America is a sick society

[David Horn]

(12-20-2016, 03:51 PM)Bob Butler 54 Wrote:

(12-20-2016, 03:05 PM)David Horn Wrote:

(12-20-2016, 11:51 AM)Bob Butler 54 Wrote: This is exaggerated by various parts of the country having traditions of and workforces trained for specific industries.  The new companies and jobs tend to be high tech.  If one is booting up a high tech start up, it would be silly not to locate in Silicon Valley, Route 128 or similar enclaves.  That's where you find workers with the skills you need to make it.  You can find such workers even though the cost of living would be a downer.

The Rust Belt towns are often built around one factory.  When that factory goes away, you get a slow death.  Wishful thinking suggests all one needs is some sort of replacement.  Not easy.

Don't ignore lower tech artisan "industries" like craft beer and eco-tourism.  Neither of those thrives in high tech havens, unless those places also have plenty of good water and outdoor activities.  Every new industry emerges where it does because it can.

That can't be ignored, but it would take more than one artisan project like that to replace what Goodyear Tire and Rubber used to do for the city of Akron.  Certainly, that sort of thing ought to be encouraged.

Our largest area city is small by urban standards (about 180.000 in the metro area), but lost it's main industry with the railroad pulled out.  Now, they make do with an active arts scene, ecotourism, and seven craft breweries.  Two large craft brewers are in the process of adding East Coast capacity too, so it may be a lot more than that in the near future.  The area also has about 12 small wineries.  I have two within 3 miles of me.

By comparison, Asheville NC has about 20 breweries and the winery at Biltmore Estate.    Ii assume there are other wineries as well.  Susan Brombacher would know better than me.