Thursday, April 12, 2012

Pick Pittsburgh

Border Guard Bob is back. The best time to plug the brain drain is when your region is sporting positive migration numbers. Pittsburgh Mayor Luke Ravenstahl grandstanding:

"Pittsburgh has so much to offer young people, from available jobs to high quality of life and affordability, and I'm happy to remind them that Pittsburgh has what they need and want after college," Ravenstahl said. His "Pick Pittsburgh" initiative touts the region's benefits in a letter to graduating seniors at Pitt, Carnegie Mellon and Point Park universities and Community College of Allegheny County.

Pittsburgh doesn't have an outmigration problem, particularly with young adults. Over the last decade, the metro has been one of the fastest growing in the brain gain department. What's all the fuss about?

My guess is that Ravenstahl is trotting out another talent retention initiative so he can take credit for Pittsburgh's remarkable boom. Brain drain boondoggles are a common political gambit and can be used to justify almost any favored policy. The ineffectual Boy Mayor is redding up his image.

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