After being back in Wyoming for eleven years, I've observed a few things that are simultaneously discouraging, frustrating, and sad.
Our demographics have hollowed out strategic thought and investment in the State's future. We are governed by officials and legislators heavy on the 45+ cohort, one that doesn't differentiate much between money spent and money invested. Within that segment is a somewhat tragic change-aversion. While they rarely say the quiet part out loud ("We hate change") they defund investment for change by reducing revenue, much to the benefit of the empty-nest property owners that are widely represented in the legislature.
Speaking to fellow Wyoming citizens, I've also discerned a very palpable price sensitivity to things that out-of-town visitors rarely exhibit, and if they do, it's usually surprise at how INEXPENSIVE some things are here. At the same time, many of these locals won't bat an eye at dropping $70k+ on a new truck (as an aside, I've also observed a rough ratio of the truck's size and ride height being greater than their owners' stature) or tens of thousands on off-road toys. Raise the price of beer however and they act as if you just violated their spouse. It should be noted that Wyoming wholesale beer prices, the price liquor stores, bars, and restaurants pay to distributors, are exceeded only by Hawaii.
A recent Trib article about the majority of people surveyed in Casper (about 75%) were hungry for economic growth, roughly the same percentage opposed any public money investment to that end, including better funding for education. Basically, decades of near-obscene mineral extraction revenues (which were arguably in-adequately low) that once made Wyoming teachers among the highest paid in the U.S. have resulted in a culture of handout expectations and an aversion to self-actualization through civic participation and investment. A majority of Wyoming people seem to labor under the expectation someone else will pick up the tab for growth, and, despite 65% of their kids leaving the State never to return, cling to this fantasy while rejecting the economic reality all around them.
Wyoming seems to be entering a phase of Appalachian-ism. A fear and resistance to change (which cannot be stopped, it always IS) that results ultimately in alienation and isolation from our neighboring states followed by regression in growth, which is the change that results from the impossibility of aspiring to status quo.
There is a huge difference between being penny wise and pound foolish, between financial acumen and cheapness, and Wyoming seems to fall into the latter. The greatest symptom of this unambitious behavior is stasis or regression of populace. No one is arguing for unrestrained or unmanaged economic growth, just a more rational, practical, enlightened approach to the economic health of the state. Buying a new mattress to stuff money into is hardly sound economic policy or financial practice, but it seems to be the prevailing approach by many, if not most of Wyoming citizens.
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