Ideal ski towns for the future factoring in all issues?

[deadheadskier]

I'm of a different opinion on population in this country. I don't think we have enough people to satisfy the workforce demands nor maintain our position for long as the global economy leader. With our already low and declining birth rate I feel a massive increase in immigration is needed

Some of our largest staffing deficits are in the trades and that certainly impacts new housing construction. Immigrants tend to be more willing to take on these jobs than natives. Kids born and raised here just don't seem interested in manual labor even if those jobs pay better and require less schooling / debt than the white collar jobs they wish to pursue.

In terms of our global economic strength, while human resources aren't the only factor contributing to economic production; it is a major factor. With 330 million people we are at a major disadvantage to India and China's 1.4B populations. It's inevitable that both of those countries pass us as they continue to modernize. That will put us in a disadvantageous on global trade and perhaps military strength as well.

Don't get me wrong. I do not like crowding at all. It's why I live in New Hampshire and not Boston. However the two things I pointed out are for certain a problem.

 

[Edd]

The market needs for labor should increase the flow of immigrants eventually. How soon, IDK but it feels inevitable.

 

[cdskier]

Some of our largest staffing deficits are in the trades and that certainly impacts new housing construction. Immigrants tend to be more willing to take on these jobs than natives. Kids born and raised here just don't seem interested in manual labor even if those jobs pay better and require less schooling / debt than the white collar jobs they wish to pursue.

I'm not so sure that it is that kids born and raised here aren't interested...I think it is more that they are "pushed" away from those jobs. Way too many high schools constantly tell everyone they need to go to college. That's a problem. Trade schools and things like that need to be pushed more for people that would potentially be interested in those fields. Pushing college for everyone is actually a huge disservice to many kids. But high schools are constantly obsessed with silly metrics like "% of HS graduates that went to college".

 

[KustyTheKlown]

it was like shameful to be diverted into the boces program in nassau county when i was growing up, but some of those guys ended up being like master mechanics/plumbers/electricians and have nice not so little suburban businesses for themselves now

 

[jimk]

I'm not so sure that it is that kids born and raised here aren't interested...I think it is more that they are "pushed" away from those jobs. Way too many high schools constantly tell everyone they need to go to college. That's a problem. Trade schools and things like that need to be pushed more for people that would potentially be interested in those fields. Pushing college for everyone is actually a huge disservice to many kids. But high schools are constantly obsessed with silly metrics like "% of HS graduates that went to college".

I pushed my four kids to college and it worked out fine to very fine for all of them. Ironically, the one that did not complete her degree is the one that is most ambitious about acquiring wealth as she approaches mid 30s. Owns four small real estate properties valued at about 1.25 mil total.

I'm of a different opinion on population in this country. I don't think we have enough people to satisfy the workforce demands nor maintain our position for long as the global economy leader. With our already low and declining birth rate I feel a massive increase in immigration is needed

Some of our largest staffing deficits are in the trades and that certainly impacts new housing construction. Immigrants tend to be more willing to take on these jobs than natives. Kids born and raised here just don't seem interested in manual labor even if those jobs pay better and require less schooling / debt than the white collar jobs they wish to pursue.

In terms of our global economic strength, while human resources aren't the only factor contributing to economic production; it is a major factor. With 330 million people we are at a major disadvantage to India and China's 1.4B populations. It's inevitable that both of those countries pass us as they continue to modernize. That will put us in a disadvantageous on global trade and perhaps military strength as well.

Don't get me wrong. I do not like crowding at all. It's why I live in New Hampshire and not Boston. However the two things I pointed out are for certain a problem.

I agree on the population thing. Driving around the country a lot in the last decade - there is so much empty space in America. We just need to better allocate land/people/resources. Hopefully, remote working will help with that over the next century. I also agree with the value of immigrants. Besides their value in trades and manual labor, a not insignificant percentage of our best scientists and academics are foreign born. The great melting pot dynamic is still lifting up America.

I'm less bullish on China and India. Their governments are cruel, corrupt and don't promote freedom as well as America, flawed as our system is.

 

[ThatGuy]

it was like shameful to be diverted into the boces program in nassau county when i was growing up, but some of those guys ended up being like master mechanics/plumbers/electricians and have nice not so little suburban businesses for themselves now

Same in Upstate where I grew up, being in boces was basically social anathema. In reality you could’ve came out of high school making more than certain Bachelors degrees gets you…

 

[x10003q]

I'm not so sure that it is that kids born and raised here aren't interested...I think it is more that they are "pushed" away from those jobs. Way too many high schools constantly tell everyone they need to go to college. That's a problem. Trade schools and things like that need to be pushed more for people that would potentially be interested in those fields. Pushing college for everyone is actually a huge disservice to many kids. But high schools are constantly obsessed with silly metrics like "% of HS graduates that went to college".

Most of the trade guys in my neighborhood send their kids to college. They all have done well financially but the problem with the trades is the physical/accident prone work. The 2 plumbers are in the worst shape. They both run a couple of crews and do estimates and run their business, but they do very little plumbing. Years of humping furnaces and water heaters into tight spaces in basements has ruined their bodies and they are only in their 40s. Most of the carpenters get into GC work for the same reason. Also, the work can be uneven based on the economy.

People who go to college can work until their 60s. This is not the case for most tradesman as there are high odds they will have to find another way to earn a living just as the college educated people are entering their high earning years.

 

[Hawk]

They upgraded the Essex Agricultural Institute near me in Middleton MA and it is now a top vocational high school with many different trades offered. From Vet and Equine courses to mechanical and electrical trades and also tree and farming course lines. I have a neice and nephew starting there this year. Here is MA there is a strong push to get kids back into the trades. Alot of advertising and school talks are being sponcered by the unions to get kids interested.

To be honest if I was to do it all over again, I might have just learned to be an elevator, HVAC contols or Fire Alarm Tech. Those guys charge an arm and leg, show up when they want and only work in the best conditions. Also I will add that not every tradesman starts his own busniess and works himself to death like mentioned above. If you join the union or work for bigger companies, you work yourself up the ladder become a journeyman or foreman and have the younger guys do all the grunt work. At my comany we have Carpenter foreman that have retired from the union at 55 with a couple of million in thier annuity fund. Not bad for a non-college educated worker. The stigma that people have about having their kids go into the trades has to go.

 

[Former Sunday Rivah Rat]

Zoning all over the country will need reevaluation if affordable housing ever moves forward.

Zoning changes will screw over too many homeowners and be unpopular.
People are incredibly spoiled in the US when choosing a place to live. Many of us have commuted for years for over 2 hours a day to find an affordable spot. Another solution is building further out from the cities in more affordable real estate. You may not get to live exactly where you want. There's a ton of empty space in the US. Just get a window seat on cross country flight and look out the window. The overpopulation myth is BS.
Work from home has made this easier to escape the cities. With Earthlink internet and off grid solar systems many are now exploring that as an affordable option.

 

[Hawk]

There is only a very small minority that want to remove themselves from convient good food, music, culture, friends, family, shorter commutes, etc. and move to a remote location. Yup it is a total conundrum with no good options except to build it financed by corporations, municipalites or the government. That's where the unpopular part comes in. As for the people that say not in my back yard, the older I get the more i don't have simpathy for that kind of thought. But then again I dont have a low income developement in my back yard. I guess I should try on that shoe before I pass judgement. Maybe the hard working low income folks might be good neighbors.

 

[ss20]

Population growth in this country is flattening MUCH quicker than expected and it would not be too surprising to see a population decline starting in the 2030s.

On the whole, I believe the planet is going to have an underpopulation crisis rather than overpopulation crisis sooner than later. Birth rates plummetting in all but the relatively few undeveloped countries that remain. Aging population/population decline is when shit hits the fan, as all our economic systems are built around growth. Japan went through it first, now China is taking center stage and they don't know what to do about it.

 

[BenedictGomez]

it was like shameful to be diverted into the boces program in nassau county when i was growing up, but some of those guys ended up being like master mechanics/plumbers/electricians and have nice not so little suburban businesses for themselves now

Bedminster, New Jersey is a very wealthy area, it's where Trump National Bedminster is located. I know of a guy who lives there who's a plumber. Loaded. No massive college student loan debt either.

This is what happens when you have 2 parties who go 35 years of election campaigns insinuating and/or flat out telling the lie that you're nothing in life if you dont have a college degree. It also led to the EXPLOSION of "colleges" and "universities" which are nothing more than government funded pay-and-you-get-a diploma glorified high schools.

On that last point, I went to a very academically strict university, and I got a great education, but honestly let's say you want to be a doctor or a lawyer I have to ask, WTF is even the point now? You'd be better off today going to "C Student University" and acing every class for the 4.0 GPA and top billing given how competitive med & law school is. Sickening to think it's come to that thought process.

 

[BenedictGomez]

I pushed my four kids to college and it worked out fine to very fine for all of them. Ironically, the one that did not complete her degree is the one that is most ambitious about acquiring wealth as she approaches mid 30s. Owns four small real estate properties valued at about 1.25 mil total.

One of my older siblings who was the only one who had no desire to go to college, and the one who got caught with the fake ID, partying, doing bad stuff, you name it - my father put him in the military instead of college because of his wildness & no career drive. Military does some sort of IQ assessments, figures he's smart, and trains him on computers. This was 1982. Hello jackpot "education" & right place / right time. He made more money than all of us networking computers on Wall Street. And as a bonus he also knows how to geo-program Tomahawk Cruise Missiles.

 

[BenedictGomez]

I agree on the population thing. Driving around the country a lot in the last decade - there is so much empty space in America. We just need to better allocate land/people/resources.

I just drove clear across this country 2 weeks ago. You go first to move to central Nebraska if you're so keen on it & then lets talk!

 

[BenedictGomez]

Aging population/population decline is when shit hits the fan, as all our economic systems are built around growth. Japan went through it first, now China is taking center stage and they don't know what to do about it.

While true, China is a poor example really as for about 40 years they had a "one child policy", including forced abortions, forced sterilizations, and egregious financial penalties. And everyone in that culture wants a boy, so unspeakable horrors happened to many female babies.

 

[ss20]

While true, China is a poor example really as for about 40 years they had a "one child policy", including forced abortions, forced sterilizations, and egregious financial penalties. And everyone in that culture wants a boy, so unspeakable horrors happened to many female babies.

Yup. Karma is catching up to them. Luckily there's a few leaders of that time who promoted that policy still alive to see all the damage it's doing to their county.

 

[crank]

I think the Earth as a whole would be a lot better off with a lot less people. Growth of economies aside, is it possible that population shrinkage rather than growth is a good thing?

 

[JimG.]

Agree.

Too many people is the problem, fewer would cure many of our current issues.

 

[raisingarizona]

I think the Earth as a whole would be a lot better off with a lot less people. Growth of economies aside, is it possible that population shrinkage rather than growth is a good thing?

Climate change will fix us up real good. The human economic growth model never fails to eventually fail. Highly successful Civilizations collapsed because of climate shifts before.

 

[BenedictGomez]

I think the fact most of the posters on this board are from New England warps the perception on this topic a bit.

There are 4 states in America where natural decrease (i.e. deaths exceed births) is occurring in 100% of counties, and 3 are in New England (Maine, New Hampshire, Rhode Island). Vermont & Connecticut aren't much better at like 90%. Compare that to the midwest or west where not a single state has that dynamic.