this post was submitted on 31 Aug 2024
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Dying towns (lemmy.world)
submitted 2 weeks ago by PugJesus to c/memes
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[–] Exusia 16 points 2 weeks ago (4 children)

So functionally they hand you money, you can't find a job that pays your bills, so you leave and they've gained nothing. Or is the subsidy ongoing as long as they're short on people (haha until the end of time!) Or is there something else in place to help keep people there?

[–] [email protected] 35 points 2 weeks ago (2 children)

Yeah. Seems pointless, but I bet they're trying to attract folks with work-from-home jobs.

There's a big migration of work-from-home folks out to areas where they can have bigger homes, gardens and such.

I think the theory is that whichever towns or cities attract these folks first will grow into long term preferred work-from-home destinations, using the tax revenue and voting habits of the first folks to move in.

It's a gamble, but an interesting one.

[–] AA5B 29 points 2 weeks ago (2 children)

Start with bringing in the fiber. I can deal without overnight delivery, a good sushi place or a brewpub, but I draw the line at fiber

[–] [email protected] 16 points 2 weeks ago* (last edited 2 weeks ago)

Yep. I think high quality Internet roll-out will make or break some of these plans.

[–] [email protected] -2 points 2 weeks ago (2 children)

Why are we assuming all work from home jobs require fiber?

[–] [email protected] 8 points 2 weeks ago

WFH jobs may not require fiber to the home, but if there's no fiber infrastructure to support the overall traffic of the area then it's just not going to work. Particularly when we're talking about getting internet out to rural areas - fiber carries signal much further than copper, and can thus reach more communities.

[–] AA5B 3 points 2 weeks ago* (last edited 2 weeks ago)

Maybe I’m spoiled with fiber but I know I’d never want to go back, even just for video calls. Give how over-provisioned and glitchy most internet connections are, you do need a huge margin of overcapacity to get a reliable call in.

But yeah, as the other guy said, you’re going to need fiber to the town for more than a couple people. Even cable internet needs fiber to the neighborhood.

[–] Exusia 12 points 2 weeks ago (3 children)

For WFH crows the town needs fiber, and in another post he stated the town doesn't have that.

I can see your point and that's what I figured they were trying to attract

[–] Wrench 6 points 2 weeks ago (1 children)

There's Starlink, now. But somehow, relying on a Musk product to be able to do your job seems... risky.

[–] Jimbabwe 4 points 2 weeks ago

Y’all are describing me with astounding accuracy, hah!

Moved from big city to small nearby city for the garden, work from home, no cable or fiber internet, so gotta rely on Starlon Lusk

[–] candybrie 5 points 2 weeks ago

I had fios in Cumberland. I don't know if there are other choices though.

[–] PugJesus 1 points 2 weeks ago (1 children)

For WFH crows the town needs fiber, and in another post he stated the town doesn’t have that.

Did I? I don't know if Cumberland has fiber options nowadays.

[–] Exusia 1 points 2 weeks ago (1 children)

You posted a photo of Cumberland and said (at the time) fiber options were low

[–] PugJesus 2 points 2 weeks ago (1 children)

You sure it was me? I could have said that, I have memory like swiss cheese, but I can't find any mention of Cumberland or fiber on my three profiles (Kbin, World, dbzer0)

[–] Exusia 2 points 2 weeks ago (1 children)

I misremembered Monsterknees comment chain in your photo of Cumberland, went back and looked.

[–] PugJesus 2 points 2 weeks ago

No worries! I was just wondering if I'd known something about fibre availability in Cumberland and just forgot it, lol

[–] [email protected] 9 points 2 weeks ago

This is explicitly for full-time remote workers.

As part of a broader effort to recapture some of the city’s former vitality, Cumberland is hoping to take advantage of the pandemic shift to remote work by giving $20,000 to 10 home buyers who promise to invest in those properties and become part of the community.

[...]

It’s really to attract people who will benefit your community,” said Cumberland City Council member Laurie Marchini. “It’s not a social services program; it’s to bring people in who are employed.”

https://www.washingtonpost.com/dc-md-va/2024/08/30/cumberland-maryland-revival/

[–] [email protected] 5 points 2 weeks ago

I think they're hoping to attract remote workers from the cities. It's a historic town in a scenic area, so it has that going for it at least.

[–] PugJesus 5 points 2 weeks ago* (last edited 2 weeks ago) (2 children)

You can only get the subsidy if:

  1. You become a homeowner.

  2. You have a job or self-employment in the area.

  3. You stay there for 3 years. Or was it 5 years? Something like that.

[–] [email protected] 5 points 2 weeks ago (1 children)

So..Not the WFH crowd...

[–] PugJesus 6 points 2 weeks ago

I think they count that as in the area, trying not to get megacommuters is the thing. I think.

[–] [email protected] 4 points 2 weeks ago

In the area?