Russ Steele
During the debate over Prop 23 we were told that Silicon Valley green job were going to lead California into the states economic future. We were told that Silicon Valley was a magnet for skilled immigrants, a creative engine who would bring forth the next generation of "must have" products and ignite our economy. It is not happening.
According to a study by the Brookings Institutute usiing Census data the rust-belt cities of Pittsburgh, Cleveland and St. Louis are all drawing a higher proportion of highly skilled immigrants than Silicon Valley according to a story in The Bay Citizen: Skilled Immigrants Skipping Silicon Valley - Heading to Rust Belt
"We don't think of these areas as high-tech hubs, but they have been really active in trying to recruit and encourage the welcoming of foreign workers into their industries to rejuvenate their economy," said the think tank's Matthew Hall.
Those cities also have a lower cost of living than San Francisco or San Jose, where companies and government expect highly educated immigrants to gravitate, according to Brookings.
"Pittsburgh is an easier place to afford to live the American dream and get your foot in the door. That might sound like a pretty good option to a lot of people," Hall said.
Brookings findings represent "a danger sign" for the Bay Area's tech sector, said Russell Hancock, head of Joint Venture Silicon Valley, a public-private think tank.
Read the rest of the article here.
Another AB32 green job myth has been over come by reality. Sacramento is out of control and the Bay Area cities are floundering on liberalism, and that is making Cleveland and Pittsburg look good to educated immigrants, they are not dumb, there is more opportunity outside of California.
