Myth Busting
Myth Busting and Building Hope
In Wyoming, our stories are our strength—but the most dangerous tales are the ones we tell ourselves to stay comfortable. For too long, we’ve leaned on the fiction that ‘we’re doing fine’ while our youth depart and our communities stagnate. At the Business Council, we don’t accept the myth that economic decline is inevitable. We choose a different path: one of bold action and building hope. As the optimistic architects of Wyoming’s future, we use disciplined data to dismantle the barriers holding us back, proactively proving that long-term prosperity is within our reach. On this page, we separate comforting fiction from actionable truth, replacing doubt with a clear, hopeful vision for a Wyoming where our children can stay, thrive, and lead.
The Wyoming Business Council goes beyond the headlines to separate myth from reality. Through our myth-busting presentation series and statewide polling data, we explore the real challenges facing our youth and our workforce. We aren’t just identifying problems; we are clearing the air so the Team of Thousands can build a future where Wyoming doesn’t just survive, but leads.
Our CEO, Josh Dorrell, headlined a Wyoming Tax Facts Lunch & Learn webinar where he candidly discussed Wyoming’s shrinking economy and the path to better opportunities for businesses, workers, families, and future generations. Throughout the presentation, he busted some common myths about Wyoming’s economy.
Watch the recording and let us know what you think of the bold alternatives the WBC is proposing to make our resilient vision for the Cowboy State a reality.
Myth: Our economy is just fine.
We’re often told our economy is doing fine, but the numbers tell a different story. Our state has seen a long-term decline in GDP, including flat wages, shrinking employment, and, most concerning of all, our youth are leaving the state at almost twice the national average. Ignoring this reality means missing opportunities to make essential changes and keep our families intact.
Myth: The private sector will take care of it.
Some believe the private sector alone can solve our problems. While we are champions of free enterprise, limitations on what private industry can do alone exist. Wyoming is competing with states that invest heavily in infrastructure and business attraction, which creates a vicious cycle – pulling our talent and firms to larger cities. Private businesses need the right environment to grow, and sometimes that requires surgical, precise government action – not small government, but government that’s exactly the size it needs to be and no larger.
Myth: Wyoming is broke.
While it’s true that our future revenues are uncertain, that does not mean we are broke. The reality is we have significant savings. Wyoming has a “rainy day fund” of about $1.5 billion, which means we can operate our state government for almost a year (302 days) without any revenue.
To put that into perspective, that is more than twice as long as the second-place state, Alaska.
We love to double down on what we are good at in Wyoming, but this is a case where we are unnecessarily secure. We could invest $778 million into our state’s future and we would still be number one in the nation for fiscal security.
We have the resources, and we have the opportunity to invest in a much more certain future, one that we decide for ourselves.
Myth: Nobody knows what to do.
That’s simply not true. We are developing bold initiatives like a critical minerals laboratory we’re commonly referring to as “Wyoming Labs,” to attract giant brains and foster research and development that will make the pie bigger for everyone. (Check out this short AI-generated synopsis of a recent board meeting for more details.)
We’re also reaching out to people across the state at all levels to better understand the challenges YOU are facing in your communities. We’re bringing people together to tackle these challenges and create our shared vision of a thriving Wyoming.
Myth: Most people don’t want Wyoming to grow.
This is a myth we have believed for a long time at the WBC. We thought, just like many of you, that the large majority of Wyomingites are opposed to growth and change. After all, that’s the rhetoric we hear and read every day.
However, according to a recent poll of Wyoming voters, three-fourths of people (73%) support a future where people and businesses are moving in, bringing new jobs, services, and opportunities, along with new challenges such as increased traffic, housing development, and changes in community dynamics that might come with that growth. Plus, 8 out of 10 people favor their local community taking strong action to grow its economy and job market.
We should be empowered to know that we are not alone, and the majority of Wyoming people support increased economic opportunities to keep our kids here.
Myth: Nobody wants taxes to increase.
When we conducted our poll of Wyoming voters, we thought for sure we would hear a resounding NO to paying slightly higher taxes to bring jobs and support economic opportunities. While the majority did say they are opposed to higher taxes, more than 1/3rd of people (35%) are in favor of them.
These are our people. These are the people we need to connect with to build this coalition and ask those who said “No” to higher taxes how they expect to pay for the growth and opportunities they almost resoundingly said they want.
Encouragingly, 4 out of 10 people aged 18 to 44, and half of the people who believe Wyoming’s economy is in decline, support paying taxes. We can work with that!
Myth: We have time to wait it out.
Time is not on our side, and nobody is coming to save us. Our state’s economic trend is urgent. Successful development takes years, and we don’t have decades to wait.
We have a bold vision. We have proven strategies that are delivering results on the ground. This is how we begin to reverse the decline and create a future of abundance.
Myth: Someone else needs to tell us what to do.
Nobody is coming to save us. Waiting for an outside force to solve our problems is not a strategy; it is a surrender to the very economic trends that are pulling our communities and our children apart. We do not have time to wait.
The reality is, we lead. We do not need anyone to give us permission to paint a vision for Wyoming that is positive. We have the ability, right now, to make the hard decisions and put the pieces in place to build a future of abundance.
This leadership does not belong to a handful of people in Cheyenne. Reversing our state’s economic decline is a mission that belongs to all of us. It is the work of a “Team of Thousands”, a coalition of citizens across the state who are willing to have the courage to act.
We are committed to making the hard decisions and investing strategically to secure a prosperous future for all of Wyoming, and we can do it with you by our side.
This is our invitation to join this team. Share your story and join us! How are you feeling these challenges? What ideas do you have for the future?
We want to work with YOU!
Wyoming Supports Growth
The Wyoming Business Council conducted a statewide poll with support from a third-party research partner, The Tarrance Group, measuring voter attitudes on economic conditions, development priorities, and community growth. The results reveal a strong mandate for proactive, community-led growth and a clear consensus on the urgent need to retain our young people to build resilient communities.
The survey of 514 registered voters, conducted Sept. 20–24, 2025, paints a picture of a state that is pragmatic yet fundamentally optimistic. While residents acknowledge economic headwinds, they are ready to roll up their sleeves and build a stronger future, expecting their local leaders and private sector partners to lead the charge.
