In November 2002, a small group of Long Island?s civic, academic, labor and business leaders met at the Greentree Foundation?s conference center in Manhasset to discuss challenges facing the Long Island region and potential catalysts for new direction.

On February 12, 2004, the first Long Island Index was launched at the Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory?s Genome research center.  This achievement was the result of 15 months of coming together by Long Island ?s academics, businesses, labor and nonprofits.  The effort was built on the premise that an indicators project, such as those that have been a catalyst for positive results elsewhere, could work here.

The Long Island Index is a project that gathers and publishes data on the Long Island region.  Our operating principle is: ?Good information presented in a neutral manner can move policy.?  The Index does not advocate specific policies.  Instead, our goal is to be a catalyst for action, by engaging the community in thinking about our region and its future.

Specifically, the Index seeks to:

• Measure where we are and show trends over time.
• Encourage regional thinking.
• Compare our situation with other similar regions.
• Increase awareness of issues and an understanding of the interrelatedness.
• Inspire Long Islanders to work together in new ways to achieve shared goals.

The governing board of the Long Island Index is the Advisory Committee, composed of leaders from Long Island ?s business, labor, academic and nonprofit sectors.  The Rauch Foundation (www.rauchfoundation.org) acts as the convener of the Advisory committee and the financial underwriter of the project.

Over the past two years, the Long Island Index has had a noticeable impact on public dialogue in this region.  As of December 31, 2005, there have been nearly 200 articles, 5 million hits on the website (www.longislandindex.org), several radio shows and television programs as well as numerous citations by public officials and civic leaders. 

Most significantly, the Index has played a role in increasing the awareness by the general public of issues facing the region.  In particular, much media coverage has been given to the ?brain drain,? the loss of young adults 18-34 years old.  The December 2005 survey, ?At the Breaking Point?  Taxation and Governance on Long Island ,? revealed that about 93% of the general public believed this issue to be a ?serious? or ?very serious? problem compared to only 60% of the general public two years ago.

A big story from the 2006 Index is that Long Islanders are finding the costs of living on Long Island unbearable. Some 56% of local residents said they are somewhat or very likely to move in the next five years to an area with lower housing costs and property taxes (70% of 18-34 year olds and 64% of 50-64 year olds). The percentage of residents who report that it is somewhat or very difficult to meet monthly rent or mortgage payments rose from 35% in 2003 to 54% in 2005.

But the good news is that Long Islanders are ready for something new.  The 2005 Index showed:

1. 76% of Long Islanders favor pooling commercial property taxes and distributing them evenly across all school districts,
2. 67% support governmentsponsored affordable housing, and
3. majority support for building on former industrial, commercial and government properties, putting rental units in downtown areas and near train stations, and easing restrictions on rental apartments in single-family homes. 
   

Surprisingly, the 2006 Index shows that Long Islanders are even willing to consider alternative taxes and other ways of paying for services.

The future of all our regions depends on our ability to effect needed changes.  Suburbia has matured.  We must find new ways to come together; to debate the issues, define and evaluate the trade-offs, and provide solutions that work.