Paul wrote:
>
>
> Some of us spent most of our lives in such zips :-) A case in
> point? Seriously, as I am sure Doug is aware, the zips can work for urban
> marketing surveys etc if there is a relatively homogenous population in the
> urban zip. But for this sort of statistical comparison? With lots of rural
> zips in the study? Think of the wealth variance in small towns and rural
> areas within the same zip.
I have no opinion on the general question, but Paul here is correct. The wealth gap within the 61701 zip extends from homeless to members of the "big bourgeoisie." And it is probably less extreme now than when I first came to B/N in 1961, when the population was much smaller. However, I have no information of the economic level of recruits from here -- but neither would figures on the zip be of any use.
But also, I really don't think the question is of any current political importance. nor will it become of importance without two substantial prior changes: (1) a much larger activist left, including a goodly sprinkling of college dropouts and (2) a much larger war in the mideast. (The sprinkling of college dropouts is needed for a GI movement; that demographic was central to the coffee shops, etc. of the GI movement in the '60s.) We can hope that there will be activity in a few more areas such as the N.C. one Yoshie mentions, and local activity in a small town here or there -- but that has to be our luck, not anything we (most leftists) can or should do now.
Carrol