The federal stimulus money has begun its influx into this region. So far, we have new money for biking and walking paths, airport runways, and potholes. Not so glamorous. High on the mayor's original wish list was money for the equally-unglamorous PWSA, which Dowd has been attempting to pin down as of late. Hopefully, when more stimulus money flows in, the current complex issues surrounding the PWSA bonds (which most of us will never understand), that money won't sweep these issues under the rug. Maybe we can spend some of the money on a consultant to actually figure out all these bond shenanigans?
On the flip side of the coin, as null space points out, construction prices have continued to rise in the region in spite of nationwide drops in fuel prices and construction materials. If we have a hope of spending all this shiny new stimulus money, we need more construction workers in this region. The best way to do that? Offer competitive salaries. Wouldn't it be nice if Allegheny County had the highest paying construction jobs in the nation?
In the meantime, if you can hold off on re-roofing your house, you might want to.
This is Good-Bye - For Now
2 weeks ago
4 comments:
Why should we hold off on re-roofing our homes?
Because I'm assuming that residential contracting prices have been reflecting commercial pricing (and anecdotal evidence confirms this.) Contractors around here are busy these days and to get their time, you need to pay for it.
Not sure you ever managed to read my reply to your comment over at BurghDiaspora, but I felt compelled to post on your journal here as well since I don't feel comfortable being called a religious misogynist pig without making some sort of response...
illyrias said...
Those are some fighting words, Mark. Did Jim Russell ever encourage you to jump ship? As I see it, he's hoping people move to where they're happy, can get jobs and overall want to be. Some people don't want to live in the same town as their parents and grandparents, etc, for their entire lives. Some people can't afford to. And in the days of the "world wide web", moving does not have to mean losing connection with your family and friends.
Overall, you seem quite content to be where you are, so please stay. But don't stop other people from finding what makes them happy. A few anecdotal examples of unsuccessful transients does not make a proof.
Let me guess: The record number of Americans who state they have "no religion" are also "decimating our civil society"? And wouldn't life be simpler if women just stayed home and raised the kids? Thankfully, there is no going back.
3:05 PM
Mark Winston said...
Hey - I always have fighting words for Richard Florida. That's coz all I ever hear from him is "make your city a Gay Mecca, build more bars and bistros", and being a long-time San Franciscan (and card-carrying homosexual), I have seen the damage this mentality does to a city.
How can anyone learn to love their home (or even their adopted) town if they're busy constantly trying to get inebriated and never spending long enough anywhere to care about their neighbors? How can you be a true advocate for your city when you don't consider yourself as having any 'roots' because you're obsessed with mobility?
And ultimately, how can you be 'creative' when you're wasting all your time and money moving from one rental in one city to another rental in another city - being a young professional does not a lifetime of achievement make. At best it's a short fleeting decade. That's why so many of these people are waste cases by middle age - Richard Florida and his ilk are decimating my entire generation.
Richard Florida wants us all to be migratory tenant alcoholics and I want none of that. I want to love my city and be involved in my community. The Creative Class just wants to leech off the social trust built-up from several generations of civic community without contributing anything to it; I know - I work with hundreds of them every day and see the rest at my AA meetings.
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