While reading a fascinating account of the dire straits that Ohio finds itself in now that a significant number of its most productive citizens have chosen to flee the state's soaring taxes and declining services, I noticed an interesting passage.
When I attended grade school in the Mesozoic Era (actually the 1960s), we learned that the Buckeye State had eight cities (Akron, Canton, Cincinnati, Cleveland, Columbus, Dayton, Toledo, and Youngstown) with populations greater than 100,000, the most in the country. We also knew that Cleveland, at 876,000, was the eighth largest city in the U.S. (Schools were strangely focused on facts in those days, weren’t they?)
Today, Youngstown (down over half) and Canton have populations of less than 80,000. Cleveland will probably be below 400,000 soon. All of the others except Columbus, the state’s capital, have declined severely.
What sticks out to you in that passage?
For me it was "All of the others except Columbus, the state’s capital, have declined severely."
Think about THAT for a minute. Why might the state's capital city be the only city bucking the trend of declining population?
It's actually quite simple to figure out. The state's problem is expanding government. State government is becoming larger and larger and is siphoning off larger and larger amounts of what is produced by the state's most productive citizens.
And that's why you see the state capital growing while the rest of the state is strangled to death. The state's most productive citizens are fleeing the state altogether, while the least productive (Lobyists, Politicians, State govenment workers) are running to Columbus to suck off the ever-growing government teet.
How long you think that's gonna last? How long can that wealth transfer sustain itself if those who pay into the system are crying uncle and heading for greener pastures?
A lot of other states might be about to find out.
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We here in California are already finding that out. If the state had simply held spending to the rate of inflation, California would have a $15 billion surplus. Instead, the state has increased spending over the rate of inflation and is now faced with a $42 billion shortfall. This state is a perfect example of what not to do - out of control spending and high taxes - if you want to have a prosperous economy.
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