I have no opinion on Buffalo's future, but I really hate Richar Florida and his 'creative class' nonsense. Are the rest of the world supposed to jump for joy that the aristocracy has given itself a new name? Meet the new boss, same as the old boss.

Well, I consider myself part of that, because I get to use pens, paper and photoshop at work. Look around Jon, what else do we still have in this country? Manufacturing? It's in China. Ditto most everything else we used to dominate. Oh, and software, that's creative. I'd rather be in the creative class than the only other growing class I've seen, the Wal-Mart class.

I'd rather be in the creative class than the only other growing class I've seen, the Wal-Mart class.

Good for you. Where does that leave the rest of us? So, excuse me for not celebrating.

Oi, vey, I'm not attacking you jon. Besides I think we know who the real aristocracy in this country is.

Besides I think we know who the real aristocracy in this country is.

Excuse me, but we prefer the term "capital allocation class". Thx.

So how 'bout that Buffalo regional economy? I heard some guy was posting about it at metachat.

Let's Go Buffalo!

How real is the "Chi-Pitts (Chicago through Pittsburgh)" mega region? And what does that say about Milwaukee, St. Louis & Minneapolis?

I've heard similar theories about a Phoenix-Tucson regional merger--but that was mostly being used to sell real estate projects.

I don't see it quite so much.
People from Canada come here, go to the outlet mall in Niagara Falls or the malls in the suburbs, and go home. All national chain stores, so the money into the local economy is minimal, most goes back to the parent company out of town.

And I suspect we'll see a lot less cross border traffic after the first of the year. I don't have a passport. I can't afford one now. (and even if I could god knows how long it would take to get it) And the same goes for about 80% of my local friends. So after New Years I won't be able to go more than three miles west of my front door anymore.

From what a lot of my Canadian friends have said, it is much the same there. Not the obscene delays, but that a lot of people don't have passports.