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Hardly. I can drive across New England and never see the level of poverty, illiteracy, poor health I see driving from southern Virginia to the The Research Triangle region of NC.
The cost to operate business isn't cheaper when you can't find quality workers, healthy, educated workers, and your infrastructure is crumbling.
I wouldn't say that the infrastructure in the south has been crumbling... In fact, the infrastructure is new in many parts of southern cities because they've been growing quite rapidly. Attracting high quality workers hasn't been a problem either, especially when housing and property taxes are much much lower than the northern cities.
Research Triangle would havebeen impossible without public dollars. Ditto Austin. Without the state-funded universities in the backyards of these areas, plus the public investment in infrastructure, it's hard to imagine these places growing organically todaywith just private dollars. Also, the first tenant at RTP was IBM <from New York> and the EPA <federal dollars>.
The other point is that these "homegrown" businesses weren't built in a vacuum without publically-funded schools, infrastructure and/or imported talent.
Good grief.
Where would this not be true?
Does Silicon Valley, for example, not have public universities or public infrastructure (roads, water, sewer)? Do the companies there not have any imported talent, for example Indians and ethnic Chinese here on H1B visas? Why is this different?
Bottom line: You asked to be corrected if you were wrong. Well, you were wrong, and you have been corrected. The RTP area has more PhDs per capita than just about anywhere else in the world. They don't sit on their thumbs all day. RTP is the largest research-and-development park in the world, it's in the South, it was envisioned and developed by Southerners, and it involves very little public money (quite the contrary, actually, as the payroll taxes on RTP employees are enormous).
Last edited by Hamish Forbes; 09-09-2013 at 02:21 PM..
Well, aside from technology, banking, energy production, OIL, auto manufacturing, electrical equipment--things like LARGE transformers, food/, fish, cattle, aircraft manufacturing, space programs, tourism, textiles, boat/ship building and any economic impact.
They are all leaches. Best not to patronize bank of America, fly on a Boeing plane, heat with oil, run your car on gas, eat steak, have carpet on your floors, enjoy the Florida sun, appreciate electricity, or live in a manufactured home. People who provide our nation with these goods and services are simply gaming the system.
It has occurred to us recently that the South's economic strategy can be summarized in one word: "poaching". The South isn't creating new jobs as much as it is poaching them for other places. The South, with the help/ investment of the government isn't creating anything but fast food entrees, snack cakes and sugary soft drinks. Can anyone name anything that's come out of the South that hasn't been a byproduct of public investment or isn't associated with a food product that tastes good but is dismal or your health?
As. Southerner, I don't see how the South has made it without handouts from taxpayers, poaching jobs from other places or creating food products that are hazardous to our health.
Please, correct me if I'm wrong.
Kentucky's thoroughbred horse industry. Still not viewed as a food product on this side of the Pond, thankfully...
Cheap labor isn't disappearing unfortunately. In spite of the hard work of educators, the "education" policy of the GOP in the South guarantees a steady supply of barely literate workers for at least the next generation.
I was referring to cheap knowledge workers. Those are the kinds of labor that are attracting businesses down south. As their economy improves, the cost of their labor will increase for sure. I see the lack of education in the South as a temporary thing. In the next 100 years or so, things will change for the better.
I was referring to cheap knowledge workers. Those are the kinds of labor that are attracting businesses down south. As their economy improves, the cost of their labor will increase for sure. I see the lack of education in the South as a temporary thing. In the next 100 years or so, things will change for the better.
LOL. 100 years! You're right though....sadly.
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