Relocating to Pittsburgh? ...A word of Caution (Oil City, Media: amusement parks, houses)

[Drover]

First of all, you're talking to someone with a degree in political science who used to do policy analysis for a living, including economic policy. I'm also in a doctorate program where I spend hours every day studying public policy. So don't patronize me. I probably know a lot more about both subjects than you do.

You think the city can survive on its revenue stream from sales taxes alone? You think the solution to poor city services is to eliminate them altogether rather than improve them, and you think that is going to draw people into the city? And you're telling me to read American Government For Dummies?

I bet you did so without the slightest hint of irony.

[ontheroad]

Drover, I for one don't think you need to justify your opinions or qualify who or what you are.

This is clearly a question of political positions. The conservative position of nicap vs. your own and perhaps others and likely my own.

I can't imagine Pittsburgh benefiting from the reduction of taxes but I am not a fiscal conservative. Pots of money need to be re-distributed, but not eliminated. Little pockets of power in the boroughs and the City need more centralization to reduce excess spending or redundancy (how many city halls does it take to run the show)?

And Pittsburgh isn't about steel or blue-colour success anymore and it is unlikely it will return to a labour-force of skilled, hard-working folk. The country as a whole has re-directed much of its blue labour abroad. It proved cheaper but cost the US jobs, communities and fiscal dependency.

It would seem that making a difference would be to analyze where we went wrong for the working class and middleclass and change course. I'm not able to suggest anything that a fiscal conservative would respect because I believe in social democracy. Social democracy would be more intervention (by the government), but in the long-run, more equitable distribution of taxes and salaries.

Pittsburgh could be a model for rather than a model against social change.

[Drover]

Originally Posted by ontheroad

Drover, I for one don't think you need to justify your opinions or qualify who or what you are.

This is clearly a question of political positions. The conservative position of nicap vs. your own and perhaps others and likely my own.

For one, I'm not in the habit of rattling off my qualifications to folks, particularly on web forums. It's usually not productive. But I make an exception when people who almost certainly know quite a bit less about a subject than I do tell me to go learn it. For another, I also happen to be a fiscal conservative, but I'm one who is grounded in reality and knows that Pittsburgh is not going to survive on its revenues from sales taxes alone (nor is any other city for that matter) and that eliminating rather than improving city services in a major urban center is not going to draw people back into the city. I'm all for streamlining services by eliminating waste and redundancy and maximizing revenue through sound fiscal policy that does not tax people out of the region. But what nicap proposes is so over-the-top that it crosses into "ridiculous" territory.

[ontheroad]

Well, I suppose in this case, fiscal conservative has various degrees

Have a good holiday, Drover! and all those reading!

[Prock]

I have GOT to republish this in as many other forums as I can get this to. I think the problems we have stem from people thinking like you two boneheads do. PLEASE address some of the specific, relevant issues that I mentioned. It is so like a socialist to run from the facts! Sad that debating real ideas and real solutions quickly disintegrates into name-calling and personal attacks. I stopped doing that (mostly) when I was about 10.

When we need a Pol Pot or Ferdinand Marcos to run our lives for us, I will be sure to drop you both a line. In the meantime, I got a sleigh to catch so...

....TO ALL A GOOD NIGHT.

[Need_affordable_home]

The OP's opinion is valid and well heeded. I will refrain from saying anything bad about Pittsburgh as ive never visited the city. Ill just say that ive read your opinions and have taken that into consideration. I want to ask how does Oil city compare to Pittsburgh?

[Drover]

Originally Posted by Need_affordable_home

The OP's opinion is valid and well heeded. I will refrain from saying anything bad about Pittsburgh as ive never visited the city. Ill just say that ive read your opinions and have taken that into consideration. I want to ask how does Oil city compare to Pittsburgh?

What??? How does Oil City compare to Pittsburgh??? Is that a serious question? That's like asking someone to compare a slingshot to a sofa. They both have their purposes, but their purposes are so disparate that a comparison is utterly meaningless.

[Need_affordable_home]

The OP had alot of bad things to say about Pittsburgh so id be interested to see what he has to say about Oil city. I already know some of the differences.

[mrswoogie]

I swear, I have tears of joy in my eyes, I have been planning a move to Pittsburgh for a while. My parents born & raised in somerset co,now live near the mason dixon line. I plan to be there in about 5 years or less. I plan to live somewhere southeast of the city about 30 to 60 miles away somewheres off of 70. I want acreage and dont want to see anyone but cows and deers. I grew up in washington dc slums on the east side, I now live up near baltimore murder capital. I am a tradeswoman blue collar union workaholic who is lucky to be alive after working in dc & balt, I cant wait to get the fleeep outa here, I am going to buy one of those country houses with acreage, I am in my early 40s have a husband and toddler, I will sell my house here and buy one up there like buying a jacket. well water, woods, fireplace, barn, goats, sheep, emus whatever I will get them, when it snows I will be happy to be snowed in and look out my windows and see Nothing. But. White. Undisturbed. Snow. and in the summer up in the elevation, I will be breathing clean air and not metrobus fumes. I will not sweat like a pig, it will be lower humidity and then around twilight this cool air will come down off the mountian and I will say ahhhhhhhh. how lovely and go in and watch the penguins play hockey. something no one here knows what it is. So I would love to hear more about making my dream come true (some place nice for a child to grow up is a dream around here) want to hear more and I am sooo glad I found these forums they can be verrry useful. The way every one is discribing the area-----bad opinions and good ones, makes me say YAY!

[OutaFL]

I am researching PGH for relocation and continually excited by what I read.
BTW, maybe it is not the 3rd cloudiest city in the US. Here is a weather statistic site:

http://www.wxresearch.com/triv.htm
PGH is not even in the top 10 cloudiest - besides, 2 of Americas finest cities Seattle and Portland are - not bad company.

When more Americans are sick of over-priced real estate, hurricanes and other coastal isuues, they are going to be looking more and more to undervalued places Pittsburgh, just like I am. Besides, I was in PGH 15 years ago and thought it was great then too.