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To continue with the "Tale of Two Megacities," after Gordon Abiama spoke about Lagos, Nigeria, Lindy Davies spoke about New York, New York. This was on Friday, July 28, remember.
Lindy described New York as the real estate capital of the world. There are 8.54 million people in the five boroughs of New York, 28,000 per square mile, and there are 23.7 million within the thirty counties of the Combined Statistical Area, 1700 per square mile. He showed a picture of Westchester County, looking green and rural.
He talked about the water infrastructure, 90% of which is gravity fed. Then he talked about the Erie Canal and the economic development it brought. The cost of transportation over the Appalachians fell by 95%.
Before the Erie Canal, New Orleans was the big port, and southerners moved up the Mississippi River. After it, abolitionists from New England settled the West.
Back in the Roaring Twenties, New York had no budding taxes on new buildings (after some years, they did become taxable), and accurate land assessments. Governor Al Smith deserves part of the credit for this; Lawson Purdy and other single-taxers were also involved. This lasted from 1920 until 1931.
In the 1970's, without these enlightened policies, New York City had a fiscal crisis, aided by welfare statism, the free City University, and municipal unions. There was the famous newspaper headline: "Ford to City: Drop Dead."
To be continued.
Lindy described New York as the real estate capital of the world. There are 8.54 million people in the five boroughs of New York, 28,000 per square mile, and there are 23.7 million within the thirty counties of the Combined Statistical Area, 1700 per square mile. He showed a picture of Westchester County, looking green and rural.
He talked about the water infrastructure, 90% of which is gravity fed. Then he talked about the Erie Canal and the economic development it brought. The cost of transportation over the Appalachians fell by 95%.
Before the Erie Canal, New Orleans was the big port, and southerners moved up the Mississippi River. After it, abolitionists from New England settled the West.
Back in the Roaring Twenties, New York had no budding taxes on new buildings (after some years, they did become taxable), and accurate land assessments. Governor Al Smith deserves part of the credit for this; Lawson Purdy and other single-taxers were also involved. This lasted from 1920 until 1931.
In the 1970's, without these enlightened policies, New York City had a fiscal crisis, aided by welfare statism, the free City University, and municipal unions. There was the famous newspaper headline: "Ford to City: Drop Dead."
To be continued.
