Shoveling sunshine

\ The image to the right was making the rounds on Facebook over the weekend. I can take a joke. Hahaha. On a more serious note, the state Tourism Office spent $200,000 on advertising in Chicago reminding residents that they can "warm up in AZ." If this brings in some visitors with money to spend, good on them. Like it or not, tourism is one of Arizona's most important industries — and also a source of mostly low-paid jobs.

On the other hand, if it brings more people to stay, it is a calamity. Arizona needs about 4 million fewer Midwesterners. And the ones — Anglo, older, Republican — that come will merely reinforce the reactionary politics of the state, a la "the Big Sort."

Arizona's experience has made me deeply suspicious of people who move places for the weather or of states that promote sunshine as their prime asset.

Nobody moves to Seattle, Portland, Denver, Minnepolis-St. Paul or Boston "for the weather." And yet all of these metros leave Phoenix far behind in any measure of economic, social or cultural quality and competitiveness.

States that promote their weather have the least civic connections, the worst economies, the most horrific social injustice this side of Mississippi. Instead, we get a bunch of fools contemptuous of the fragile beauty of the state, ignorant of its history, sending their donations "back home" and braying about how "you don't have to shovel sunshine."

The Office of Tourism doesn't mention the foul cloud of smog I can see from my Midtown aerie. Nothing about the looming consequences of climate change or even the "local warming" that has raised temperatures 10 degrees in my lifetime, making summers hotter and longer.

Come July, when it is 110 in the shade at Sky Harbor and 140 degrees on the abundant surface parking lots and concrete, nobody will be making smug comments about the Midwest.

Come the day of a crisis with water, power, gasoline or the Palo Verde Nuclear Generating Station, the joke will be on us. "We will rebuild." Really?

One more thing: The most inviting things about that image are the shadows of shade trees and grass, two things that are fading fast as the oasis is turned into a ghastly wasteland of rocks by people preening "don't you know we live in a desert!"

Meanwhile, politicians made their regular pilgrimage to the Arizona Chamber of Commerce and Industry. As the Associated Press reports:

Leaders of the Arizona Legislature showed unexpected signs of interparty cooperation Friday as they joined in committing to reforming the state’s child welfare system, crafting a budget and working to boost education funding.

If they really increased education funding to move the state out of the bottom of the union in per-student spending, that would be progress. But that won't happen. 

Instead, the agenda will be more of the same: "Decreased regulation and taxes." Nevermind that the one coup in an otherwise drowsy economy, luring an Apple operation to the fringes of Mesa, is based on heavy incentives (i.e. "industrial policy," not "economic freedom."

More of the same keeps an economy that produces low-wage jobs, tract houses, back-office operations and a heavy brain drain of talent. "But Arizona is a young state." Yes, mostly among the Hispanic cohort, which is despised and kept as a permanent underclass. The old Anglos vote and perpetuate this toxic status quo.

Sunshine doesn't create a high-wage knowledge economy. It doesn't create high-value economic connections with the world. It sure doesn't build the kind of real cities that attract the most talented young people and empty nest boomers. Arizona has been trying to rely only on sunshine for decades and the results are self-evident.

Any real vision would be unwelcome at the Arizona Chamber. To use but one example: Commuter rail for metro Phoenix, restoring Amtrak service to Phoenix and state-funded rail between Phoenix and Tucson.

Or pushing the ideologues in the congressional district to get federal funding for the state, especially for research (including a national laboratory) and locating high-end federal offices here.

There's a need to radically increase funding for universities and the Phoenix Biomedical Campus. To go after such low-hanging fruit as biomedical manufacturing in Southern California or creating a logistics hub for rail and air freight at Sky Harbor, as Charlotte is doing.

Or — gasp — enacting a combination of land-use rules and taxes that would refocus development inside existing urban footprints (and I don't mean "Greater Buckeye") and get serious about stopping exurban building.

No, better to stay in the hole and keep digging. It is highly profitable for the elites. The bill comes due every day. Some day the leg-breakers will show up to collect.

 

Comments

[soleri]

Since 1981 when Reagan was inaugurated, the American right has pushed hard for huge tax cuts for the rich (taxpayers in the middle and lower brackets saw their taxes increase). There was increased government spending, too. Some of that was defense, but a lot of it is the kind that Republicans now reflexively oppose on principle. The National Debt tripled during those years and Reagan acceded to tax increases each year of his term following 1981. None of this prevented his elevation to secular sainthood. Through the misty memory lapses of hagiography, the American right transformed his decidedly so-so presidency into an epic crusade that proved for once and for all that tax cuts favoring the rich are a surefire tonic for what ails humanity. If you're a Republican, chances are you believe this fairy tale. It's part Joel Osteen, part Harold Hill, part Montgomery Burns, and complete bullshit.

Arizona led the nation in its cultish devotion to this nonsense. Year after year, taxes had to be cut so the rich would bless the rest of us with "jobs". The public square shrank accordingly, the rich became richer, Arizona's economy became even more reliant on homebuilding, and we started dropping in the national rankings in terms of median income. Today, it's comfortably fixed in the bottom quintile with other right-wing states like Mississippi and Alabama. During this time, Arizona began hemorrhaging middle-class jobs, particularly in the tech sector. Motorola ceased to be the state's leading employers, and as with so many other loser states, it's now become Walmart.

This helps explain why voodoo economics really is magical. People actually voted for this! They wanted Arizona to become even more hobbled by ideology and a ginned-up culture war. And not only do they vote, they're obsessed with a political religion that tells them Arizona could be more righteous if only Marxists like Barack Obama were defeated in a cosmic war between good (e.g., the Koch Brothers, Donald Trump, the Waltons, et al) and evil (the 51% of America that votes the wrong way).

Although this psychosis is national, the purest manifestation is Arizonan. It's not going away anytime soon although nature's death panels are inexorably eroding the GOP base. Alas, there are plenty of others from snow states ready to take the place of our dearly departed. They're white, they're well off, they're entilted, and, inevitably, they're moving to Arizona.

[Chris Thomas]

I have to say, first, that having grown up in Omaha, I would have moved anywhere else for the weather, including Boston. Second, in response to Soleri's excellent post, it appears that even Reagan devotees are beginning to recognize that trickle down economics doesn't work for them. That explains the ongoing shift in the defense of it from economic efficiency to simple morality. Joel Osteen is exactly the right figure to cite. Previously the message was that everyone had to coddle the rich because eventually it would pay off for all. Now the message is that material success is a direct result of God's favor. In the new New Testament, perhaps Jesus will say, "Truly I say to you, it is harder for a poor man to get into the Kingdom of Heaven than it is for a camel to go through the eye of a needle."

[ChrisInDenver]

Damn, Soleri. You nailed it. Dare I say, that post is Talton-esque.

[Boo-urns]

"(the 51% of America that votes the wrong way)"

IMO 92% of America votes the wrong way.

[cal Lash]

Chris, I thought John Calvin took care of that:
"Previously the message was that everyone had to coddle the rich because eventually it would pay off for all. Now the message is that material success is a direct result of God's favor. In the new New Testament, perhaps Jesus will say, "Truly I say to you, it is harder for a poor man to get into the Kingdom of Heaven than it is for a camel to go through the eye of a needle."

[wkg in bham]

Now for some more cheerful news - this is from a professional (and good weather) forecaster.

The California draught is going to get worse – possibly the worst in history. The drought would amplify an already hot forecast for the Southwest.

[cal Lash]

More Arizona voodoo

http://www.examiner.com/article/maricopa-county-gop-censures-john-mccain-for-legislating-like-a-liberal-democrat

[Petro]

So, does this mean that the Maricopa County GOP have gone Full Metal Tea Party, or would that be assigning them a level of sanity that they do not deserve?

[Petro]

Perhaps this is what's got them in a rage:

John McCain Wants Congress to Investigate NSA

How mavericky. Always the low-hanging fruit, I'd say, except that it does piss off the authoritarian GOP base.

[cal Lash]

Meanwhile where it snows.
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/magazine-25711108

[James]

Jon,

I just want to make clear that the advertising you refer to being shown in Chicago is one piece of a multi-phased approach toward hitting key markets. Those ads will run only January-March, with the majority of advertising spent on messaging shown nationally that focuses on Arizona's key differentiators. Trust me, the lack of depth associated with a weather-focused campaign was obvious to all.

Most of your other comments are spot on, as usual. Thanks.

[Rogue Columnist]

Thanks, James.

[cal Lash]

A return comment from a university educated professional white republican I sent this blog.
"Poor man is shoveling excrement against the tide."

[Diane D'Angelo]

I loved the meme, not only for its humor value (It IS funny), but for how it captures AZ culture at its finest: plastic infrastructure and bragging about the weather. However, the era of six months of nice weather is long gone. I find it deeply ironic that some of my friends in Phoenix imagine that the weather here in Denver is somehow lethal. Truth is, most days are sunny, and while it does indeed get cold, it's interspersed with plenty of days in the 40's and 50's. And I have a vibrant downtown, cool neighborhoods, lots of ethnic diversity, a culture that values the environment and historic preservation, and decent light rail. I miss my friends, yes, but while no place is perfect, I no longer feel the daily frustration that marked my last 10 years in Phoenix.

[Bill]

Indeed, Denver is the new Portland.

[wkg in bham]

Per http://www.demographia.com/dhi.pdf

Some interesting numbers: median household income.
Some Western cities:
Denver 62,600
Seattle 66,900
Portland 58,000
Phoenix 52,300
Los Vegas 50,500
Dallas/FW 58,000
Houston 57,000
El Paso 41,100
Austin 60,500
San Jose 92,400
San Fran 76,300
Salt Lake 61,200

Other Arizona:
Yuma 40,200
Lake Havasu 35,600
Tucson 46,600
Prescott 44,900

Mega Cities:
Phoenix 52,300
Atlanta 55,600
Miami 47,500
Chicago 60,400
NYC 65,200
Boston 73,100
Detroit 51,200
LA 58,300
Phil 61,200

Phoenix’s numbers not nearly as crappy as I was expecting. Of course, the actual numbers could be worse. How do you attach an income to people who technically don’t exist (illegals)?

BTW: Birmingham 47,600. A very bipolar city. Many doing very well, but way too many poor. No one really knows what to do about this situation. At least something that will actually work.