An editorial in the Wall Street Journal, republished in Wednesday’s edition of the Sun-Gazette, reflects an opportunity for our region and for Pennsylvania as a whole.

A number of states, including our northeastern neighbors such as Maryland, New York and New Jersey as well as Massachusetts and Illinois, are seeing residents leave. The Journal’s data specifies that affluent families are at the center of the exodus. The Journal further argues that progressive policies including high tax burdens, excessive regulatory powers and the impact of intrusive government driving up energy and housing costs are at the root for why so many families choose to leave these states.

The decisions by so many to leave progressive states is not just understandable — it is a chance to address our own risk of stagnation.

We believe Pennsylvania — and particularly rural central Pennsylvania — rejects the excesses of these progressive states. While our region may not be as dogmatically conservative as many of the communities in southern or western states, and while our state as a whole must persevere in resisting the far-left impulses found in some corners of Pennsylvania, our state — and particularly our region — still offers respite compared to New York, New Jersey, Maryland and many others.

We believe our region’s civic and business leaders should aggressively court businesses and families to consider opening up shop, building homes and living in central Pennsylvania. We are confident they will find the relief from big government’s burdens they seek here. And we are confident their contributions to the community would be an asset to all of our communities.