Trump Trainwreck - Ongoing diary of betrayal and evil

[Odin]

(11-23-2016, 06:12 PM)X_4AD_84 Wrote:

(11-23-2016, 04:53 PM)Eric the Green Wrote: We were talking on the thread about those people in the rural areas, about why they stay put in these depressed areas. As Trump's policies condemn them to even more poverty, they may be forced to move to the cities. That's what happens in most poor countries when crops fail, landowners get greedy or poverty gets worse. In fact, I'm amazed that rural voters are still so numerous that they can swing an election.

But if they move to the cities, there's a chance a few of them become less provincial in their thinking, less wedded to the self-reliance meme, and more aware of the benefits of government services and regulations. It used to be one of the demographic trends in America and worldwide, that people moved to the cities, and cities expanded. Could this trend start back up again, and add to the demographic trend of increasing diversity-- likely to still be a factor given that hispanics don't soon forget insults and attacks on them?

Well, at this point I'm grasping for any kind of hope

Lower cost of living.

Especially if someone doesn't have the skills and experience to work in tech / finance / media / etc. If a person has a McJob, where would they rather be? Paying out the nose at the coasts or living a bit better inland?

BTW - many of the people I went to high school with have left the Bay Area. We are not talking people who grew up in the East Bay or far North Bay here. These are people who grew up "upper middle class" on The Peninsula, although the ones who moved away mostly did not go into tech. That appears to be one of the key decision points. Another one is, even if in tech or other high paid career, people who want to recreate what they experienced growing up during the 70s need to move someplace like Placer County or out of state in order to afford the equivalent now. A number of the ones who've not moved away are either unmarried or if married, are child free. Once one does not have to worry about raising a family, options open up regarding where to live.

Bingo! Here in the Fargo area you can buy a nice house for what would only get you a shoe box in the Bay Area.

In rural areas you can be working class and still afford a decent house, my mom's home was $40,000 (in 1994 dollars).