April 4, 2023 |
Photo – Former Governor Dave Freudenthal – Courtesy Wikipedia
The Carbon County Historical Society isn’t only focused on the past. Its most recent speaker laid out a plan for the future of the state.
The Carbon County Chapter of the Wyoming Historical Society was founded in the 1950’s and works to educate people about the history of our area. The COVID pandemic stopped in-person meetings for several years. For their first meeting of 2023, the Carbon County Historical Society hosted a guest speaker: former Wyoming Governer David Freudenthal. Speaking on his new book, “Wyoming: The Paradox of Plenty,” Freudenthal spoke to an audience of 40 people. Historical Society Vice President Dr. David Throgmorton explained the premise of the book.
The paradox of plenty, or resource curse, is when places with abundant natural resources fail to see the economic growth associated with the extraction and sale of those resources. According to the book’s premise, Wyoming is suffering from a paradox of plenty. Dr. Throgmorton said we are too dependent on outside money to pay for community needs.
In his book, Freudenthal says Wyoming residents need to pay more taxes.
Having more financial involvement, more at stake, will give residents greater agency over how their communities grow. Dr. Throgmorton said Freudenthal’s book shows an economic advantage for the entire state.
Dr. Throgmorton admits Freudenthal’s idea isn’t very attractive, but it is necessary for the continued growth of the state. When the oil and gas drillers leave, it will create a deficit in state and county budgets. Without a reliable source of income, Wyoming will become increasingly dependent on federal funding and residents will have little to no say on how the money is spent. Using Rawlins as an example, Dr. Throgmorton said towns need to take more responsibility for the upkeep of critical systems.
Dr. Throgmorton said he considers former Governer Freudenthal’s presentation a success because it attracted a more diverse age group than a typical historical society meeting. He said he will attempt to have a regular supply of guest speakers.
Dr. Throgmorton said Carbon County has a unique place in the history of the United States of America. He said the political agreements that formed our nation, all have boundaries, somewhere in our county.
The Carbon County Historical Society meets quarterly at the Carbon County Higher Education building in Rawlins. Entry is free. The next meeting will be in June. Visit the Carbon County Historical Society Facebook page for more information.
