Downsizing Cities In Decline

Every day I thank my long-departed mom and dad for having the courage to separate their family from the economic and social decline of the Appalachian Rust Belt. Leaving "home," the house itself, nearby family members, and the sense of security and place offered by those ancient mountains was not an easy decision. At the same time, ambition and declining opportunity can be powerful motivators when in tandem. But what happens to those who stay? The region my parents left fifty years ago began to reach a stasis around 2000 after years of slow, steady decline. With a few exceptions, the population centers became ghosts of their former selves. I expect substantial improvement in the next fifty years because the area will become the exurbs of Washington. Four generations is a long time to return to modest prosperity.

What happens if there is no Washington on the horizon? What happens if the city is Flint, Michigan, one of many large cities in a nanny state where high business taxes, unsustainable union wages, and the costs of generous state benefits and services suppress private incentives? A contributor at NewMajority.com has some comment on Flint and its strategy to develop a viable community after losing half its population in the last forty years. Reading the link to the New York Times article is essential.