the decline of Pennsylvania

[VitaMan]

For Pennsylvania’s shrinking communities, there is no time left to start addressing the challenges ahead. Many of the smallest are already trapped in a cycle of decline, lacking the resources to invest in their futures.


The 2020 Census showed that Pennsylvania grew by 2.4% over the last decade, a modest level of growth compared to other parts of the country and concentrated in an ever-smaller number of counties. More than 60% of the state’s municipalities lost population between 2010 and 2020. More than 1,500 have less than 1,000 residents, and more than 400 have populations under 500 people.


The state’s small municipalities face formidable challenges. The state devolves many responsibilities to its boroughs and townships, and many of these responsibilities become nearly impossible to meet with waning populations and tax bases. More than half maintain no local police department, because they can leave public safety to distant state police offices.


But municipalities remain responsible for much else, from the maintenance of key infrastructure to land-use planning and essential public services. These are baseline tasks, necessary to keep the community running. They are far from sufficient to build a prosperous future, which requires the ability to attract and retain new residents and new businesses.


Being a place where people want to live and work requires continuous reinvestment that fewer and fewer local Pennsylvania communities have the fiscal capacity to manage. The proliferation of distressed communities is a consequence of the state’s extreme fragmentation. Pennsylvania is home to more than 2,500 individual municipalities.


That number does not include over 1,800 public authorities and special-district governments that provide public services. Nor does it include the combined city and county of Philadelphia, 66 independent county governments, and 500 school districts that coexist in a confounding and overlapping patchwork of local government.


Long-term problems will not be resolved without structural reorganization of Pennsylvania local government, which could include mergers and annexations, among other policy options. So far, discussion of local government reform has netted little, as debates get bogged down in broad disagreements over the role of government. Some fear that even the most minor reorganization of small municipalities will open the door to the creation of large new government bureaucracies elsewhere.


The state’s smallest and most distressed communities are being held hostage to fears that could be addressed with effective legislation. It is in the power of the legislature to create incentives encouraging municipalities to reorganize themselves. State programs can reward local boroughs and townships that work together and bring about consolidations in cases where it makes sense to do so.


Similar results could be facilitated by encouraging greater implementation of Councils of Government (COGs), a tool that has been in place since the mid-20th century. COGs are voluntary associations of local governments that facilitate cooperation in key public services and are already in use in parts of the state.


Alternatively, county governments could be given wider authority to take on responsibilities currently devolved to boroughs and townships. Inertia has ruled up to now because the state provides little incentive to pursue any of these changes.




Absent significant changes, it’s unrealistic to expect Pennsylvania’s shrinking communities to stabilize on their own. Ongoing demographic decline is compounded by historically low rates of international immigration — the primary source of population growth in the United States in recent decades — and now by declining rates of domestic migration within the country.


The result: many communities must manage their own decline. Population growth is not necessarily a requirement of prosperous and successful communities, but it usually is. To accept the status quo is to guarantee even greater contraction.


Clearly, Pennsylvania’s many struggling communities must start doing things differently. Building competitive municipalities will require, for starters, reimagining the role of local governments. Major change is needed if many Pennsylvania cities, boroughs, and townships are to develop the more focused plans and investments that are currently beyond their capacity.

[lustylad]

What's up, Tinky Winky?

Are you looking for a good place to retire?

[bambino]

Pittsburgh was just ranked the most affordable city in the country

https://www.bizjournals.com/pittsbur...buy-house.html


And, one of the safest


https://pittsburgh.cbslocal.com/2019...ty-to-live-in/

[VitaMan]

There are some great people in Pittsburgh.

[bambino]

Originally Posted by lustylad

What's up, Tinky Winky?

Are you looking for a good place to retire?

Is there room to dock his Bayliner? Or do they have spaces at the Fox Chapel yacht club?

[VitaMan]

There we go. Bayliners floating in his head 24/7.

Nice going Mr. Squat

[Cheap Charlie]

Probably why the Steelers and Eagles are so popular. It distracts the locals from their miserable existence.

[Salty Again]

Originally Posted by lustylad

What's up, Tinky Winky?

Are you looking for a good place to retire?

.

.... Blimey! ... The mates surely sent you backpeddeling
all arse-over-tit, Vita... Like Poofter Paul - when he accidently
walked-into a straight bar!

#### Salty

[VitaMan]

Not exactly Salty. In your mind perhaps.

[bb1961]

Originally Posted by VitaMan

There we go. TRUMP floating in my head 24/7.

Nice going Mr. Squat

FTFY

[VitaMan]

You fixed it perfectly for Mr. Squat.

[bambino]

Originally Posted by VitaMan

You fixed it perfectly for Mr. Squat.

Tinky, is BB now Mr Squat?????? Make up your mind. If that’s possible

[lustylad]

Gee, it just occurred to me this might be a good time for that crazy idiot Professor StandinStupid to reappear and stir up some shit with Tinky Winky...

Originally Posted by StandinStraight

Texas killed Kennedy, read the book

http://spartacus-educational.com/JFKSinvestOil.htm

https://www.eccie.net/showthread.php?t=1999737

[Jacuzzme]

My neighborhood is a terrific place to live. Drop my crib in Cali or New York and it’d be worth 10x what we paid, not to mention the ridiculous taxes. We’ll retire to Florida for the weather in a few years once the nest is completely empty, but i can’t think of a place we’d have rather raised a family.

[The_Waco_Kid]

Originally Posted by lustylad

Gee, it just occurred to me this might be a good time for that crazy idiot Professor StandinStupid to reappear and stir up some shit with Tinky Winky...



https://www.eccie.net/showthread.php?t=1999737

ah yes. the "professor". who claimed he used posts from eccie to "educate" his students on "evil conservatives". considering his last post throwing shade at bam got him a harsh rebuke from the mod squad i think he's still too butt hurt to post again.

Originally Posted by StandinStraight

Yes Bambino all bullshit, your right, go see her, Staff edit to remove insult. dj8

Last Activity: 02-25-2020 09:01 AM



over two years ago. Professor "Elvis" has left the building.