Chapter 408: Chapter 189: The Shadow of Prosperity (4)
"Let’s talk about how to shift the bill for this development off you and onto the people who should be paying."
Alina was stunned.
She had originally thought Leo would be like other politicians, just offering some pretty-sounding platitudes before turning to leave.
Or maybe he’d make an empty promise.
But Leo was talking about bills, quotas, funds—specific policy tools.
"Are you serious?" Alina looked at him skeptically.
"I’m very serious."
Leo pulled open the car door.
"I can’t save everyone, nor can I defy the laws of economics."
"But I can at least build them a seawall."
"So they won’t be the first to be swept away when the tide comes in."
Leo got into the car.
"One more thing."
Leo rolled down the window.
"That family—don’t let them sleep on the street tonight."
"City Hall has a temporary shelter. The conditions aren’t great, but at least there’s heating."
"Go arrange it. I’ll cover the cost."
Alina watched Leo’s profile.
"Thank you."
Alina’s voice softened a little. She sighed.
"The truth is, no one wants to leave."
"Even if this place is run-down, even if the winters are freezing cold, it’s still home."
"If they could afford to stay, no one would want to uproot their lives."
"Stay here..."
Leo repeated those words.
Suddenly, a bolt of lightning flashed through his mind.
He whipped his head around, staring out the window into the dark night.
In that instant, he was no longer seeing the streets of the Brooklyn District, but a map spread across the Northeast United States.
’What is Pittsburgh facing right now?’
’On one hand, an injection of five hundred million US Dollars, plus a future two billion in Federation funding, will turn this city into a massive construction site.’
’The port needs to be expanded, neighborhoods need to be renovated, and factories need to start up.’
’This requires people.’
’A massive labor force.’
’But Pittsburgh’s population has been declining for the past few decades.’
’The current labor market is already stretched to its limit.’
’Just yesterday, Frank was complaining that even with high wages, it’s hard to hire enough skilled welders and construction workers.’
’On the other hand, with the influx of capital, prices and rent are starting to rise.’
’The local low-income population is feeling the pressure to survive, even facing the risk of being pushed out.’
’It’s a contradiction.’
’Prosperity brings opportunity, but it also brings exclusion.’
’But what if I broaden my perspective?’
’What if I look beyond Pittsburgh, beyond Allegheny County, and even beyond Pennsylvania?’
Leo’s gaze seemed to pierce the horizon, looking west toward Ohio, north toward Michigan.
There was Cleveland, Detroit, Toledo, Youngstown.
Those cities were still struggling in the mire of decline.
Factories there were still closing, workers were losing their jobs, and the young people were fighting tooth and nail for minimum-wage positions.
There were thousands upon thousands of workers like Jose—hardworking, skilled, but unable to find a way to make a living.
’Mr. President.’
Leo asked in his mind, his voice tinged with an irrepressible excitement.
’I can’t expand Pittsburgh’s administrative borders into Ohio. I can’t meddle in Detroit’s affairs.’
’But I can draw their people over here, can’t I?’
’If capital can flow across states, and goods can be transported across states...’
’...then people can be mobile too.’
Roosevelt’s laughter rang out.
"Of course!"
"My boy, you’ve finally grasped the crux of the matter."
"Population."
"What you need to do is not just keep the people you have now."
"You must also launch a raid on the labor force."
Roosevelt’s voice became triumphant.
"Think of California during World War II."
"Back then, the West was just deserts and orchards. But when the war broke out and the shipyards and aircraft factories needed workers, millions of farmers from the Southern States—those Okies who had lost everything in the Dust Bowl—packed up their families and migrated."
"Did they do it for the sunshine? For the beaches?"
"No. They did it for the jobs."
"California took them in, gave them positions, and provided them with housing."
"And so, California transformed from an agricultural state into this country’s most powerful industrial base and population center."
"Now, it’s your turn."
"Look around you."
"The entire Rust Belt is bleeding. Detroit is bleeding. Cleveland is bleeding. There’s a massive pool of seasoned industrial workers there. They have skills, experience, and a strong work ethic."
"But their cities have abandoned them."
"They’re draining away to the Southern States, to Texas, to Florida, to the Sun Belt to work as waiters and Uber drivers."
"This is a tremendous waste."
"You need to intercept this flow."
"You need to reverse this trend."
"You need to turn Pittsburgh into a giant magnet."
"You need to tell every blue-collar worker in the United States: Stop waiting tables in the Southern States! Come to Pittsburgh!"
"We have factories, we have docks, we have construction. We have a future that belongs to you."
"We are going to make Pittsburgh the only safe harbor for blue-collar workers in the entire country."
Leo’s breathing grew ragged. This was an insane and grandiose vision.
If the Revival Alliance had previously only been about utilizing the production capacity of other cities...
...then now, he was going to drain those cities of their population directly.
’Is this feasible?’ Leo asked. ’Would they be willing to come?’
"Of course they would," Roosevelt said with certainty.
"If you can provide the jobs."
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