Thursday, January 27, 2011

Iron County Population Shrinkage

If you've attended the web page I recommended
in the previous article, you have been exposed to
some ideas about migration. That includes the
generally accepted premise that the most
monetarily aggressive individuals leave regions
that are economically less viable and migrate to
locations that hold better promise for opportunities.

That certainly is true of Iron County. The individuals
we lose are the ones we actually need to keep the
most. These are the people who, with the support of
friends and family, are most likely to be able to start,
or maintain, viable local businesses.

Just as important, if not more so, is the attracting
home of people, families too, who have successfully
acquired experience outside this region. They would
be the ones who could probably most successfully
import new ideas into our community.

Several years ago I proposed a project that would
have brought money, and people, into this community.
It was rejected, in the end, because our local gentry
were unable to figure out how they could personally
profit from the project, and bringing more people
into the community is generally frowned on. Heaven
forbid that new residents (such as myself) might not
see things exactly the same way as members of the
existing power structure!

We desperately need more people in Iron County,
people who work and earn and can move this community
forward.

Have you asked yourself lately what it is that the
Iron County Economic Development Corporation has
achieved for you and for your neighbors? What growth
in this community have you seen in the past 10, or 20,
or 30 years?

How about some input of ideas on how to help the
population, and the economy, of Iron County grow.

A new airport isn't the answer. A new airport would
benefit a few businessmen who are already doing all
the business they can locally. That's a no win project
with the "Airport Committee" being headed up by
the individual who stands to gain the most by the
county building a new airport for him.

So long as our population continues to shrink, there's
nothing we have to offer the economic world that
can't be had elsewhere. Growth begins with having a
well educated, think on their feet, workforce that is
eager and willing to work whenever required. We need
to stop giving the best economic gift we have to other
areas of the US. In Europe they used to call it "the brain
drain" because most of their best emigrated to the US
for better opportunities. Our situation is similar.

It looks like Iron County presently lacks the leadership
necessary to improve our economic situation. If I
were a member of the local leadership I'd get so mad
about the situation that I'd do something positive to
crack the shell of impassivity, and to drive progress
for this community.

Instead the local leadership sits back in their chairs
and promotes rumors like, "Bill Vajk is out to destroy
Iron River" because rumor mongering is easier for
them that doing something, anything, that actually
works towards progress.

Well your rumor is as much hogwash as the progress
you've managed to bring to this community.

Bill Vajk

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