Saturday, April 22, 2006

Being Blown ON Course!


From a NY Times story titled "Katrina's Tide Carries Many to Hopeful Shores," I offer you a great little story about hope in the face of adversity; Katrina victims that are finding success out of tragedy. My only question is why did it take hurricane to get them to move?

I mean, New Orleans was a "chocolate city" run by democrats in a state run by democrats. I would have thought life was good. And if life wasn't good, why didn't they move sooner?

The economist Tiebout takes about goods, services and taxes as a "bundle of sticks" that each resident evaluates when choosing a place to live. The theory goes that a jurisdiction must offer an decent bundle (adequate goods and services and low taxes) in order to attract and retain citizens. I guess the New Orleans bundle was sufficient to keep these people even in the face of terrible economic adversity. Or maybe "The Big Easy" made it 'too easy' to stay without having to earn your own living. A "right big bundle of sticks", if I do say so myself!

>@_/ Quacked from my pda