Government

The completion of the Erie Canal in 1825 led to immense prosperity and growth in the state of New York. Transportation costs were cut incredibly, and goods from throughout the country were able to be shipped to the New York Harbor. This led to great economic build-up, and in just a few years turned many small river towns into sprawling industrial centers. However, if one were to take a ride along the Erie Canal today, it would be hard to fathom how these cities were once rich and prosperous. Cities such as Utica, Schenectady, and Troy, are filled with abandoned factories, poverty, and unemployment. In 1910, Troy was the 4th richest city in the country, and the home to many large and successful businesses. It’s population was at a then very high 76,313. According to the 2000 Census, 90 years later, the population of Troy was just 49,170, and the city’s median income was at a low $29,844.
The decline of Troy and other Hudson River cities can be attributed to many factors, such as suburban sprawl, globalization, and the decline of manufacturing in America. However, it is also evident that many governmental attempts to help the region, such as higher wages, property and business taxes, and regulations, have done more damage to both the businesses of the Hudson River region and the cities of the region themselves. These factors have caused most of the factories that built up the region to relocate to the South and overseas, where working costs and taxes are lower. This has caused unemployment throughout these cities, which has led to a decrease in population and an increase in poverty.
Fixing industry would be a more effective way to revitalize these cities than to enact more social programs. If property taxes and working costs were lower in the Hudson River and Erie Canal region, more businesses would be attracted, and more growth would be created. The recent growth of technology has provided a great opportunity for these cities to revitalize. If government takes advantage of this opportunity, the Erie Canal and Hudson River region could once again be prosperous. However, if property and corporate taxes, as well as wage costs keep rising, more and more businesses will have trouble operating and will exit the region, and the wealth of upstate New York will be a thing of the far past.