St. Louis County Commissioner Steve Raukar is being criticized for comments on the Range's population problems, e.g shrinking population and all the problems that derive from it. Commissioner Raukar has supported lower income and vulnerable people, including receiving the Steve Chadwick advocacy award. Having known Steve Chadwick and having worked with Commissioner Raukar, I believe his comments are taken out of context.
His comments regarding the shrinking population is the usual narrative; no jobs=people leave=shrinking populations=problems.
But is that the full problem?
People did and do leave because of a lack of jobs. The Range suffered two catastrophes; the end of the 70's taconite expansion and building boom and the resulting demographic collapse, then the remaining jobs being held by early wave baby boomers. I will not detail the various mistakes of local officials attempting to correct the problem. Name your boondoggle here.
But there are other causes.
The Range is insular. It is good ol' boy. The local officialdom is still dominated by baby boomers who barely understand technology and pine for the days of the mid-70's boom. In addition, local culture is trapped in a world best described by one of my now deceased Finnish Uncle's: "The smart people moved out, and all that's moved in is dumb white trash". I might add that it is also often who has stayed; while some are unlucky, or by circumstance have remained, many are like those of an Irish village, praying for deliverance from the famine, deliverance being whatever new mining or subsidized industrial project the gods of the IRRRB bless.
One local hospital official described their problem of keeping younger Doctors here to me:
"Would you want to stay in a place without a single coffee shop, with no dating scene, surrounded by a wasteland and racist white people?"
That is a more common experience than you think. The idea that a community, oft dominated by ignorant white men revving big trucks can "attract" simply by advertising is as inane as any other project, whether feel good bumper stickers or now half empty malls. The problem is also the people.
There is vastly different world, both good and bad, outside of the Range, and it us much browner, more competitive and has far more opportunities than moving dirt and greasing axles. And, you don't have to deal with the small town racism, sexism and the generally backward culture of the Range. Sorry, you can make all the bumper stickers you wish, but with the same people who brought you the last 30 years running things, you will not attract bright young people. Being stared at by mean, ignorant people like an exotic zoo animal does not lend itself to fond memories, even if you have a Finnish last name. I can attest to this personally.
The collapse will continue and the continuing "mining vs. environment" battles attest to this. The Range is now a Third World culture with a small elite, the co-opted who benefit from the system regardless of any ethical quandaries, and the rest. If one speaks out with any new ideas, they are ignored and eye-rolled as if a village lunatic. If they protest the current system, a boot is put to their neck.
These are the other reason's people leave. A few jobs won't solve that.
His comments regarding the shrinking population is the usual narrative; no jobs=people leave=shrinking populations=problems.
But is that the full problem?
People did and do leave because of a lack of jobs. The Range suffered two catastrophes; the end of the 70's taconite expansion and building boom and the resulting demographic collapse, then the remaining jobs being held by early wave baby boomers. I will not detail the various mistakes of local officials attempting to correct the problem. Name your boondoggle here.
But there are other causes.
The Range is insular. It is good ol' boy. The local officialdom is still dominated by baby boomers who barely understand technology and pine for the days of the mid-70's boom. In addition, local culture is trapped in a world best described by one of my now deceased Finnish Uncle's: "The smart people moved out, and all that's moved in is dumb white trash". I might add that it is also often who has stayed; while some are unlucky, or by circumstance have remained, many are like those of an Irish village, praying for deliverance from the famine, deliverance being whatever new mining or subsidized industrial project the gods of the IRRRB bless.
One local hospital official described their problem of keeping younger Doctors here to me:
"Would you want to stay in a place without a single coffee shop, with no dating scene, surrounded by a wasteland and racist white people?"
That is a more common experience than you think. The idea that a community, oft dominated by ignorant white men revving big trucks can "attract" simply by advertising is as inane as any other project, whether feel good bumper stickers or now half empty malls. The problem is also the people.
There is vastly different world, both good and bad, outside of the Range, and it us much browner, more competitive and has far more opportunities than moving dirt and greasing axles. And, you don't have to deal with the small town racism, sexism and the generally backward culture of the Range. Sorry, you can make all the bumper stickers you wish, but with the same people who brought you the last 30 years running things, you will not attract bright young people. Being stared at by mean, ignorant people like an exotic zoo animal does not lend itself to fond memories, even if you have a Finnish last name. I can attest to this personally.
The collapse will continue and the continuing "mining vs. environment" battles attest to this. The Range is now a Third World culture with a small elite, the co-opted who benefit from the system regardless of any ethical quandaries, and the rest. If one speaks out with any new ideas, they are ignored and eye-rolled as if a village lunatic. If they protest the current system, a boot is put to their neck.
These are the other reason's people leave. A few jobs won't solve that.
