Please register to participate in our discussions with 2 million other members - it's free and quick! Some forums can only be seen by registered members. After you create your account, you'll be able to customize options and access all our 15,000 new posts/day with fewer ads.
Almost 50% of the people in those statistics are students with little "income". Permanent residents are doing just fine. Students show little income because they are generally either getting money from their families or using borrowed funds. I'm amazed it shows only 34% when you consider how they gather their data.
Almost 50% of the people in those statistics are students with little "income". Permanent residents are doing just fine. Students show little income because they are generally either getting money from their families or using borrowed funds. I'm amazed it shows only 34% when you consider how they gather their data.
Of course if CT had bothered to actually review the cited source, he might have noted that that 36% figure was out of a 30K population, which obviously doesn't include the students. If it did, Morgantown's population would be closer to 59K, of which around 50-60% would be below the poverty level. Of course, CT is too concerned proving that the DC metro is a leech on the society, unlike a university town which receives the majority of its funding from State & Federal funds, with the rest coming from a student body, 85%+ of whom receive federally subsidized financial aid. Too bad that doesn't fit into his world view of the big bad government causing nothing but destruction.
Oh CT, if you want to discuss demographic economics in NoVa, you should probably be aware that it's full of the most affluent contingent in America, with around 1.5 million people having an average median income of 100k+. Of course, you will counter with that it's a bunch of undeserving communists who embrace big government, but you would probably be ignoring the fact that it's the most educated workforce in america and also includes many VERY conservative defense industry types.
So then CT will point to this 30K kids under the poverty level figure he pulled out of his ass (which I can't find a citation for). Assuming he's talking about Northern Virginia, and not the DC metro.. let's throw out some numbers. Just looking at PWC, Loudoun, Fairfax, Arlington and Alexandria public school systems (not including the very extensive private network), we're looking at around 355K school aged children. If I am to believe your number, that puts the below poverty line level at around 8%. Now, if I had bothered to sum up the rest of the local school systems and included those enrolled in private schools, that number would drop even lower.
CT, you and Cry are two peas in a pod. You both bounce these ridiculous assumptions off of one another and pat each other on the back, only to be proven wrong by reality time and time again.
Unfortunately, I've got to go now, because I'm worried the Charleston anti-morgantown squad might be hot on my tail. Don't want those extremely powerful WVU alumni legislators to catch me, they might punish me by taking more awesome roads from Morgantown!
To clear this up, the census counts off campus students in its poverty numbers, while counting the students in the overall numbers. This was told to me by a news reporter in my area when I asked him questions in regards to an article about poverty where I live. So, if you are in a college town or a city with a relatively strong college presence, it will skew the poverty percentage to at least a notable to pretty high degree. Take a look at similar college towns like State College PA, East Lansing MI, Ithaca NY, Bloomington IN, etc. and you will find a similar situation in that regard. Many times the campus may not be fully in that city as well.
So in the numbers reported above, they're counting the students in the percentage, but not including them in the population figure? I'm pretty sure their method would not change halfway through the table.
Of course if CT had bothered to actually review the cited source, he might have noted that that 36% figure was out of a 30K population, which obviously doesn't include the students. If it did, Morgantown's population would be closer to 59K, of which around 50-60% would be below the poverty level. Of course, CT is too concerned proving that the DC metro is a leech on the society, unlike a university town which receives the majority of its funding from State & Federal funds, with the rest coming from a student body, 85%+ of whom receive federally subsidized financial aid. Too bad that doesn't fit into his world view of the big bad government causing nothing but destruction.
Oh CT, if you want to discuss demographic economics in NoVa, you should probably be aware that it's full of the most affluent contingent in America, with around 1.5 million people having an average median income of 100k+. Of course, you will counter with that it's a bunch of undeserving communists who embrace big government, but you would probably be ignoring the fact that it's the most educated workforce in america and also includes many VERY conservative defense industry types.
...
Unfortunately, I've got to go now, because I'm worried the Charleston anti-morgantown squad might be hot on my tail. Don't want those extremely powerful WVU alumni legislators to catch me, they might punish me by taking more awesome roads from Morgantown!
Indeed, Guss you are wrong. The Government encompasses many ironies in its inconsistencies in the use of statistics. One of those is to use population data that includes only "permanent" residents, and economic data that includes all residents. Your personal attacks directed at others do not change that fact.
I really could care less about statistics regarding northern Virginia. This is a West Virginia board, specifically a Morgantown board. I responded to your NOVA post with statistics pointing out the obvious, ... that area is not quite the Nirvana you project it as being, but that is really beside the point. NOVA has no place in our discussion here. You come here spouting all sorts of rhetoric about northern Virginia and trying to portray us in a negative light, clouding the issue in the process and detracting form the purpose of the boards. It's difficult to focus on the purpose when you're hyjacking threads with NOVA stuff all the time. We don't want this to be some sort of Charleston vs. Morgantown thing. We want each area to be able to tout its advantages. Don't you think everyone would be better off if you were to return to the NOVA board and actually help somebody there? We want to continue doing that here for readers, but your interference makes that more difficult.
Trying to get back to the topic at hand, our middle class is doing just fine here in Morgantown. We have among the lowest unemployment rates in the country, our growth rate is amazing considering the economic doldrums faced nationally, and our balanced local economy is a model for other areas to emulate. While many large cities (those not fortunate enough to have large infusions of Government engendered artificial payroll) have suffered more than other areas, our population has been growing at a rate of nearly 2.5% per year here and while that is expected to slow in the upcoming years (projections call for 1.5% to 1.2%), population growth and low unemployment are expected to remain the norm for the foreseeable future.
We have nearly $1 billion in current and planned new construction taking place here in the public sector and in public/private combined endeavors. Additional construction on the private front continues unabated. Our shopping and business areas continue to maintain sustained growth. Only infrastructure investment on the part of the state remains as an obstacle to even more impressive performance, and to be honest we are starting to see some movement there too. Employment opportunities for our middle class are expected to remain robust, especially in the areas of healthcare and construction activities, in the upcoming years. Growth in Federal Government jobs in neighboring locales are also expected to have a positive effect here.
This whole notion that we somehow have a small middle class, or that our middle class is not doing well is simply false on the face of it, and is based on faulty statistics or the improper application of existing statistics, and media sensationalism. It only takes a visit to our city to see that the entire notion is bogus without even considering the underlying data. Our area is booming.
Last edited by CTMountaineer; 03-31-2013 at 09:25 AM..
Yep, that's their suggestion, but most students do not participate in the census at the college town because they are being carried as dependents on their parents tax returns and their parents count them as being part of their households. There are a few exceptions. If anybody believes that Morgantown, with a student population of nearly 30,000, only has 32,300 people including college students they have a screw loose. There are about 5,000 students counted among the permanent residents here. Most of them have parents living here too. Huntington and Fairmont have a similar situation where many people living there most of the time are not counted.
So in the numbers reported above, they're counting the students in the percentage, but not including them in the population figure? I'm pretty sure their method would not change halfway through the table.
Gustavo unfortunetly you being pretty sure is not fact. You are right the way they measure things doesn’t make sense. Tbailey already proved that. There is no consistency or logic and now you see that. They just make this up hence the different ways they count census and poverty levels. The article even directly mentions this inequality is due to the students. Your use of personal attacks doesn’t change the fact that you were wrong, as you usually are. It is you who is proven wrong by reality, like in this case, and often your only response is to throw a temper tantrum and resort rto insults. Grow up.
GustavoFring, your longer post on march 30th has my vote for post of the year on these message boards.
Please register to post and access all features of our very popular forum. It is free and quick. Over $68,000 in prizes has already been given out to active posters on our forum. Additional giveaways are planned.
Detailed information about all U.S. cities, counties, and zip codes on our site: City-data.com.
Please register to participate in our discussions with 2 million other members - it's free and quick! Some forums can only be seen by registered members. After you create your account, you'll be able to customize options and access all our 15,000 new posts/day with fewer ads.
