BCT Editorial – 5/31/07

This page was last updated on June 9, 2007.

Serving youth; Editorial; Beaver County Times; May 31, 2007.

Below is a detailed critique of the subject editorial.

“When it comes to living and working, the Sun Belt isn’t as alluring to young people as some of us might assume.

“The Philadelphia Inquirer reports that a poll asked 250,000 college students in 29 countries, including more than 64,000 in the United States, in what American city they would most like to work.

“None of the top five were from the Sun Belt. They were New York City, No. 1, 12.48 percent; Washington, D.C., No. 3, 8.41 percent; Chicago, No. 4, 6.72 percent; Boston, No. 5, 6.51 percent; and the San Francisco Bay Area, No. 6, 4.39 percent. (No. 2 on the list was ‘Other’ at 9.89 percent.) Combined, a little more than one in three of those surveyed wanted to live in one of these five metropolises.

“The Inquirer reported these students ‘value diversity - and for them, diversity is not a code word meaning jobs for African Americans or Latinos. It’s about a richness of experience for everyone, including the white majority.’

“Please keep this is in mind when regional leaders stress the importance of quality of life issues in attracting growth.

“That’s why hiking and biking trails like Montour Trail are so important and why we need more. That’s why Pittsburgh’s vibrant South Side with its clubs and restaurants is so critical. That’s why the Andy Warhol Museum and the Mattress Factory Art Museum on the North Side are significant, because they keep us young. That’s why Pitt, Carnegie-Mellon, Duquesne and other colleges and universities are so vital.

“Our region will not grow and prosper as long as its leaders worship at the political shrine of senior citizens living on fixed incomes. For our region to have a future, youth must be served. Focusing on quality of life issues that appeal to them is a smart place to start.”

[RWC] Yep, build “hiking and biking trails” and young people will come flocking to Western Pennsylvania. That’s so much easier than I thought. All we have to do is raise taxes and start building! Like a moron, I thought a business-friendly environment generating attractive jobs would attract youth.