Poor country cousins
A thought-provoking article in the New York Times described pastoral poverty as "the seeds of decline."
Instances were shown in several states where population of rural counties has declined by more than half. The same comparisons can be made in Kansas. Much of the western portion of our Sunflower state is in serious depression.
Marion County is bad, but not as bad as most. Marion County's economic condition also isn't as good as those in the northeast from Lawrence to Kansas City. Marion County is barely holding its own, but the time to face reality is now. Later is too late.
Young high school graduates interviewed in the article face either getting out of town to find work or join a rural ghetto manufacturing methamphetamine.
The trend for rural decline follows what happened in city ghettos a dozen years ago. It has been gradual and permanent.
People live below the poverty level in nearly 30 percent of the rural area of America.
During these troubled times with massive unemployment in urban areas, what's the answer to salvage the rural economy? That's a serious problem, and it's even more serious because no effort seems to be made to address the issue.
Meth labs and the sale of other drugs have become abundant in Kansas (including Marion County).
Cities have received huge grants for decades to address urban decay. But rural areas have been neglected.
Representative Tom Osborne (R-Neb.) has been attempting to get small "action grants" similar to those approved for cities. He believes such grants will "jump start" rural economy. Wish him luck. Wish us luck. However, it'll take more than luck. Do folks in the city really give a damn about poor country cousins?
— BILL MEYER
