The Economic Might of the.... City State?

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Entry posted by Retep Molinari · September 12, 2011

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How exactly did a sleepy city state in the Pacific Northwest become an economic marvel? The answer lies in the political and policy decisions made early in the 20th century.

Deschutes City's strong, vibrant downtown district.

The economic growth in Deschutes Republic is largely based on three policy principals.

Open Immigration

Like much of the pacific Northwest, Deschutes Republic was resettled by European and American immigrants moved westward in the mid to late 1800s. Yet unlike their American and Canadian counterparts, Deschutes maintained its open immigration laws into the 20th century. The reason for this was simple: acres and acres of farm land needed to be worked, and workers were needed to tap the land's potential.

But there was another reason: immigrants represent new consumers--people who will purchase goods and products. The government understood that a large, concentrated, and urban population would be a massive economic engine, given the right education.

A train passes through some farms near River's Bend.

Universal Education: Kindergarten to Grad-School.

The government of Deschutes Republic wanted to transform the hoards of immigrants entering the country into an able, talented, and diverse workforce. Deschutes keeps K-12 classes sizes below 20 students nearly without exception. Ample facilities, computers, and extra curricular opportunities characterize the K-12 system.

An elementary school and high school from Deschutes City.

But it doesn't stop there. Deschutes also offers low cost- to- free college education, including graduate school. This is done in the form of a loan that provided by the government. Depending on the Degree earned, the loan is forgiven after a number of years of economic productivity.

Deschutes Tech, a University in Deschutes City.

Transportation Infrastructure

To keep this economy going, public transportation infrastructure is continually upgraded and expanded. All major cities have strong local bus and light rail transportation, whiles cities are connected by the regional heavy rail or monorail (rapid rail) networks (or both!). These systems keep customers flowing and the streets clean.

A rapid rail bridge in River's Bend

This includes freight transportation. Deschutes maintains a massive container ship and rail network, which help connect their goods all over the world.

A dock in Deschutes City