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News
Study Shows That Long Island Is Entering A Period of Social And
Economic Crisis
As Baby Boomers Retire:
Dowling College President Robert J. Gaffney Calls For a Summit At
Dowling
OAKDALE, NY - Dowling College President Robert J. Gaffney termed a
study prepared by the Long Island Economic and Social Policy Institute
(LIESP) at Dowling College about aging on Long Island as "alarming."
The study will be formally released Friday morning, October 26 at
LIESP's monthly Roundtable about Long Island's future, being held
at Newsday in Melville.
The report titled, "Aging on Long Island: A Crisis In Its Infancy"
was prepared by LIESP Director Martin Cantor and showed that the only
demographic group on Long Island that will grow during the next 20 years
will be aging baby boomers. Mr. Cantor said "as baby boomers leave
their youth behind, there will be fewer Long Islanders around to replace
them in the regional workforce."
The study revealed that between the years 2005 and 2025, those in the
region over age 65 will increase their representation in the regional
population from 13 percent in 2005 to 19 percent by 2025, a percentage
increase of 46.2 percent. In vivid contrast, those of ages up to 20
years decrease from 27 to 24 percent of the population, or an 11.1
percent drop, while those between 20 to 65 years of age reflect a 5
percent decrease from 60 to 57 percent.
Mr. Cantor said that, "should these trends continue, Long Island
would be in the dire economic and sociological situation of not being
able to insure the sustainability of its economy, the viability of its
ability to raise tax dollars to maintain its infrastructure and the
fabric of its society."
President Gaffney concluded that, "the findings of this study are too
important to ignore and should inspire all of Long Island's citizens
and elected officials to begin to pay attention to the aging of Long
Island and organize a summit to discuss the aging of Long Island."
President Gaffney offered to host such a summit at Dowling College.
About Dowling College
Dowling College is an independent, coeducational college that serves more than 6,500 students at
its historic Rudolph Campus on the banks of the Connetquot River in Oakdale, NY, and the 105-acre
Brookhaven Campus in eastern Long Island and a business center located near the Nassau-Suffolk
border in Melville. Dowling offers Bachelor′s, Master′s, and Doctoral degrees in several
disciplines through its four schools: Arts and Sciences, Aviation, Business, and Education.
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