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usernamedunbeentaken t1_j5tzf0p wrote

Reply to comment by grottycrumpet in LEGO leaving Enfield for new U.S. HQ in Boston by gyokuro

We will never have better cities, at least enough to compete with NY and Boston. There is no scenario where Hartford becomes as attractive as NY or Boston to young people.

Sure, we can improve Hartford and New Haven, but the cost involved would be better spent on tax cuts, at least as far as attracting businesses and jobs and high income individuals (who pay taxes).

In the last century, Fairfield county became a hub for financial services such as hedge funds because of the low tax rate, not because Greenwich and Stamford were cooler for young people than Manhattan. We still have a legacy benefit of that, but have since squandered that advantage to a great extent by implementing and raising the income tax.

If we want to attract businesses and workers in an increasingly remote work environment, the best value for the buck is lower taxes.

/although that said, paying down our fiscal obligations is the best thing to do with any temporary windfall, which is what Lamont is prudently doing.

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grottycrumpet t1_j5u2dkg wrote

Agreed that fiscal crisis was probably the biggest thing spooking big employers, so it’s great we’re finally paying that down. It’s sad to see Lego go but I remember hearing this kind of news more often in the 2010s/during the Malloy austerity years, I feel like I hear more good news now than back then at least.

I’m hoping we eventually get some federal attention for our crappy infrastructure, which’ll help some of our cities’ problems long term. CT always pays much more FIT per person than we ever get back. I don’t think CT cities will turn around in my lifetime/next 50 years or so, but something ambitious like this would really set things in motion for future generations. https://hartford400.org/

Honestly I think a series of smallish improvements can really help. Like, we can speed up/flatten out the crappy Metro North tracks for faster commutes into NYC. I just took the Hartford line to New Haven, the train went 110 in some spots, it was great. Got to New Haven in no time. Then around Bridgeport you slow down to an unnacceptable 10 mph, who would bother taking the train if it’s that slow? Fixing that can’t be that expensive. It’s just adding fixing the ballast under the tracks?

We can take better advantage of transit we already have. Build some apartments on some of the parking lots in downtowns/near transit.

Honestly I don’t think improving our cities is as expensive or difficult as people think. Stuff gets proposed by private developers all the time. Just have to get past the NIMBYs

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