[Vision2020] is V2020 doomed?

Sat Jun 3 12:49:06 PDT 2006

Re: [Vision2020] is V2020 doomed?I found it interesting that Solomon's posting, in response to Arnold's posting, in response to Weitz' posting, in response to Metzler's posting, in response to my original question, all used the subject line "is v2020 doomed?"......from just that read, I would say the answer is no.
BL
  ----- Original Message ----- 
  From: Mark Solomon 
  To: Donovan Arnold ; Jerry Weitz ; Michael ; vision2020 at moscow.com 
  Sent: Saturday, June 03, 2006 7:13 AM
  Subject: Re: [Vision2020] is V2020 doomed?

  A quick review of Idaho history should serve to remind us that Moscow/Latah's "political and economic influence in the state" was due to the demographics of the 1800's. When Idaho entered the Union in the post Civil War era, the major population centers were the mining districts of the state (primarily the Silver Valley), the main trading centers situated along major transportation hubs (still largely river or Oregon Trail focused : Lewiston and Boise), some dryland farmers in the Palouse and the beginnings of irrigated ag along the Snake in the south. There was no timber industry to speak of, no north-south road, and very few Republicans. To a large extent, Idaho was Democratic, as in Southern Democrat in post Civil War America. When it came to setting up the new state's infrastructure, the north with it's large population block was able to secure the capitol in Lewiston (the terminus for upriver navigation on the Snake), the state hospital in Orofino (Orofino used to be a gold mining town before Weyherhauser and the green gold of timber came in the early 1900's), the teachers college in Lewiston (now LCSC) and the state university in Moscow (whose moderate Republican leaders banded with the Dixiecrats to prevent the Mormons of south Idaho from dominating the state. South Idaho got the prison in Boise and the School for the Deaf and Blind in Gooding (another Oregon Trail connection although I can't recall if that happened at the same time as statehood). ISU was eventually established in Pocatello (a Democratic RR town), but that was much later.

  For an excellent account of how the state came to be formed, I recommend UI Law Professor Dennis Colson's book on writing the Idaho Constitution: Idaho's Constitution: The Tie That Binds

  It was a marriage of convenience that lasted, for Moscow, a surprisingly long time. Lewiston lost the capitol quite quickly when the instruments of state power were "stolen" and transported to Boise via the only connecting route: downriver on the Snake and then over the Oregon Trail via Pendleton to south Idaho (a trail any one who has to go to Boise from Moscow has travelled more than once if you've had the misfortune of needing to be in Boise, with a car, when a rockslide closes Highway 95).

  What has diminished Moscow's influence in the state has far less to do with the internal workings of our community than the explosive growth of the state capitol (with all the attendant power that implies along with it's setting aside the mainline RR and an Interstate highway), the race hate politics of the 60's, 70's and 80's that saw tectonic shifts in the major parties political platforms with Southern Democrats realizing they are now Republicans, the national shift from moderate to radically conservative Republicans and a winner take all mindset first seen here in the Church/Symms race in 1982, white flight from other states in the 80' and 90's to almost lily white north Idaho north of the C'dA Reservation, and the boom in second home/retirement homes in the ski/river/lake areas of the state as the baby boom generation reaches it's economic if not age maturity.

  There are great challenges facing us. A city council and mayor who have been in office for less than six months did not create our problems. Unlike Donovan, I remain hopeful they are able and willing to face them. Thanks Jerry for summing them up so succinctly.

  Mark S.

  At 12:17 AM -0700 6/3/06, Donovan Arnold wrote:
    Jerry,

    I don't think Moscow is willing to do what it needs or takes to survive in the 21st Century as a strong growing community. We are not a growing community. We are in fact a shrinking one. We are quickly losing our political and economic influence in the state.  We are the Spanish after the Armada. It is not a mystery of how to get out of this rut. But that is the direction many people here in power today want the city to go. They want us to be a small, poor college town stuck in 1999. They want the average annual income to be $24,000 in the city, and family income in Latah to be $30,000 a year. They want us paying 45% of our income in substandard housing, 20% on food, and 10% more on all other retail goods. They even want us to pay 20% in sales tax, even for food and other necessities.

    If Moscow wants to be a thriving community it needs to be willing to embrace change and growth. Our community leaders so far have refused to do that. Our leaders fear it and run away from it, rather then learning about it and using it to our advantage. They insist on using a candle out of the fear of being electrocuted by turning on a light switch.

    Thanks for the work you do for this community Jerry.

    Best,

    _DJA

    Jerry Weitz <gweitz at moscow.com> wrote:

      No, and I believe that UI needs all the help we can give it and wish the V2020's focus is on how to prosper with 21th Century realities, how to avoid "swaths of prosperity(Gov. Warner),'' and help make our rural area prosper as an example for other rural areas that are being gutted.  jerry (a devoted ruralist) At 11:38 PM 6/2/06, Donovan Arnold wrote:

        "It seems to me that if folks on Vision2020 focused on solutions to pressing issues such as helping the UI regain its prestige and position, offering solutions rather than difficult arguments to such items as water, attracting/retaining business that create good jobs, helping with transporation issues, providing excellence in k-12 education for all students, making the town more attractive, promoting   sensible growth through actual planning, considering the consequences of having the area's retail shift to the corridor and how to have our community prosper if this occurs, etc.,  I suspect Vision2020 will lift itself up and have the reputation of being a safe place to forward great ideas and actions."-- Jerry W.

        In other words, in that very long sentence, Jerry, you think V2020 is doomed?

        Best,

        _DJA

        Jerry Weitz <gweitz at moscow.com> wrote:

          It seems to me that if folks on Vision2020 focused on solutions to pressing issues such as helping the UI regain its prestige and position, offering solutions rather than difficult arguments to such items as water, attracting/retaining business that create good jobs, helping with transporation issues, providing excellence in k-12 education for all students, making the town more attractive, promoting   sensible growth through actual planning, considering the consequences of having the area's retail shift to the corridor and how to have our community prosper if this occurs, etc.,  I suspect Vision2020 will lift itself up and have the reputation of being a safe place to forward great ideas and actions.  After all, local politics may turn out to be the most important. jerry 

          At 11:23 AM 6/2/06, Michael wrote:

            I agree with Bill London.  It almost seems that the strange conservative presence on Vision 2020 is a strategic move; I'm not saying it is, but it certainly does look like it.  I know there are some long term contributors here who have recently given up, and I certainly can't defend this list as I have done in the past.  Ironically, though, Wilson's point about who's doing what and why on Vision 2020 has been disintegrated in the process.  I have not given up on V2020 either, though.

            Michael Metzler

            have heard from a few people lately who think V2020 is doomed.  The horrible mean-spirited postings of late have disgusted many of us.  What is to be done?

            I haven't given up on V2020.   I think we need to deal with the present problem on V2020.  The problem is that following the Lewiston Tribune feature, a couple of hot-head arch-conservatives decided to have some fun with the liberals in Moscow.  So they joined and started screaming.  And we jumped for the bait.  What I suggest is that we practice what Doug Wilson is so clever at using...old-fashioned shunning.  We should all stop responding to the postings from tony and dick.  This tactic has worked before on V2020.  I would suggest trying it again.

            BL

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