8/6/2007
SIR –
I was surprised to read the article entitled “Into the ashes” in your magazine (July 26, 2007), not only
because it is myopic, but because it is factually incorrect. Indeed, Phoenix is now a big city and naturally
has many big city problems. However, Phoenix is also a vibrant and growing community that has a strong
economic base and long-term growth potential. This growth potential is based on the examination of
quantifiable facts and not prejudiced anecdotal information.
Let’s examine the basic facts. The City of Phoenix is the economic and social hub of the Greater Phoenix
area. During the past three years, Greater Phoenix has been the most rapidly growing of all 28 major
employment markets in the U.S., and has consistently ranked at or near the top in terms of growth. Rapid
growth also tends to translate into the ability of a community to collect sufficient tax revenues to handle
inherent problems. This is an attribute that many other cities do not enjoy. While the benefits of such
revenue generation are also a function of proper deployment of government services, City of Phoenix
politicians and strategists have made correct decisions far more often than wrong decisions.
It is difficult to envision Phoenix as an abysmal community when so many hundreds of thousands of people
have made the conscious decision to move here in recent years. In terms of opportunity, Phoenix is a
meritocracy. No one cares where you are from, where you went to school, or who your parents were.
People come to the Phoenix area to work, live, raise a family, and succeed based on their own merits. The
important point is that people and companies vote with their feet and have been voting for Greater Phoenix
for decades. While quality of life, like beauty, is in the eye of the beholder, based on virtually any
economic measure, most find Phoenix attractive.
In terms of the highlighted crime rates, if the author relied on government data rather than personal opinion,
the results would have shown that the rates of burglary and theft per person in the Phoenix area have been
declining for many years, even more so than at the national level. In terms of auto theft, the rate is exactly
the same as in 1996.
Fortunately, the economic fundamentals that have made the Greater Phoenix economy so successful in past
years remain in place. In addition to offering individuals and families the opportunity to succeed, Greater
Phoenix generally remains business friendly. The bottom line is that people want to move here. Data
doesn’t lie. I hope that the next review of our community includes an analysis more worthy of TheEconomist name.