Chill in spine begone!Rach3 wrote: ↑Sat Dec 30, 2023 5:08 pmSome interesting polling about democratic values in today's USA:
https://www.yahoo.com/news/large-number ... 49404.html
What a Great Country America Is
Re: What a Great Country America Is
Re: What a Great Country America Is
Latest from the MAGA loonies, embryo wars, and medication shortages ( of penicillin ?!!):
https://www.washingtonpost.com/politics ... that-easy/ (free)
https://www.washingtonpost.com/politics ... that-easy/ (free)
Re: What a Great Country America Is
Forgot: Jails getting more full:Rach3 wrote: ↑Thu Feb 22, 2024 8:13 amLatest from the MAGA loonies, embryo wars, and medication shortages ( of penicillin ?!!):
https://www.washingtonpost.com/politics ... that-easy/ (free)
https://www.axios.com/2024/02/22/us-pri ... ndemic-era
Re: What a Great Country America Is
From Investigate Midwest newsletter today, why the country "stinks":
https://investigatemidwest.org/2024/04/ ... 8_COPY_01)
https://investigatemidwest.org/2024/04/ ... 8_COPY_01)
https://investigatemidwest.org/2024/04/ ... 8_COPY_01)
https://investigatemidwest.org/2024/04/ ... 8_COPY_01)
Re: What a Great Country America Is
CR Gazette recently:
"I grew up in a Morris County, New Jersey town six decades ago. Dad was a teacher. Grandpa repaired radios. Like our neighbors we lived in an older home affordable on a modest income. Nearby were orchards, vegetable farms, and dairies.
It’s gone. For decades politicians and civic leaders successfully courted large corporations to move to the county. Citizens were told they’d bring prosperity and their presence would reduce everyone’s taxes, while providing quality employment.
Many attractive corporate campuses now nestle near my childhood home. Farms have vanished. The economic development promise touted by decision-makers isn’t shared by all. Although some businesses profited by selling services to newly arrived international corporations, most wage earners struggled as the cost of living rose faster than their incomes.
Amid Morris County’s prosperity the taxes on mom and dad’s old Jersey bungalow continued to rise. They are now about three times higher than if the home was in Cedar Rapids. An ice cream cone, and just about everything else, costs at least 30% more than in Iowa. Gradually teachers, roofers, and workers who help elderly folks couldn’t afford to live locally and now must commute long distances to work.
When a wealthy corporation seems likely to move to an area politicians and civic leaders jump with joy to roll out the red carpet. They claim the new company will attract money. They do, but for modest income families, it’s a false promise.
Civic leaders cite short term gains as they promise a potential new company abundant energy, clean water, sewage service, police protection, and roads, while dishing out vast tax breaks. When these companies eventually pay taxes they rarely cover the cost of delivering their demanded services. So, everyone’s property taxes and use fees rise to cover the cost of serving a wealthy corporation.
There’s more. Rapid economic growth creates traffic, crowding and the loss of rural charm as farms are replaced ( Rach3: Not to mention lost food producing acres and environmental protections) by massive corporate buildings and expensive homes that most local citizens can’t afford.
I’m not opposed to economic growth. It helps maintain a viable lifestyle for everyone but is best done by helping locally owned companies grow. They have loyalty to our town and their employees. In contrast, huge corporations view employees as commodities and don’t hesitate to lay them off, as Google recently did.
Promoters of big corporations produce rosy economic projections. Be wary. To measure the impact of massive economic development on modest income families go online and see what housing costs in Silicon Valley or Morris County.
I ask decision-makers and civic boosters to think down the road … beyond their political terms or lives. Be wary of promises made by outside corporations that want to move here, not because they’re invested in our community, but because it’s cheap. Make decisions that enable families of all income levels to live in our communities in the long term.
New Jersey native Rich Patterson has lived in Cedar Rapids since 1978."
"I grew up in a Morris County, New Jersey town six decades ago. Dad was a teacher. Grandpa repaired radios. Like our neighbors we lived in an older home affordable on a modest income. Nearby were orchards, vegetable farms, and dairies.
It’s gone. For decades politicians and civic leaders successfully courted large corporations to move to the county. Citizens were told they’d bring prosperity and their presence would reduce everyone’s taxes, while providing quality employment.
Many attractive corporate campuses now nestle near my childhood home. Farms have vanished. The economic development promise touted by decision-makers isn’t shared by all. Although some businesses profited by selling services to newly arrived international corporations, most wage earners struggled as the cost of living rose faster than their incomes.
Amid Morris County’s prosperity the taxes on mom and dad’s old Jersey bungalow continued to rise. They are now about three times higher than if the home was in Cedar Rapids. An ice cream cone, and just about everything else, costs at least 30% more than in Iowa. Gradually teachers, roofers, and workers who help elderly folks couldn’t afford to live locally and now must commute long distances to work.
When a wealthy corporation seems likely to move to an area politicians and civic leaders jump with joy to roll out the red carpet. They claim the new company will attract money. They do, but for modest income families, it’s a false promise.
Civic leaders cite short term gains as they promise a potential new company abundant energy, clean water, sewage service, police protection, and roads, while dishing out vast tax breaks. When these companies eventually pay taxes they rarely cover the cost of delivering their demanded services. So, everyone’s property taxes and use fees rise to cover the cost of serving a wealthy corporation.
There’s more. Rapid economic growth creates traffic, crowding and the loss of rural charm as farms are replaced ( Rach3: Not to mention lost food producing acres and environmental protections) by massive corporate buildings and expensive homes that most local citizens can’t afford.
I’m not opposed to economic growth. It helps maintain a viable lifestyle for everyone but is best done by helping locally owned companies grow. They have loyalty to our town and their employees. In contrast, huge corporations view employees as commodities and don’t hesitate to lay them off, as Google recently did.
Promoters of big corporations produce rosy economic projections. Be wary. To measure the impact of massive economic development on modest income families go online and see what housing costs in Silicon Valley or Morris County.
I ask decision-makers and civic boosters to think down the road … beyond their political terms or lives. Be wary of promises made by outside corporations that want to move here, not because they’re invested in our community, but because it’s cheap. Make decisions that enable families of all income levels to live in our communities in the long term.
New Jersey native Rich Patterson has lived in Cedar Rapids since 1978."
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