18 ppm 10.4 ppm	Yes 10 ppm	Yes 10 ppm
Trichloroethylene	0.18 ppb 2.6 ppb	Yes MCLG: 0 ppb	No 5 ppb
Alpha particle activity	1.27 pCi/L 3.25 pCi/L	Yes MCLG: 0 pCi/L	No 15 pCi/L
Radium-228	1.09 pCi/L 1.79 pCi/L	Yes MCLG: 0 pCi/L	No 5 pCi/L
Dieldrin	<0.01 ppb 0.05 ppb	Yes <0.01 ppb	Legal at any level
Heptachlor epoxide	<0.01 ppb 0.05 ppb	Yes MCLG: 0 ppb	No 0.2 ppb
Bromoform	0.03 ppb 0.7 ppb	Yes MCLG: 0 ppb	No 80 ppb
Chlordane	0.02 ppb 0.45 ppb	Yes MCLG: 0 ppb	No 2 ppb
Lead (total)	0.06 ppb 0.2 ppb	Yes MCLG: 0 ppb	No
Dibromochloromethane	0.02 ppb 0.7 ppb	Yes 0.4 ppb	No 80 ppb
Carbon tetrachloride	<0.01 ppb 0.05 ppb	Yes MCLG: 0 ppb	No 5 ppb
1,2-Dichloroethane	<0.01 ppb 0.23 ppb	Yes MCLG: 0 ppb	No 5 ppb

Contaminants Exceeding Health Guidelines For The Keys

Contaminant	Average/ Maximum Result	Health Limit Exceeded	Legal Limit Exceeded
Total trihalomethanes (TTHMs)	35.19 ppb 58 ppb	Yes 9.8 ppb	No 80 ppb
Total haloacetic acids (HAAs)	12.7 ppb 37 ppb	Yes 0.7 ppb	No 60 ppb
Lead (total)	1.07 ppb 2.4 ppb	Yes MCLG: 0 ppb	No
Di(2-ethylhexyl) phthalate	0.17 ppb 1.2 ppb	Yes MCLG: 0 ppb	No 6 ppb
Alpha particle activity (excl radon and uranium)	0.23 pCi/L 0.7 pCi/L	Yes MCLG: 0 pCi/L	No 15 pCi/L
Radium-226	0.25 pCi/L 0.5 pCi/L	Yes MCLG: 0 pCi/L	No 5 pCi/L

The only thing that scares me right now is that the lead content in the Keys is higher than that here in East Egg.  I am not too certain about the other contaminants in how they will effect your health but at least it appears that the water quality in the Keys is far better than here in East Egg.

'till next time.

This week thousands of unemployed New Yorker's receive a Christmas present from Albany.  It was a letter telling them that their Extended and Emergency Unemployment benefits are ending at the end of the month.  Albany shouldered the blame on Congress instead of their inability of controlling finances properly and effectively.

Those on unemployment in New York already get poverty level benefits and now those are being pulled away from those getting unemployment.  And the job outlook for Long Island is bleak at best.

This is the letter I received on 12/20 only I removed personal identifying information.

And you wonder why I want to leave New York?  I hate this state.

'till next time.

Drive to the Keys from Long Island

One of the things I want to and will need to do before any kind of move to the Keys is to check the areas out first hand.   The best way to do that is to go in person.  This way I can go away from the tourist traps and dive into the interior of the islands.  This is sound due diligence and is part of my over all plan for the move.

From there see the neighborhoods, talk to shop owners, stop off at the local police station, fire houses, maybe even stop people on the street.  Listen to the sounds, smell the air (sounds freaky but are there objectionable odors in some area around here in East Egg), walk along some side streets and what have you.  And who knows, meet up with a few people I know from FB.

Of course stop at one or two tourist atteactions, gotta have some fun.

This way I will know more about the areas and get a better feel about leaving NY for the Keys and make the Keys our home.

But the first thing is to get there.  My wife refuses to fly so that is ruled out.  So we will need to go overland.

One method is to take Amtrak to Miami, rent a car and head to the Keys.  Problem here is making sure that we make all the connections.  The train gets into Miami after the car rental places close so that means a hotel stay when we arrive.  Unless they will meet us at the station at 6PM.  And since the train leaves in the morning, another hotel stay the night before.  And the pray that we can drop off the car and make it to the train on time.

Plus getting through Penn Station is no fun at all no matter what.

We could drive the entire distance.  But 1,400 miles is a long drive.  If I push we could do it in 24 hours non stop.  But we are not up to that.  It would be brutal.  So we could make it in two days with a stop over in South Carolina.  If we do three days and take our time but that would add two more hotel stays.

So I figure a two day trip would fit the bill.  And we really do not need a fancy hotel since it is on my dime and not the companies.

Next I need to decide if should we take our car or rent one.  If we rent one that is less wear and tear on our car plus break downs are the responsibilty of the rental company.  That would add extra costs to the trip by $400 right off the bat.

Or we could take the autotrain but that is very expensive.  In fact that is the most expensive way to go and we again have to bust ass to make it to the station in Virginia and in Florida for the return trip on time.  Sorry but I am tired of rushing around.

So driving will be the way to go.

Logistically the trip is straight forward.  Get off of Long Island which can be a feat to begin with, jump onto the NJ Turnpike which is I-95 and stay there until south of Miami where we pick up US-1 which will take right into Key West.  Relative easy.  No GPS required for the most part.

Doing the trip is going to be brutal no matter what especially since we have never done such a long haul before.  So to make it easier on us I figured take a break every two hours to stretch the legs.  Not knowing where we are going to take these breaks I need some sort of plan as to what is available.

I looked at the I-95 Guide on the internet and they give some places but not many.  In some states they have nothing listed.  So I am doing a very painful method of using Google Earth and Street View to locate 'bail outs' and potential rest areas.  I travel I-95 to each exit and locate places like McDonalds mainly for bathroom usage, gas stations, and hotels that are not too far from the highway.  I have even spotted a few truck stops that will do.  A few truck stops have great food BTW.

From there I am putting push pins on each of the places.  From there I am going to see if I can migrate them to my GPS on the laptop.  I like to use the laptop with a GPS receiver for it gives better data than my Magellan and the screen is a lot larger too.  That makes navigation easier. 

My wife balances it on her lap with it resting on her pocketbook.  She has even fell asleep like that and the laptop never moved.  To power it I have an inverter that I plug into the cigarette lighter for 120VAC power and that has worked very well for us.

With the bail outs entered into the laptop, we would have a constant reference as to where to jump if nature makes a call or to walk off a few highway miles.

Along with that I am creating a spreadsheet with the more critical stops and listings of the tolls.  That is also going to be on the laptop and PDF copies on my iPad for quick reference.

In case of break downs, I have some tools but with the way cars are today I would need to have a full repair shop in the trunk which is not happening.  So I am going to have to join AAA for road side assistance.  I just hope they are a lot more honest than what we have here.

I worked at a service station that was AAA many years ago and they guy that owned it was a crook.  When he towed a car in, it was dinner time on the poor driver.  So I have to be very careful.

On the spreadsheet I am also going to make a list of hospitals and emergency services.  You never know if you need their help but hope that you don't.  With the traveling we have done in the past only once did a highway car stop for us while I changed a flat.  He gave us the protection of his roof rack flashing while I worked.

So when we are ready to make the trip, and I hope it is soon, I will have all of my ducks lined up ready to take the plunge to leave NY for paradise.

'till next time

 

Crunching Numbers

A few months back I posted a survey as part of researching the feasibility of moving to the Keys from New York.  So far not one person answered any of the questions so I am doing due diligence from other sources about the Keys.

One of the websites that I used was Sperling's.  They have tons of statistical data there on most of the areas in the U.S.  Similar to ESRI which is a very popular but high end site for demographics.   And this is where I got the numbers from so do not argue them with me, instead argue with Sperling's.  There are several sites that produce these statistics and I have seen different numbers, but they all agree on one general thing and that I will go over in my final comments.

I combined Key West, Marathon, East Egg and the Untied State (as the benchmark) all into various tables for comparison.  In the cells I colored them green for favorable conditions, red for unfavorable and white for where I have no opinion on.

Under the tables I am giving MY opinion on the data.  You may accept my opinion or not and come up with your own conclusions.  It is your choice.

Favorable
Unfavorable
No Opinion

People	Key West, FL	Marathon, FL	East Egg, NY	United States
Population	32,680	8,297	30,052	308,035,306
Pop. Density	1,557	983	3,014	87
Pop. Change	-3.29%	-16.63%	4.95%	8.07%
Median Age	41.7	47.8	42.8	37.3
Households	14,084	3,718	10,948	116,716,292
Household Size	2.21	2.19	2.73	2.58
Male Population	54.90%	51.89%	48.42%	49.27%
Female Population	45.10%	48.11%	51.58%	50.96%
Married Population	37.78%	50.49%	55.33%	47.02%
Single Population	62.22%	49.51%	44.67%	52.98%

Opinion:
Key West is smaller in size than East Egg yet it is a lot more populated but the density in East Egg is double that.  I see that there is a decline in population on both Key West and a large decline in Marathon which in a way is bad but at the same time it can open up more opportunities.  I feel that the decline is due to the downturn in the economy which can lead to opportunities.

Health	Key West, FL	Marathon, FL	East Egg, NY	United States
Air Quality (100=best)	84	84	36.5	82.8
Water Quality (100=best)	50	50	60	55
Superfund Sites (100=best)	99	98	10	71
Physicians per 100k	238.1	238.1	598.8	261.3

Opinion:
Hands down the Keys win out.  East Egg does have a slight advantage in water quality based on these figure but using the website by the Environmental Working Group paints a totally different picture.  And considering the amount of cancer that is on Long Island and the pockets of it, I am inclined to agree with the EWG website.  In a later post I will do a comparison of the drinking water qualities.

There are many more physicians than the Keys but looking at Nassau County and how dense it is, it makes sense.  Besides it is quality not quantity that matters.  A big downer for East Egg besides poor air quality and the Superfund sites.  We have a major one right here in town.  Plus numerous others surrounding the area.  Can we say "not good"?

Economy	Key West, FL	Marathon, FL	East Egg, NY	United States
Unemployment Rate	5.90%	6.40%	6.40%	8.60%
Recent Job Growth	1.19%	0.79%	-1.61%	0.35%
Future Job Growth	36.48%	35.18%	30.38%	32.10%
Sales Taxes	7.50%	7.50%	8.63%	5.00%
Income Taxes	0.00%	0.00%	6.85%	4.70%
Income per Cap.	$32,018	$27,894	$59,460	$26,154
Household Income	$52,663	$44,031	$109,706	$50,935
ESTIMATED HOUSEHOLDS BY HOUSEHOLD INCOME
Income Less Than 15K	11.74%	15.93%	5.28%	12.37%
Income between 15K and 25K	8.69%	11.20%	4.20%	10.53%
Income between 25K and 35K	10.60%	12.74%	5.09%	10.88%
Income between 35K and 50K	16.18%	16.46%	7.85%	15.37%
Income between 50K and 75K	21.85%	18.26%	12.98%	20.14%
Income between 75K and 100K	12.67%	10.41%	11.08%	12.41%
Income between 100K and 150K	10.64%	8.23%	16.97%	11.27%
Income between 150K and 250K	5.37%	4.35%	22.04%	5.01%
Income between 250K and 500K	2.08%	2.26%	13.33%	1.86%
Income greater than 500K	0.17%	.021%	1.18%	0.16%
POPULATION BY OCCUPATION
Management, Business, and Financial Operations	14.07%	9.84%	22.45%	14.04%
Professional and Related Occupations	15.24%	12.85%	31.64%	20.61%
Service	25.72%	24.66%	11.72%	14.45%
Sales and Office	24.99%	21.77%	25.40%	26.75%
Farming, Fishing, and Forestry	2.91%	4.36%	0.05%	0.70%
Construction, Extraction, and Maintenance	10.30%	15.04%	3.67%	9.42%
Production, Transportation, and Material Moving	6.77%	11.45%	5.06%	14.05%

Opinion:
Unemployment is slightly lower in Key West as compared to Marathon and East Egg.  But I can assure you that the unemployment here in East Egg and on Long Island is a lot higher as a whole.  There is growth in the Keys while jobs are leaving here.  Gee I wonder why?

Sales taxes, income taxes and property taxes in East Egg are a lot higher than the Keys.

There is a good sign for future job growth in the Keys which means opportunity.  Wages here in East Egg are higher over all.  That is because we have a lot of investment bankers, high end executives that make NYC their base of operations and of course a lot more physicians.  At least there is a good band of green in the 50K-100K range.

Cost of Living	Key West, FL	Marathon, FL	East Egg, NY	United States
Overall	133	130	220	100
Food	105	105	120	100
Utilities	93	93	137	100
Miscellaneous	99	99	124	100

Opinion:
Here is something that irks me.  I have heard how expensive it is to live in the Keys and that you need two jobs just to survive.  Knowing how bad it is here makes me wonder about that.  By looking at how expensive it is here in East Egg, all I can say is that I will take Key West any day.

Housing	Key West, FL	Marathon, FL	East Egg, NY	United States
Median Home Age	40.8	31.7	54.5	35.1
Median Home Cost	$336,200	$305,200	$705,200	$153,800
Home Appreciation	1.38%	1.03%	-3.41%	1.62%
Homes Owned	34.52%	32.99%	63.16%	57.69%
Housing Vacant	22.24%	39.91%	7.50%	11.38%
Homes Rented	43.24%	27.11%	29.31%	30.93%
Property Tax Rate	$8.38	$8.38	$23.43	$11.20
OWNER-OCCUPIED HOUSING UNITS BY VALUE
Less Than $20,000	1.13%	7.27%	0.00%	2.72%
$20,000 to $39,999	2.83%	5.55%	0.00%	4.03%
$40,000 to $59,999	3.52%	2.34%	0.51%	5.58%
$60,000 to $79,999	1.73%	0.67%	0.31%	7.09%
$80,000 to $99,999	1.19%	2.06%	0.05%	8.80%
$100,000 to $149,999	6.00%	12.29%	0.15%	21.26%
$150,000 to $199,999	7.32%	12.72%	0.58%	14.87%
$200,000 to $299,999	22.52%	20.90%	2.70%	16.82%
$300,000 to $399,999	20.49%	11.96%	5.97%	7.83%
$400,000 to $499,999	12.49%	7.56%	8.34%	4.04%
$500,000 to $749,999	12.15%	10.47%	28.02%	4.05%
$750,000 to $999,999	4.56%	4.50%	21.51%	1.26%
$1,000,000 or more	4.08%	1.72%	31.84%	1.64%
HOUSING UNITS BY YEAR STRUCTURE BUILT
1999 to 2005	6.39%	10.45%	7.42%	13.71%
1995 to 1998	13.17%	10.11%	3.35%	14.31%
1990 to 1994	13.17%	10.11%	3.35%	14.31%
1980 to 1989	13.62%	24.29%	5.12%	13.87%
1970 to 1979	15.34%	29.96%	8.99%	16.17%
1960 to 1969	15.48%	13.26%	13.33%	11.70%
1950 to 1959	14.44%	10.33%	24.39%	11.08%
1940 to 1949	7.92%	0.94%	10.27%	6.02%
1939 or Earlier	13.66%	0.66%	27.13%	13.15%

Opinion:
People have told me how expensive housing is there in Key West.  Looking at the figures you can see that the housing here in East Egg is a hell of a lot higher.  In my neighborhood alone you cannot touch anything for less than $600,000 and these are not outlandish homes either.  You can also see that East Egg pays more than double the amount of property taxes than people do in the Keys which makes moving there all the more attractive.  And with the homes appreciating while they are depreciating here, in my opinion it is a good investment to buy there.

And to me an affordable house is between $100K and $400K.  With that in mind we see that there is a large amount of them within that range in the Keys and a very narrow band in East Egg.  And those in East Egg at that price they are shacks at best and they need extensive work.  And with million dollar home East Egg has more than you can count.  Not far from where we live a house with no yard went for $1.8 Million.  Yes if you want something decent around here you need to be a millionaire. 

The place we live in is a rental and we were able to get it at a nice price and this is a dump to begin with.  I have no idea what shapes the houses in the Key are in the green bands.  I would be interested in finding out.

Climate	Key West, FL	Marathon, FL	East Egg, NY	United States
Rainfall (in.)	39.9	40.2	49.2	36.5
Snowfall (in.)	0	0	24.7	25
Precipitation Days	107	103	116	100
Sunny Days	259	250	200	205
Avg. July High	89	90	81	86.5
Avg. Jan. Low	64.8	63	25.1	20.5
Comfort Index (higher=better)	28	28	47	44
UV Index	7.2	7.2	3.6	4.3
Elevation ft.	4	3	68	1,443

Opinion:
Looking at the numbers it seems that the Keys is the place to live.  The only things that are of concern is the high UV index, the comfort level and the elevation.  The UV Index is a lot higher in the Keys than NY but that is to be expected since the Keys is closer to the equator than NY.  Caution is required here to prevent burning and with my wife having fair skin, that is not good.  The comfort level is worse in the Keys than NY.  I have to question that for NY in the winter is horrible and it is very muggy here in the summer with little winds.

The elevation of the Keys is a little bothersome for a good storm surge and you are treading water.  I read that Roosevelt Blvd. was under 8 feet of water during Wilma.  Where we live in East Egg our house is about 40 feet above sea level so storm surges do not bother us but since we are a water front community there are areas that can and do go underwater with the right storm.  A good example was Sandy which did a lot of damage on the South Shore and minor to moderate damage on the north Shore.  Coastal areas on the North Shore did get flooded in any case.

That brings up a major concern and that is storms in general especially hurricanes.  The Keys are prime targets for them.  At least I would think that they are better equipped than NY is since they do get hit more frequently.

Crime	Key West, FL	Marathon, FL	East Egg, NY	United States
Violent Crime	7	4	1	4
Property Crime	8	4	1	4

Opinion:
Crime is everywhere but the statistics do not paint a pretty picture of crime in the Keys especially Key West.  I would guess that is because there are more bars in Key West than here and a person with a full belly of booze can do strange things.  But from living here in East Egg I can tell you that crime is a lot higher than shown here.  The local PD keeps a lot under wraps to help to protect the property values.



Final opinion:
There are advantages in living in East Egg, that is for sure.  Higher wage is one of those, if you can find work.  And you have a wide choice of health care providers as well.  But in the long run moving to the Keys is a very good idea based on these numbers.  The cost of living is a lot lower, housing is more affordable, property values are on the increase and there is growth potential in employment.

Now to move on to the next part of my due diligence project and that is to compare the same locations using City-Data and to finalize the water quality post.

'till next time

I found out that my unemployment will be ending early. December 30th is the last day of unemployment not only for me, but for millions of others as well.  Congress has not voted on releasing funds for extended or emergency benefits which seriously impacts millions of unemployed Americans.

With the way the economy is sinking and more jobs leave the country for offshore places like India, you have to ask what is going to happen to us?  Since NAFTA and the pork bellied laws signed by Bush, more jobs are leaving this country every day with no end in sight.  The Obama administration has not done a thing to put an end to it or bring back jobs.  Romney would have been worse since he publicly supported the offshoring of jobs.

Long Island has been seriously hit with the down turn.  Jobs are leaving here fast.  No wonder, taxes are insane, the cost of living is among the highest in the country, pollution is getting worse everyday.  So companies are leaving in droves.  And with them, jobs.  What jobs are left are going to unbdocumented aliens for the low end jobs, and the rest to those under 40 with those under 30 getting the bulk of them.  For the rest it is who can stab who in the back first and the best.

And with the announcement that taxes are going up even higher as well as fuel oil plus add how LIPA is sure to raise rates through the roof, more jobs are going to leave.  By the end of 2013 I am guessing that 20% if not more companies will leave.  And more "mom and pop" businesses will be forced to close their doors ever before in history.

Long Island is no nirvana.

So far for me it has been 9 months since I was terminated and so for no prospects.  With this being Christmas season and no income coming in, it is going to be a dollar store type of holiday.

Anyway, I am going to make this short for I have to send out more resumes.  Never know when one hits.

'till next time.