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I absolutely agree. It would be interesting to see what exact figures they used in these calculations. I feel a long post coming along so please bear with me...
DK could have a valid point that this is some form of MoJo cooking the books, after all, it is the ROCKEFELLER Institute that released this study. My questions/ concerns about the valdity of this study begin here. If energy and cheap housing are the main sources of this "growth" then why did Texas, which is booming from tech and oil along with having some of the lowest housing costs in the nation, only grow by 0.6 percent? How did a state that has seen little to no growth in years make such a leap to the top?
Do the people of this forum honestly believe that West Virginia is leading the nation in economic growth? HONESTLY. No judgement here, I just want to know individual opinions based on what you've observed. I keep hearing "coal is coming back" but I just cannot fathom why the state is even remotely interested at this point. After being burned by several coal booms and busts since the 1950s, you would think elected leaders would learn the importance of diversification.
Obviously nobody that has grown up in WV can forget our coal heritage, but do you also think that a job in the coal mines fits in with this 21st century economy? Go to the Marshall campus or WVU or any other college and randomly ask a dozen or so students if they are interested in working in the coal mines. I guarantee you won't get many takers.
The reason I ask questions such as these and sometimes refute claims is this: I hear constant talk on these threads about how great the economic times are in WV, how there are plenty of jobs if you look, how things are changing, etc. It's nice to hear speak so passionately about their state, but it is always in COMPLETE contrast to what I hear/see when I'm back in WV speaking with friends and family still living in the state.
I just find it hard to believe that the state economy is growing so much, but I know that earns me a negative label by other posters. If it truly is then good, WV could use a lot of it to get back on track. But in the past ten years, not only have I left, but so have my three siblings, many relatives, high school friends and countless others. I don't think we all hated WV or somehow overlooked good economic times before we hit the road.
The coal technology is indeed geared to our new century...we are one step away from using the robotic underground technology that has been used in Europe to the past 25 years...No People will be used at the coal extraction point...
This is the Union issue...no miners...no $200 a week Union Dues per miner going into the slush fund...Tony Boyle had a few black cadillacs and this new generation of crooks sold them ...the money they put away is staggering. and that Tony Boyle? Got the miners $50 a day when that was a real wage...what professional occupations were making...
The Rockfeller Institute...ha ha ha....says it all.
As the article stated, WV leading the pack is more a condemnation of the other states' economies than it is kudos for West Virginia.
West Virginia never had the overheated housing markets of the Florida and the other coastal states... not big in insurance, or banking, or auto manufacturing. Those other states have negative growth because of big contractions in those industries.
In a way, WV wins "by default". A 2.2% growth rate looks good only by comparison to the negative numbers of the other states.
Grab your umbrellas. Once again doomsayers have to rain on our parade.
Why am I not once again surprised that this type of response is given when myself and other posters raise valid questions about the relative health of the WV economy. This particular type of commentary only further enhances my opinion that more than a few people on this board really cannot back up the many great things they post about the state.
Why is simple point/counter point discussion such a difficult thing for many people on this forum to grasp? The DC and NoVa forums constantly have people making points, others discrediting them, others offering another perspective, etc. and it isn't labeled as negativity or doomsday scenario. It is a public forum! Questionining something isn't a slap in the face and an attempt at somehow trying to make a poster look like an idiot.
This will be my last post as I've found the WV forum to be by far one of the most limited conversation forums around. It should be renamed the WV "Sunny Data Forum." Only positive conversation topics about WV are welcomed and godforbid if you don't completely agree with someone that the state is the best in the nation.
Why am I not once again surprised that this type of response is given when myself and other posters raise valid questions about the relative health of the WV economy. This particular type of commentary only further enhances my opinion that more than a few people on this board really cannot back up the many great things they post about the state.
Why is simple point/counter point discussion such a difficult thing for many people on this forum to grasp? The DC and NoVa forums constantly have people making points, others discrediting them, others offering another perspective, etc. and it isn't labeled as negativity or doomsday scenario. It is a public forum! Questionining something isn't a slap in the face and an attempt at somehow trying to make a poster look like an idiot.
This will be my last post as I've found the WV forum to be by far one of the most limited conversation forums around. It should be renamed the WV "Sunny Data Forum." Only positive conversation topics about WV are welcomed and godforbid if you don't completely agree with someone that the state is the best in the nation.
This is my first chance to reply to your comments, and i have some counter points. A thing that you've been complaining that nobody on this forum has.
1) North Central WV- That area has been growing rather rapidly with hospitals, technology companies, government jobs, you name it and it's going in there!
2) Eastern Panhandle- I suppose the area is still growing with an influx of DC'ers looking to find a little elbow room, and with that comes some jobs that usually follow money.
3) Coal is in an upswing, and like DK stated, it's 21st century coal technology jobs. Not all jobs in the coal industry are miners underground. I assist some of the technical vendors in the coal fields on a regular basis, and it seems that field is continuing to grow.
4) WV is a very small state, so it doesn't take much for the economy to grow or shrink percentage wise. The article i posted doesn't exactly speak volumes, but at least it's positive progress in a time that all you hear is how bad the economy has become.
5) The housing market hasn't been hit as hard as some of the southern states. Phoenix for instance, has been hit really hard by the housing crash. There are pretty much brand new homes in expensive suburbs going for under 150k now because they have been repo'd.
I hope you reconsider reading and posting here. I've always enjoyed your input on topics.
The economy that interests me and involves me is vibrant and loaded with money to be made...we are doing that...taking advantage of an honest situation...and working very long hours. 3 am to 9pm...almost 6 days a week...
I am encourgaging friends and relatives who are surviving in stagnant other areas to come home and get it while it lasts...
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