Dying Longton Part One; Our Hometown Is Dying

[CCarl]

Our hometown is dying                      *Copyright © MMXXII CCarl

When I discovered the City of Longton's webpage [ http://www.cityoflongton.com/ ] I found a short video titled, "Longton, Kansas: A Dying Town" with video credit given to Robert Walker. Thanks Robert! I'm sure most locals have seen that video of empty streets, and buildings (and days) long gone, with music that is almost a dirge. [BTW, if anyone knows the title of that song, or the group performing it, please post the pertinent info. Thanks.]

I started reading comments on this Forum about seven years ago. It was busy at the time with local news and events, history, obituaries, gossip, and the usual political fist-a-cuffs. I thought it was a healthy interchange, including the occasional snarling. Then most folks gradually tuned the Forum out. I never really understood why, but here I am today, ready to post to a dead Forum. Dead indeed, the only active posts the last nine months have been Obituaries!

One of the last commenters to the Forum that I remember remarked that the Elk Valley School District's purchase of the motel was a nail in the City's coffin. I remember that because I agreed wholeheartedly with that statement, I still do. Has that already been four years ago? I can't remember. Since then the City has lost a diner, a grocery store, and a post office. And neither liquor store nor quick-stop gas station allow shoppers to shop anymore. The high school's Class of 2021 had, what, a single graduate? And last June's class had two graduates, give or take. And this year's high school has what, fifteen students in four grades? How is all that for a community death spiral?

Most recently the City, in its blind ignorance, has purchased the last (formerly) privately owned building in our small business district that is still suitable for a new retail business. The intention is for the City to have a 'new' City Hall we can all be proud of. Now, there is another nail in Longton's coffin! It is time to declare Longton officially 'dead', not just 'dying'. Maybe the Council could authorize a new 'Welcome To' sign on the highway, one shaped like a grave marker and made of granite! Council has approved spending on equally dumb ideas lately.

I intend on posting a few times a month about dead little Longton. There are reasons why it's dead, some local, some regional, and some national. I want to have conversations about some of those reasons. There are things that can be done to rejuvenate the town [and in a greater sense, Elk County]. There are also things NOT to do [that, unfortunately, are being done]. Those things, and more, will become focal points of future posts.

There will be one underlying theme to the posts, that is 'think locally and act locally'. Vibrant communities are supported by hard working individuals and families that invest their lives and their wealth in local efforts to achieve their personal goals and dreams. When they do so, personal and community wealth is increased, the population becomes bigger and more complex, and a free marketplace of ideas, services, and products flourishes. That is simply bottom-up economics, aka, grass-roots populism. It is self-regulating. It is thinking locally, and acting locally.

The opposite is top-down economics. That is a central authority making people obey words on paper, words that always serve the authorities more than the people. Top-down economics sucks the wealth and vibrancy from communities, creates a social vacuum, and destroys commerce and dreams. All it offers is obedience, hollow promises, and subsidized hand-outs. For proof of that, look at recent history alone, Mao-ist China, the Soviet Union, Tolkien's one ring to bind them all, and yes the current status of the USA and the EU. [Well, Tolkien's works aren't historical . . . or could they be?]

If you wish to read/research more about economics and market places, here are two of the best, and both unlikely to be found within typical high school or university curricula in today's world: Economics in One Lesson, by Henry Hazlett [https://www.amazon.com/Economics-One-Lesson-Shortest-Understand/dp/0517548232/ref=sr_1_1?crid=10GQM1G7AC0HD&keywords=economics+in+one+lessons&qid=1666825749&qu=eyJxc2MiOiIwLjAwIiwicXNhIjoiMC4wMCIsInFzcCI6IjAuMDAifQ==&s=books&sprefix=economics+in+one+lessons,stripbooks,113&sr=1-1]; and Human Action, by Ludwig von Mises [https://www.amazon.com/Human-Action-Treatise-Economics-Revised/dp/B001R66IIE/ref=sr_1_5?crid=2MA3S2S5BCNWB&keywords=human+action+mises&qid=1666825943&qu=eyJxc2MiOiIyLjI4IiwicXNhIjoiMi4xNSIsInFzcCI6IjIuMTQifQ==&s=books&sprefix=On+Human+Action,stripbooks,142&sr=1-5]  Neither of them require a higher education to read or understand, just an attentive mind.

I do not intend to post anything political because politics is not in the realm of thinking and acting locally. Readers will see philosophy, government, and economics in the mix, but not political party rants. So follow along with these posts if you're inclined. Comment, if you are also inclined, whether you agree or disagree, or just want to add some flavor or color to the conversation. Your contribution would certainly help this lifeless Forum. And it might help dead Longton make a turn for the better. Longton needs our help. The private sector, the residents and taxpayers, must step forward to prevent government from (mis)leading the town down the proverbial blind alley.

This is the only place I have found where we can post feelings and opinions about life in Longton and Elk County. The Cities, the County, the Sheriff's Department, and the Fire Departments only allow us to comment on what they initially post to their Facebroke (sic) pages. And they all reserve the right to censure our comments about their posts. In other words, they do NOT really want to have our opinions stated and discussed publicly [or they would engage in this type of open forum]. Their objective is to control. They pay lip service to the Right of free speech, while claiming to protect it. But, on this Forum we can straight-forwardly make our thoughts and feelings known, whatever they are, as long as we do not libel or slander others, nor become too vulgar.

So start thinking locally with us, then act on those thoughts. Locals thinking and acting can make changes that top-down government will never make, including changing government itself. Longton will never be what it once was, sorry to all you day-dreamers. Reality is, times and people are different. But Longton can recover an economic and social vibrancy again. Thinking and acting locally can do that. Top-down government and its economic policies, including our City government, never will do that. In fact, those governments and policies will do the opposite.


* Copy and distribution of this post is allowed with permission of the poster, via personal messaging. Readers will see a copyright symbol and date at the top of each of these posts. I hope to connect these posts to other 'Think Locally and Act Locally' websites, and foster a larger audience. It will help Cascity grow this Forum, and it will help our message grow.

[Mom70x7]

October 15th, Longton had a Poker Run memory of Dewayne Smith & Bob Stricker. Bob was a friend of hours. They were both killed late December, in Longton, last year.