Ignoring the viability of the plan, is this something we actually want to do economically/politically? Hundreds of millions to maybe revive dying rural towns doesn’t seem that cost effective to me. How much economic activity could that money generate in areas that are already economically/socially stable?
WinonasChainsaw on
No. There’s no industry for small scale agriculture in Appalachia. Just build strong towns.
TheFinestPotatoes on
One issue with retraining programs is that they help people, not places.
If you’re an unemployed 24-year-old living in Kentucky, and you get trained to become an auto mechanic, the best thing you can do to improve your life is move the heck out of Kentucky and go to a place where auto mechanics earn higher wages.
That is very good for that young person but not necessarily something that’s going to fix rural Kentucky
omnipotentsandwich on
For many Appalachians, this would feel like an invasion that would completely disrupt the local culture, leading to a significant backlash. That’s not to say that the area doesn’t need new people but this would feel like colonization in a way.
One of the best ways to help Central Appalachia is to develop its energy resources. Turn its dams into hydroelectric ones, turn coal plants into nuclear plants, build wind farms and EV battery plants. That can create numerous jobs and encourage new people to move in without seeming like an invasion.
4 Comments
Ignoring the viability of the plan, is this something we actually want to do economically/politically? Hundreds of millions to maybe revive dying rural towns doesn’t seem that cost effective to me. How much economic activity could that money generate in areas that are already economically/socially stable?
No. There’s no industry for small scale agriculture in Appalachia. Just build strong towns.
One issue with retraining programs is that they help people, not places.
If you’re an unemployed 24-year-old living in Kentucky, and you get trained to become an auto mechanic, the best thing you can do to improve your life is move the heck out of Kentucky and go to a place where auto mechanics earn higher wages.
That is very good for that young person but not necessarily something that’s going to fix rural Kentucky
For many Appalachians, this would feel like an invasion that would completely disrupt the local culture, leading to a significant backlash. That’s not to say that the area doesn’t need new people but this would feel like colonization in a way.
One of the best ways to help Central Appalachia is to develop its energy resources. Turn its dams into hydroelectric ones, turn coal plants into nuclear plants, build wind farms and EV battery plants. That can create numerous jobs and encourage new people to move in without seeming like an invasion.