I’ve thought the same regarding population, why would constant growth be desired.
But I’ve come to understand demographics, and its dynamics. A low birthrate cannot just be turned around on a dime by people deciding to suddenly have more children. It is a very difficult trend to reverse. And a collapsing population poses very serious threats to life and freedom.
one year is not a big deal. All sorts of reasons numbers can go up or down thats why the problem is not just the number of people but how the towns, states etc use the money they do collect from towns people or however.
They waste monies and make towns unsustainable.
when I lived in the desert why on earth have such over plantings of medians and senseless areas that it not only wastes money to have plants bought, planted, maintained each week or so, watered. Ridiculous planning and more ridiculous by those who accepted the plans and had it done. And that’s just one example of the stupid thinking of those making choices which effect the demographics etc.
If towns would get back to basics of what people living there need and would want - Basics - that would bring in real long term growth.
Too many places communities, towns etc try to build for the latest craze, then a few years down the road it’s not cool anymore and then it becomes a waste.
Churches too - coffee bars, and just trying to draw in people by latest entertainment phrases and gimmicks but creating fake/temporary attendance numbers that are unsustainable because you have to keep upping the “anti” to keep the people enticed to come.
Safety, decent working conditions and income, good schools, things like that are the roots.
Continual growth without strong good roots is what leads to the mess we have all over the country today - the greed of leaders and disrespect and expecting some one to help them of the up and coming generations. Even God let many of His chosen people Israel, die in the desert and opened up the ground and took many who were of wrong thinking at the time. He knows less is better and restructuring, reeducating is necessary at times.