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November 19, 2009

We're Not Getting Bigger As Fast, And That Worries Some People

… some people who want to make money off of more people coming here, by the looks of things.

The Oregonian reports that Oregon's population increased by a mere 0.9% percent last year:

The slumping economy is why, said Risa Proehl, a PSU demographic analyst who manages the annual population estimates.

"It's typical of an economic downturn, people tend to move around less," she said.

Or, as Mom always said, Oregon might be God's own half-acre, but you can't eat the scenery. True, that.

By the Portland State University estimates, PDX is the state's largest burg (a massive surprise, I'm sure) with an estimate of just over 582,000. Snailem and Eugene are still duking it out over the distinction of who gets to be Oregon's second and third cities, which is a little like fighting over who gets to be the ugly Kardashian sister. Right now the leader is Eugene by an estimated 95 citizens.

Go, Ducks.

And, I can't let this go by without saying that there are decided skeptics in the local 'sphere. So that goes.

The whole point to it lays, as usual, in the long green. Oregon, with her vaunted way of life, is said to better get ready for about a million kajillion bajillion people to move here over the next few decades, and we have to act NOW to lock in place policies to keep cities small and that means those people who strongly support the conventional wisdom – against whatever reality dishes up – will be the ones in the money. Name any condo developer latterly and you'll know who stands to benefit. If we're not getting bigger as fast as we thought we were going to, someone's profits are not going to be as huge as they hoped. And so that goes.

I find it amusing that the worry is that we're not getting bigger as fast. As long as we're overrunning every available bit of lifestyle out here as quickly as we can, then something's the matter.

Why do we have to keep getting bigger at all?

Oh, yeah.

Money.

Posted by The Chinuk at November 19, 2009 04:11 AM