OH NO! They're going to take Our JOBS! (Pittsburgh, Beaver Falls: neighborhoods, elementary schools)

[gwillyfromphilly]

Originally Posted by wanderlust76

I'm sure Pittsburghers or people from WV give a rats arse what you think about them or what their potential is gwillyfromphillyinNJ.

So you're the one that sent me that pleasant message in the rep comment?

[gwillyfromphilly]

Originally Posted by wanderlust76

I'm sure Pittsburghers or people from WV give a rats arse what you think about them or what their potential is gwillyfromphillyinNJ.

People move to different locations, I'm no exception. I am originally from Philadelphia in case you were confused.

[Hopes]

Originally Posted by gwillyfromphilly

People move to different locations, I'm no exception. I am originally from Philadelphia in case you were confused.

What does this have to do with Pittsburgh?

[gwillyfromphilly]

Originally Posted by Hopes

What does this have to do with Pittsburgh?

Nothing, I was just addressing the statement directed at me. No big deal.

Anyway, my main point was that Pittsburgh should embrace its immigrant community. It adds to the already rich culture of the city. Nothing wrong with diversity.

[I_Like_Spam]

Originally Posted by GeneW

There's only so many people who can move here from inside the US and we're not reproducing fast enough to make up for deaths so immigration is the only way that we can really grow. Pittsburgh has one of the lowest percent of foreign for population in the country which is a big reason why we've lost so much population.

If an area has growth in economic opportunity, people will move there from all over- both in the United States or elsewhere.

Here in the Pittsburgh area, Cranberry has been growing like a weed, but without a whole lot of foreign immigration.

The reason why the Pittsburgh area as a whole has been declining in population is the lack of opportunities, no a lack of immigrants (that's a result of the former)

[Velvet Jones]

Originally Posted by gwillyfromphilly

Pennsylvania could use a little more diversity as a whole. Just saying.

Why? Does Japan need more diversity? How about China? How about Nigeria or India?

[Aqua Teen Carl]

Originally Posted by Velvet Jones

Why? Does Japan need more diversity? How about China? How about Nigeria or India?

Shh, we don't talk about those places.

[phatty5011]

Diversity is extremely overrated. It is a natural thing, let it happen people.

[sskink]

Originally Posted by I_Like_Spam

If an area has growth in economic opportunity, people will move there from all over- both in the United States or elsewhere.

Here in the Pittsburgh area, Cranberry has been growing like a weed, but without a whole lot of foreign immigration.

The reason why the Pittsburgh area as a whole has been declining in population is the lack of opportunities, no a lack of immigrants (that's a result of the former)

Well, there's a bit of a Catch-22 in the above statements. True, Cranberry is growing. Lower taxes would be a huge reason for that.

However, it's been well-noted that Pittsburgh itself lacks investment capital. Which is why it's important to attract immigrants who have access to non-Pittsburgh funding as the general immigrant population is more likely to start small businesses than the US native-born population.

This from an article on PittsburghFuture.com.

National data show that foreign immigrants are more likely than U.S. natives to form small businesses. A study by the Fiscal Policy Institute found that nearly one in five small business owners (18%) in the U.S. in 2007 were immigrants and immigrant-owned businesses collectively employed 4.7 million workers. Another study done for the Partnership for a New American Economy found that even though immigrants represented only 13% of the U.S. population, they started 28% of all new U.S. businesses in 2011.

Immigrants play a particularly important role in creating fast-growing technology-oriented firms. A study sponsored by the Kaufmann Foundation found that one-fourth of the engineering and technology companies formed in the U.S. between 2006 and 2012 had at least one key founder who was foreign-born.

Unfortunately, Southwestern Pennsylvania isn’t benefiting from the above-average entrepreneurial skills of immigrants because our region ranks dead last among the top 40 regions in the percentage of the population born in another country. Census data show that only 3% of the Pittsburgh Region’s residents are foreign-born, whereas in places like Atlanta, Austin, Boston, Charlotte, Denver, and Seattle, 10-20% of the residents were born abroad.

Remember that when we're talking about immigration, we're not just talking about dishwashers, cooks and cleaning people.

[eschaton]

Why don't they give grants for people from Armstrong County to start businesses?