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Traffic report for May 26

Letter to the Editor: Luzerne County Councilman Edward Brominski draws distinction between candidates

This one&#8217;s for the &#8220;evil&#8221; New Yorkers, Philadelphians and suspect New Jerseyans who frequently get credited for Wilkes-Barre&#8217;s abysmal crime rate.A report released Thursday by The Institute for Public Policy &amp; Economic Development at Wilkes University says Luzerne and Lackawanna counties can thank those pesky outsiders with providing the foundation on which our economy is poised to grow.Without that so-called in-migration, our region&#8217;s economy would be further faltering.The report lists our regional economy&#8217;s strengths and weaknesses. Among our challenges:&#8226; High poverty rates&#8226; Low wages&#8226; Inadequate infrastructure&#8226; Inefficient governmentAmong our successes:&#8226; Robust health and education sectors&#8226; Great recreation opportunities&#8226; Abundant energy sources&#8226; Stable housing market&#8230; and, yes, an influx of folks from New York, New Jersey and Philadelphia.Our stagnant regional population would be on a devastating decline if out-of-town families and professionals hadn&#8217;t decided to settle their roots firmly in our area.Without that in-migration, our regional economy would be even more dire. Our aging population is dying at rates faster than babies are being born. We have a well-documented brain drain of college graduates who look outside the area for work. And we have a perpetually high unemployment rate.Despite all that, and to our economy&#8217;s benefit, more people have moved into Luzerne and Lackawanna counties since 2010 than have moved out.So let&#8217;s hear it for those who chose to make our area their home at a time when so many of our native sons and daughters have chosen to do the exact opposite.

Our Opinion: An ode to the outsiders who are saving our bacon