I’m not normally a fan of attempts to divide the U.S. into “superstates” or the like; they seem ad hoc to me. However, a new study by the Regional Plan Association, a New York-based urban research institute, does do a seemingly credible job of describing what it calls “megaregions” — looking at the connections among and consistency in attitudes between various metropolitan areas. This better allows us to do what Shakespeare called “carving nature at its joints.”
Here’s a diagram describing the “megaregions.” (One thing I like about it is that many parts of the country simply aren’t in megaregions, meaning that there isn’t so much quibbling to be done about precise boundaries.) To quote the authors: “Megaregions are areas where large cities and the spaces in between share ‘interlocking economic systems, shared natural resources and ecosystems, and common transportation systems.'”
That’s you in yellow in the middle left, second largest circle.
As seems to happen almost every time someone tries this kind of stunt, the Pacific Northwest is called Cascadia. It includes not only Vancouver — we spit at international borders! — down to Eugene, but also areas as far afield as Spokane and Boise. Its 2010 population was almost 8.4 million; its projected 2050 population is almost 11.9 million.
California, of course, gets lopped in half — but at least at the logical place, between Fresno and Bakersfield. Normally, I don’t like that — but in discussing regional planning as opposed to political representation, it makes some sense. (And it explains some of the problems we have with the political will for high-speed rail.) Northern California includes Sonoma south to Monterrey and east through Sacramento to Reno — we spit at domestic borders too! — and down I-5 as far as Fresno. Its 2010 population was just over 14 million; in 2050 it’s projected as just over 21 million.
Southern California includes Santa Barbara through Bakersfield to Las Vegas, down through LA, OC, the IE, and San Diego to Tijuana. Sounds about right! Our 2010 population: just over 24 million; in 2050 we’re projected to break 39 million.
I was surprised to see the Arizona Sun Corridor (perhaps better known as “Arizona”) make the megaregions list, but the area from north of Phoenix to south of Tucson did contain over 5.6 million in 2010 and is projected to exceed 12.3 million in 2050 — so if that’s true, welcome to the megaregion club, little brother!
The Front Range includes the Salt Lake City region, but mostly the corridor from north of Denver through Albuquerque. It was about 5.5 million in 2010, but is projected to grow to just over 10 million by 2050.
Over 70% of the population of Texas in 2050 is projected to be within the Texas Triangle, a region that is named for the San Antonio-Austin-Dallas line that connects to Houston, but that in this model also includes the detached area from Oklahoma City to Tulsa. This region’s population was just under 20 million in 2010; in 2050 it is projected as just passing 38 million. Obviously, this is Southern California’s rival — except in livability.
Houston is actually in two regions — I don’t know whether its population got counted twice — the second being the Gulf Coast, which stretches from Brownsville (and the Mexican areas nearby) through Corpus Christi, and then past Houston from New Orleans and Baton Rouge to Pensacola. This region had about 13.5 million people in 2010, expected to grow to 23.5 million in 2050, largely by siphoning population from the Midwest. So you can think of this as the population equivalent of Northern California.
For the last four regions, let’s jump up to the Great Lakes, which at south includes Kansas City through St. Louis to Louisville, as well as Minneapolis to Buffalo in the north — well, actually into Toronto and Montreal — then curving down west of the Alleghanies to Pittsburgh before curving through Ohio back down through Cincinnati to Louisville. (I skipped over some notable cities including Chicago, Detroit, Milwaukee, Columbus, and Indianapolis there.) Obviously this is a huge region — 55.5 million in 2010, projected to reach past 71 million in 2050 — and there’s a case to be made for dividing it up into two or more, but it’s not clear where one make the cuts, which suggests that it may really be one mega (or should it be giga?) region. If I had to draw a line, it would separate the region north to south, with Iowa City, Gary, Fort Wayne, Columbus, and Pittsburgh being the southern border of the north. (Maybe they’ll try this and see how it works. It seems at least as intuitive a cultural divider as that between Northern and Southern California.)
Southern Maine to southeastern Virginia, then inland as far west as the Alleghenies, constitutes the Northeast. (Yes, Norfolk is now “Northeast.” I’d have expected that of Arlington and DC, maybe even Richmond, but apparently it’s continuing to creep southward .) This is the other huge megaregion: over 52 million in 2010, expected to hit almost 71 million by 2050. Looking at that region, though, it gets even harder to explain why Southern California gets cleft in two. (The best explanation for that is one word: “Tehachapi.” But one can get past it, right? Or one can take the 101!)
Birmingham through Atlanta to Charlotte and then the Research Triangle is the heart of the Piedmont Atlantic megaregion — basically the urban South — which also includes detached Memphis and Nashville to the northwest. Its 2010 population was over 17.6 million; its 2050 projection is over 31.3 million.
Finally, there’s Florida — but it’s not all of Florida. This megaregion includes almost nothing west of a line between Jacksonville and Tampa. So it has nothing that might even nearly be called a panhandle, but it does include Orlando, Miama, and such. This was almost 17.3 million in 2010; it it projected to reach over 31 million by 2050.
So, to tabulate it all up and sort by size (in millions):
- 55.5 in Great Lakes
- 52 in Northeast
- 24 in Southern California
- 20 in Texas Triangle
- 17.6 in Piedmont Atlantic
- 17.3 in Florida
- 14 in Northern California
- 13.5 in Gulf Coast
- 8.4 in Cascadia
- 5.6 in Arizona Sun Corridor
- 5.5 in Front Range
So let’s add that up: 233.4 million people (by 2010 population) live in “megaregions,” which includes two small regions of Canada and three in Mexico — and it may be counting residents of Houston twice. If you live anywhere else, such as most of the Rockies and Great Plains and upper South, you don’t matter. Now you, OJB reader, have new knowledge. So, it’s time to put away your notes and prepare to take the exam.
This is your Weekend Open Thread. Talk about that, or anything else you wish, within reasonable bounds of decency and decorum. A Dearthwatch may or may not follow.
Nearing Critical Mass? Support Grows for Keystone XL Pipeline
First, the Washington Post joins a number of other news organization in endorsing the pipeline. The Post editorial board has had enough of arguments from pipeline opponents:
Environmentalists have drawn a line in the sand on the Keystone XL pipeline. It’s the wrong line in the wrong sand, far away from any realistic assessment of the merits — as yet another government analysis has confirmed. It’s past time for President Obama to set aside politics and resolve this bizarre distraction of an issue.
https://www.uschamber.com/blog/nearing-critical-mass-support-grows-keystone-xl-pipeline
The AFL-CIO’s Building and Construction Trades Department (BCTD), well known in OC by backing developers’ projects, supports this pipeline despite the opposition of environmentally minded unions.
http://inthesetimes.com/article/16221/angering_environmentalists_afl_cio_pushes_fossil_fuel_investme/
While the rest of the folks watch the athletes, are certain offices in Stadium Towers drooling over THIS Olympic Program?
Enjoy your weekend!
The Dear Arte: Can I call you Arte? “pro-business” PR from Irvine must also be drooling…
I also found this on the way to look at something else, a first- person account of life as a TSA screener, FWIW-
http://www.politico.com/magazine/story/2014/01/tsa-screener-confession-102912.html#.UuvNovldV8E?ml=m_mm
Where is Southern California going to get its water from now? The Colorado River water is going to be cut off and the water from the north is going to be cut off.
Too bad no one had the foresight to build desolation plants.
“Desolation plants.” That name is great. It’s the truest thing you’ve ever written.
Counting on the outdated, outrageously expensive, and environmentally destructive “desolation plant” proposed by Poseidon to solve any water shortage problem is like complaining that OC is refusing to take an action that might to useful to prevent some possible future famine — by failing to subsidize “laboratory-grown artificial meat” factories that could be set up in bunkers beneath Newport Coast. Yeah, it would help feed people in the event of famine — but not much — and it would bankrupt us first. So I’d go easy on the advance recriminations over inadequate “desolation.” (Thanks for the new term for them, though!)
That is what I get for relying on the spell checker.
Maybe a water plant up the 74 HI-way at the hot springs could work. I had a great time at the clothes optional hot pools in the 60’s 70’s.
I’m going to pretend that I didn’t read that.
“CA legislature passes $687 million drought relief plan.” Greg what do you think of this spending plan?
Cut back use, raise water rates, and provide NOT one ounce of new water supplies.
Is this a District Attorney-type issue?
I will say this: one important thing that you’re leaving out there is fixing our water plant and water delivery infrastructure. My understanding from people who follow these issues is that some ungodly amount of water is wasted in leaks because our infrastructure is in such disrepair.
I don’t think that that will be on my plate as DA, though.
With the recent stories about air pollution in China, perhaps they are ahead of the US in de-sol-ation – The increasing air particulates may soon blot out the sun!
hey whassup with the lawsuit against the county? no jobs in the private sector for you? how come you don’t post under Anaheim Harpoon anymore? Did Nelson get pissed at you?
You’re a brave one eh? Scared of Dave?
Well, I have started lifting weights again; on the other hand the Kleptocracy isn’t very brave, so who knows?
I presume that Dave won’t answer, but for the record, even asking “whassup” with a lawsuit is generally ignorant. They’re presumably going through a formal process right now about which they either can’t or shouldn’t comment. Don’t try to make that lack of commentary seem sinister.
From our friends at OC Political, under the author name “Newsletter Reprint,” with a link to the Janet Nguyen for State Senate site, though I can’t find it there (or, according the Google, anywhere else on the Internet) using keywords:
I wonder if this was just some sort of test run. Wishful thinking? Why doesn’t it appear on her site, if it’s true? Why does it appear on OC Political (and in our RSS feed), if it isn’t? Can someone out there named Chris (most likely) help us understand this? Is “clears” being used in the Scientology sense rather than the legal sense? And, if you’ll forgive my lapsing into lawyer-speak, is “[OC] District Attorney Clears [Republican Elected Official]” dispositive? Heck, at this point, is it even probative?
SOMETIMES it pays to stay up! I was just about to call it a night, and then I found this-
(thanks to http://www.urbanophile.com/ , also an interesting read!)
I am in awe.
Kronies. With a K. Just like Kleptocrat.
Genius.
Chuck Schumer, “Obama Care law helps single mothers quit jobs (that provided healthcare, but they didn’t like working at) so they can stay home with their children.”
The emphasis being “single moms.”
My question is this: Will they apply for welfare? food stamps? If not how will they pay for basic necessities? If the assumption is they can start their own business, where will they get the money for that? The Schumers of the world certainly decide many important issues on assumptions.
In my opinion, this is the kind fantasy thinking that comes from rich politicians that never live under their own laws.
I think Schumer misspoke. I think he meant “working moms”.
Those women who could stay home with their children (due to a spouses income, although I’m sure these days this includes many “working dads” as well), but continue to work because the family relies on the health insurance provided through their job.
He said it a couple of times and never caught it, but it obviously fits the scenario he’s describing.
Democrats are totally fucked in the head.
And predictably… up pops the dimwitted, lunatic fringe.
Groundhog’s Day passed, skally. Go back underground and continue chewing on your meds for another six weeks.
A Buffalo, N.Y. community activist who is well known locally for pushing for a highly restrictive 2013 gun control law has been arrested for — wait for it — carrying a gun illegally at a public elementary school.
Read more: http://dailycaller.com/2014/02/10/gun-stun-gun-control-activist-swears-he-forgot-he-was-carrying-gun-while-visiting-school/#ixzz2svkWeW6f
Of course there are your FITH repubs:
Joe Scarborough believed to be taking idea of 2016 presidential bid seriously
Read more: http://dailycaller.com/2014/02/10/joe-scarborough-believed-to-be-taking-idea-of-2016-presidential-bid-seriously/#ixzz2svm9DxiA
Joe Scar would be a better GOP nominee than most — dead intern history or not. But I don’t think he’d give up his current gig just to save his PITA party.
skally, I’ll give you an example of how this works.
My wife works primarily for the health insurance, which until the availability of Obamacare I have not been able to get for any reasonable price as a solo practitioner. (She’s a cancer survivor and I have my own set of less serious, but still disqualifying, preexisting conditions.)
While she loves her clients at her job — a job in which she provides pretty much professional level services to mentally challenged adults for a tad over minimum wage — she could probably do herself, our family, her clients, and the world more good if she could set out on her own and set up a business that would be complementary with her current employers but provide the services, on a contract basis, on which she is especially well-qualified. And she wouldn’t be making right around minimum wage.
She hasn’t been able to do it — because we’ve needed the health insurance through her work. Our deal has been: I provide most of the income, she provides the health insurance that I could not obtain.
Now, we don’t have to do that. She can start a business and we can still have health insurance. In our little family unit, it’s revolutionary. And the fact that you (supposedly) can’t comprehend it is mystifying at best.
Stories like this are playing out all over the country — including women (or men) who can stay home to take care of their own children rather than paying for child care. Does that “increase unemployment”? In a sense, yes, although we have plenty of unemployed people who can step into those jobs. But if you can’t see why that is still a net plus, it is because you haven’t asked yourself (or deigned to answer) the question that ought to be fundamental in economics:
It’s not simply about goosing up macroeconomic statistics, and it should not be about fostering economic desperation among workers so that they have to put up with whatever nonsense or villainy they may get from their bosses. It’s about allowing people to make the most of their lives.
That people can no longer be turned down for health insurance due to a pre-existing condition ALONE should garner Skallywag’s applause.
But for some people, it’s more important to be a partisan hack.
Speaking at the Conservative Policy Summit Rep. Tom Price (R-Ga.) said conservative lawmakers have introduced 150 bills in the House of Representatives to improve America’s health sector. “We have asked the President over and over again to talk with us about these ideas but he has refused to do so,” He said GOP ideas focus on positive incentives to buy health insurance with refundable tax credits. And his bill wouldn’t include any government mandates like those in Obamacare that dictate what kind of health plans Americans must buy. To avoid losing their health insurance from employment changes, Price said his bill would give Americans full ownership of their health policies, regardless of who pays for the plan.
Patients with pre-existing conditions would not be denied coverage, Price said, (repeat – “PATIENTS WITH PRE-EXISTING CONDITIONS WOULD NOT BE DENIED COVERAGE”) – noting that insurers would have the flexibility to create “robust pooling mechanisms” that included high-risk pools and individual member associations that sell health plans across state lines.
What will covering preexisting conditions through private insurers WITHOUT guaranteeing the presence of markets not deformed by adverse selection do to the ability of those insurers to provide insurance?
You understand that you either go with government insurance and take the hit — which I favor — or else you (1) mandate participation so as to avoid adverse selection so that insurers don’t go broke, or (2) you LET those insurers go broke, or (3) you DON’T ACTUALLY cover preexisting conditions the way that Obamacare now will.
You DO understand that this is the whole friggin’ REASON for mandates, right? You made it through that elementary stage of understanding the system, right? RIGHT? (Or did you not?)
I’m in favor of being able to purchase health insurance across state lines. But this is one of those ideas that politicians throw out there and people nod yes, yes, and it has absolutely no chance of happening.
Skally, you DO realize that it isn’t Congress or the President that stands in the way of something like that happening…it’s the insurance companies, right?
It was my understanding that the reason for the constant right-wing call for insurance companies to be able to sell across state lines was so that the state with the most lax insurance regulations (like Mississippi or Alabama) would be the only ones whose regulations applied. This would mean that insurance companies would probably want that too … I thought they did!
The insurance companies know full well that they would open themselves up to increased federal regulation with an interstate system. They’d rather roll their dice on a state-by-state basis.
Anon, then why won’t non profit carriers go it alone on interstate offers?
Non-profit in name only. Most of them hoard huge surpluses.
I dunno, sounds like you’re stacking the deck to bullet proof your theory. I think the problem with a lack of insurers willing to pool risk across state lines has much more to do with regulatory greed than it does profitability or “surplus” maintenance.
Oh, so then you agree with my 7pm comment?
I think the non-prof aspect is irrelevant. They pretty much behave just like the for-profit insurers.
Actually, yes, I do. But, we have a difference of opinion as to your 5:24 comment.
Note: our spam-checking software is on the fritz at the moment, so it is routing all comments to moderation. It’s nothing personal against any of you (unless you are spamming.) It should be resolved before long — but note that I said “should” rather than “will.” We apologize for the inconvenience.
SPAM??? I have been called much worse.
Plus, I like to think I taste more like a light batter on a fried chicken wing!
Nameless.
Before he death of Philip Seymour Hoffman, a documentary shown at the Newport Film depicted the use of heroin in OC. The BBC Mundo (World) has an article on this subject. You may need to use Google translate.
http://www.bbc.co.uk/mundo/noticias/2014/02/140128_eeuu_california_orange_county_heroina_medicamentos_jg.shtml
http://www.ocweekly.com/2012-04-19/film/newport-beach-film-festical-behind-the-orange-curtain-natalie-costa/
I tried to post this on http://www.theliberaloc.com but for some strange reason, it NEVER showed up:
Dan,
With regard to the whole Pedroza/NAMBLA thing, I read the link Vern provided and am left with a simple thought: “if you were a honest and well meaning guy, WHY ON EARTH would you buy a site named after someone else?”
I left out my biting editorial comments about Trabuco and Gallegos, so as not inflame the knucklehead.
Looking back in the mirror I think the history of Matt and Dan is rather plain, two little minded guys. I hope Dan and Chris enjoyed the app’s Thursday! That skinny guy at the bar got a kick out of them.
Found this online, did it make any local press? (Delete if so)-
http://www.dailybreeze.com/social-affairs/20140208/centinela-valley-schools-chief-amassed-663000-in-compensation-in-2013
“I’m clever enough to ask for it, and you,……..”
I didn’t see it. By all means, spread that word! Haven’t even looked at what (if any) party he or she belongs to!
DEPARTMENT OF JUSTICE WHITE PAPER (2011)
Lawfulness of a Lethal Operation Directed Against a U.S. Citizen Who
Is a Senior Operational Leader of Al-Qa’ida or An Associated Force
This white paper sets forth a legal framework for considering the circumstances in
which the U.S. government could use lethal force in a foreign country outside the area of
active hostilities against a U.S. citizen who is a senior operational leader of al-Qa’ida or
an associated force of al-Qa’ida-that is, an al-Qa’ida leader actively engaged in
planning operations to kill Americans. The paper does not attempt to determine the
minimum requirements necessary to render such an operation lawful.
https://www.fas.org/irp/eprint/doj-lethal.pdf