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No I didn’t, but can you tell me why I am mistaken. That’s the point of the thread lol. My assumption was based on Connecticut mostly in that it was a very prosperous state in the early 2000’s but it had the shortsighted mistake of having the majority of its functions and profitability clustered in the southwestern part of the state as we currently have in our eastern part of the state
You've got it exactly wrong. The problem with Connecticut isn't that they made the "shortsighted mistake of having the majority of its functions and profitability clustered in the southwestern part of the state". The problem is that they, like New Jersey, don't have a world-renowned city plugged into the modern, global economy.
The places that are booming right now are all centered around globally competitive cities. I suspect the reason is that in an era of global free trade, American innovation is still valuable, but American hard work is easily replaced by much cheaper Korean, Chinese, and Vietnamese hard work. If you think places like Connecticut have it tough, take a drive through parts of West Virginia and Ohio.
Boston has real affordability problems, but trying to push businesses to other parts of the state is not going to work. Boston has the critical mass of people and capital to thrive in the modern economy. Companies and capital don't want to go to Springfield. Yes, it's more affordable there, but it's even more affordable in the South or in Mexico. The reasons for this are driven by the global economy and can't really be addressed by local policy. If they can be addressed at all, it will have to be at the federal level. This is actually one of the main things Trump has campaigned on and sells really well in certain parts of the country.
You've got it exactly wrong. The problem with Connecticut isn't that they made the "shortsighted mistake of having the majority of its functions and profitability clustered in the southwestern part of the state". The problem is that they, like New Jersey, don't have a world-renowned city plugged into the modern, global economy.
The places that are booming right now are all centered around globally competitive cities. I suspect the reason is that in an era of global free trade, American innovation is still valuable, but American hard work is easily replaced by much cheaper Korean, Chinese, and Vietnamese hard work. If you think places like Connecticut have it tough, take a drive through parts of West Virginia and Ohio.
Boston has real affordability problems, but trying to push businesses to other parts of the state is not going to work. Boston has the critical mass of people and capital to thrive in the modern economy. Companies and capital don't want to go to Springfield. Yes, it's more affordable there, but it's even more affordable in the South or in Mexico. The reasons for this are driven by the global economy and can't really be addressed by local policy. If they can be addressed at all, it will have to be at the federal level. This is actually one of the main things Trump has campaigned on and sells really well in certain parts of the country.
I wouldn’t say exactly wrong..much of Southwestern CT and NJ are extremely commutable to NYC and Phillly although the that’s not the same as in the borders of the state it shows that for local municipalities, proximity to the Global engine doesn’t necessarily give you a free pass forever. Especially when commutes get to crazy. I don’t really think it’s tough and CT it’s much nicer than the average state and of course it’s leagues nicer than Ohio and West Virginia.
Location: RI, MA, VT, WI, IL, CA, IN (that one sucked), KY
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Originally Posted by BostonBornMassMade
I wouldn’t say exactly wrong..much of Southwestern CT and NJ are extremely commutable to NYC and Phillly although the that’s not the same as in the borders of the state it shows that for local municipalities, proximity to the Global engine doesn’t necessarily give you a free pass forever. Especially when commutes get to crazy. I don’t really think it’s tough and CT it’s much nicer than the average state and of course it’s leagues nicer than Ohio and West Virginia.
I think there are some nice parts of Ohio. Quite a few, actually. I'd rather live there than CT. But I may be in a minority.
I feel Massachusetts becoming more like Connecticut circa 2000 or New Jersey in the 1990s every day, some of that makes some happy some of it makes me uneasy.
It seems that corruption has gotten worse in Massachusetts since the Mitt Romney days.
Nearly all positive development is clustered within 10 miles of Boston city borders.
Blue laws are done away with.
Slow reinvestment in public transportation but its too little too late and I predict mass. will stagnate growth wise for a bit until all the new construction and trains and so on are done in the early 2020's
In addition to that many of the cities who were struggling with reducing crime illegal immigration and drugs in the early 2000s, have mostly resigned to failure i.e. Brockton, Lawrence, New Bedford and yes even Lowell. Violence has hardened amongst gentrification in Roxbury Dorchester Mattapan Hyde Park
The state no longer even competes with other states like NJ MD CT CO MN for educational credentials, its a given were #! a long way from the mediocrity of 1970s-1990s Mass. education.
In a few months, there will be weed stores and multiple casinos.
It seems every month there is a racist incident or battle on racism, or a new minority leader struggling in this state, violence against in formerly quiet towns like Falmouth, Weymouth etc.
Old working-class Massachusetts of even the 1990s seems to be a distant memory...
FIshing by Umass Boston is no longer allowed, Martha's Vineyard has become a diverse celebrity playground.
The until recently blue collar/grassroots/collegey immediate Greater Boston now outpaces NYC in terms of price...
MetroWest is the exclusive enclave of the wealthy... goodbye middle-class Natick, Arlington, Newton
The old quiet Inner South Shore towns are struggling, diveersifying, growing and adding density all at once.
Outer South Shore is the enclave of the Noveau Riche, and quiet Trump country whereas previously it had been home to the Charlie Baker Type.
Western Mass has been given away to the fate of the casino and Runaway CT'ers and vacationing NY'ers
Metro-North has become a global melting pot, soon to be an expensive global melting pot.
North Shore town seems to have remained mostly the same.
New Hampshire no longer wants to be associated with the Merrimack Valley-that seems to be a really new trend over the past 15 years...
The South Coast has been jettisoned into Rhode Island for all intents and purposes. People hardly think of New Bedford and Fall River as Mass anymore it seems.
....
These are all just observations of what I see going on in this state. No theme or order. I'm very interested to see if you all notice what I notice and agree or disagree, and please feel free to add more! hopefully, this thread stays on topic!
I agree with a lot of this. Except for, I don't know how you can say those other states are better than MA in education. Hasn't MA been #1 for a while now? That is ONE area where MA should rightfully pat itself on the back up to a certain point, although when it starts using that to create a shadow over its many flaws is what I find disturbing.
Also, the South Coast has been jettisoned into RI for as long as I can remember. Prior to cable, I guess all their media and everything else came from Providence and Mass. has always brushed it off as the "armpit of Massachusetts". It also has a unique Portuguese and WASP combination (as well as Cape Verdean), giving it a very different cultural feel from the rest of the state (and more similar to parts of RI).
The last I dispute is the racial incidents. I echo others that it is no more frequent, just more heavily publicized. One thing I do notice travelling back to MA (after being away for a few years) is far more minorities in the suburbs as well as former solidly white Boston neighborhoods. Between that and more whites appearing in former minority majority neighborhoods and gentrifying them, perhaps that is spiking new tensions (at least on the surface).
But yes, Massachusetts certainly has changed. And very fast, even compared to 2012 or 2013 it seems.
I think there are some nice parts of Ohio. Quite a few, actually. I'd rather live there than CT. But I may be in a minority.
Unlike CT, at least OH has a few decent cities (and I guess some nice small towns/rural areas as well). I do have a cousin on the Appalachian side and he says it's pretty bleak.
Unlike CT, at least OH has a few decent cities (and I guess some nice small towns/rural areas as well). I do have a cousin on the Appalachian side and he says it's pretty bleak.
What are the decent cities in Ohio? Cleveland, Columbus, Toledo, Cincinnati, Youngstown are all lousy.
You've got it exactly wrong. The problem with Connecticut isn't that they made the "shortsighted mistake of having the majority of its functions and profitability clustered in the southwestern part of the state". The problem is that they, like New Jersey, don't have a world-renowned city plugged into the modern, global economy.
The places that are booming right now are all centered around globally competitive cities. I suspect the reason is that in an era of global free trade, American innovation is still valuable, but American hard work is easily replaced by much cheaper Korean, Chinese, and Vietnamese hard work. If you think places like Connecticut have it tough, take a drive through parts of West Virginia and Ohio.
Boston has real affordability problems, but trying to push businesses to other parts of the state is not going to work. Boston has the critical mass of people and capital to thrive in the modern economy. Companies and capital don't want to go to Springfield. Yes, it's more affordable there, but it's even more affordable in the South or in Mexico. The reasons for this are driven by the global economy and can't really be addressed by local policy. If they can be addressed at all, it will have to be at the federal level. This is actually one of the main things Trump has campaigned on and sells really well in certain parts of the country.
Uh not exactly.
You can have a place book without being globally competitive. Groton CT is booming with the submarines and drones. I personally have a friend that' worked for the company tracking MH370 and they were paid by China, not the other way around because China doesn't have the technology.
Companies and capital don't want to go to Springfield? I'm down the street from a one billion dollar casino with thousands of employees O yeah and the CRRC Ma plant that's making the MBTA rail cars because nothing is made in Boston anymore, not even Necco wafers. Labor and capital are all imported. Average income is 45K (same level as a MGM job) or less and high school graduation rates are 72% (actually lower than springfield public schools). The downtown hasn't looked this good in decades if not a generation. Bikelanes with ride sharing, new trash barrels, victorian homes being spruced up, housing flipping for 2 to 3 times original costs. Housing going up 12% year over year. You can go to NYC cheaper and faster vs boston even with the Acela. I see construction all over the place and everyone is hiring.
So with respect to lower prices you can send things to other parts of the state or country for lower prices. Also keep in mind when you do business in other countries you are subject to their laws, not US laws. Someone takes your intellectual property? Well you are SOL because unless you have an attorney that not only knows those languages but the law you won't stand a chance in foreign court. I deal with OEM's in China on a personal basis and trust me you can't go after them with US laws.
"What are the decent cities in Ohio? Cleveland, Columbus, Toledo, Cincinnati, Youngstown are all lousy."
Those cities are nothing alike. To compare Youngstown with Cincinnati is like judging NYC vs Albany. Cincinnati isn't bad. There was a huge turnaround post 2001
yeah I know it isn't by the coasts or is "exciting" but frankly few care. It's a very affordable housing market and that's what people want while living in a urban area.
What are the decent cities in Ohio? Cleveland, Columbus, Toledo, Cincinnati, Youngstown are all lousy.
I never been, but I heard Cleveland is a fun place to visit and the new area by the waterfront has been done up real nice.
Columbus is supposed to be decent as well.
I wouldn't mind a weekend in either for whatever reason, while 1 hour in Hartford would be too much (maybe that's not totally fair but you get the point).
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O yeah and the CRRC Ma plant that's making the MBTA rail cars because nothing is made in Boston anymore, not even Necco wafers. Labor and capital are all imported. Average income is 45K (same level as a MGM job) or less and high school graduation rates are 72% (actually lower than springfield public schools). The downtown hasn't looked this good in decades if not a generation. Bikelanes with ride sharing, new trash barrels, victorian homes being spruced up, housing flipping for 2 to 3 times original costs. Housing going up 12% year over year. You can go to NYC cheaper and faster vs boston even with the Acela. I see construction all over the place and everyone is hiring. 
