Reply to I have fantasies of mass-gentrifying my Pennsylvania hometown

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[quote=Anonymous][quote=Anonymous][quote=Anonymous][quote=Anonymous]Will you also give millions to improve schools? Incentivize local people to start small businesses and help create jobs?  What is your plan for the displaced people? [/quote]

I want to displace the local population (before anyone comes at me the locale is 80%+ white). [/quote]

In a lot of these Rust Belt towns, they desperately need displacement in the form of young people moving in to work and have kids and revitalize. In my DH's home town, the average age of homeowners there must be in their 70s. They are going to have to close down local schools and consolidate because of under enrollment, and people are freaking out about it. But they've already laid off a bunch of teachers and they can't maintain the facilities because they don't have the money.
[b]
To some extent I do blame the people who live there because for 40 years every time anyone has tried to do something to change the town or improve it, a huge contingent of the old timers get mad and refuse. [/b]There was a massive opposition a few years back to putting in a traffic light in the downtown area. And then these people wonder why their kids all move far away (they couldn't stay if they wanted to) and why there are no good jobs in town and everything seems so depressing.

Cities and towns are like living things. You're either growing or you're dying. People who get nostalgic and want them to stay the same forever are not doing themselves any favor. Change is inevitable.[/quote]

This is the demise of many areas.  No jobs, retired people living in the home they probably grew up in - not understanding why their grandchildren don't have their own SFH (though theirs will likely be left to them).  In some areas, the town/s are slowly turning over, enormous new homes and developments are going in, and the infrastructure is hardly updated, if at all.

Builders and realtors should be paying to support the infrastructure, but they hang a wreath at Christmas on the Town Hall or similar, and call it a day.  The old people are elated about their wreath, but there is dwindling infrastructure, and not enough money to support either the slow growth or non growth. When certain (enormous) matters need attention, the builders and realtors are radio silent. But the old people get their wreath on the Town Hall at Christmas! Yeehaaa!!  Not sure if this pertains to PA, but some areas that I am familiar with.

I think you have a great plan, and this is an interesting topic, OP.  Would you be considered an unwelcome outsider?  Or is that not an issue?  I find old people seem to only consider their taxes when the issue of change is brought up.  As long as they get theirs (don't want to turn this into a Boomer discussion), on their limited budget - (examples) some get to go to Florida part of the year, and have money for gambling, or whatever, but don't mention taxes, or they will have a coronary.

I love the idea of adding new businesses or fixing up downtown, or turning it into a resort/tourist area, with resort/tourist dollars - as long as the locals don't get resentful. It makes perfect sense from the outside looking in, but the word change sets some (older) people off. Curious. [/quote]

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