[Vision2020] Unstable,
Doomed Model Cannot Protect OurQuality of Life
Matt Decker
mattd2107 at hotmail.com
Wed Mar 1 12:57:33 PST 2006
Mr. Harkins and all,
Very nicely put. I only hope that certain people such as current
council and the MCA won't use their powers to act unreasonably. We do need
to think about conservation and a town that will thrive in the future. We
should allways think about the environment and what a business like Naylor
Farms would do to it. However, If we continue the way our Mayor and the
likes of Bill London want it, Moscow will not grow and will in itself become
a ghost town.
Very concerned about this one,
Matt
>From: Jeff Harkins <jeffh at moscow.com>
>To: vision2020 at moscow.com
>Subject: Re: [Vision2020] Unstable, Doomed Model Cannot Protect OurQuality
>of Life
>Date: Wed, 01 Mar 2006 09:37:46 -0800
>
>The hysteria and hyperbole (and/or lack of knowledge) that some folks use
>to advance their arguments is quite interesting - and indicative of how
>folks would carry out their responsibilities as a decision maker for the
>local area. Consider the quote from Antone Holmquist below (highlighled in
>italics) and apparently published in the Lewiston Morning Tribune a few
>days ago.
>
>Basic mathematics implies a result quite different from the conclusion
>reached by Mr. Holmquist. According to the Moscow Chamber of Commerce, the
>population demographics for Latah County and Moscow are:
>
>Population Growth
>
> City County
>1980 16,513 28,749
>1990 18,422 31,314
>1995 20,555 33,050
>1998 21,500 32,051
>2000 21,291 34,935
>2005 21,700 35,218
>
>The average annual growth rate for Moscow is .7%
>The average annual growth rate for Latah is .6%
>
>If we were fortunate enough to grow by 1% for the next 100 years, the
>population for the City and the County would be:
>
>City 58,695
>County 95,258
>
>If we use the historical growth rate of .7% and .6%, our population in 100
>years would be:
>
>City 43,592
>County 64,056
>
>It just seems irresponsible to argue that if our population doubles in the
>next 100 years, that we are doomed here. The fact is, if we maintain our
>current growth rate, we are faced with the challenge of finding homes for
>about 350 folks (say about 150 families) each year for the foreseeable
>future. Of course, about a third of those would presumably settle in the
>rural towns of the County. Some are arguing that finding homes for about
>100 or so families each year in Moscow is "too much" growth?
>
>I hope those attending the Moscow New Cities forum will keep these numbers
>in mind. As a benchmark for comparison, you might consider the State of
>Rhode Island. RI enjoys a land area of 1,045 sq miles (they also have
>about 500 sq miles in water). The population is about 1,048,319. If you
>have visited Rhode Island, you know that they have managed to preserve
>their growth, their green spaces, and their rural area quite nicely.
>
>Latah County has a land area of approx. 1,077 square miles.
>
>The panic, fear, disdain for growth, loathe for local individual and
>business economic prosperity and general hysterics by some "progressives "
>is simply unwarranted. The facts do not support their histrionics. It
>does make one wonder exactly what the agenda is?
>
>Now, as I close, please read again the next editorial appended to this
>email (by Ms. McGovern) - note the bold italicized statement. if you have
>lived on the Palouse as long as I have, you will recall that the same
>arguments were made about the current WalMart store. Does the fear-based
>argument stand up?
>
>My challenge to you - just as the residents of Latah County welcomed those
>of us that were not born here, to live and raise our families here, and
>share in the rich bounty offered by the Palouse area, so it is incumbent
>upon us to welcome those 150 to 200 families each year to live with us -
>with the same freedoms we enjoyed. IMHO, that is a heritage worth
>preserving.
>
>At 12:00 PM 2/25/2006, you wrote:
>> >From this weekend's (February 26-26, 2006) Daily News with a special
>>vote of
>>thanks to Antone Holmquist and Eileen McGovern -
>>
>>------------------------------------------------------------------------
>>
>>Unsustainable, Doomed Model
>>
>>B.J. Swanson has come under fire for her opinion on the proposed Wal-Mart
>>Supercenter and some are calling for her head. I say bully for her. As a
>>well-respected local banker, her learned opinion should be worth a great
>>deal.
>>
>>Some local economists have trumpeted the economic mantra of "consumer
>>choice" and bemoan Moscow's 1 percent annual growth.
>>
>>Basic mathematics, however, reveals that a 1 percent annual growth in
>>Moscow
>>would certainly fill every nook and cranny from Moscow Mountain to
>>Paradise
>>Ridge and beyond within an average lifetime and such growth is just
>>frankly
>>unsustainable worldwide.
>>
>>Last year I embarked on a road trip from Fort Worth, Texas to northern
>>Arkansas. This is the heart and soul of Wal-Mart and other big-box
>>stores.
>>An awful lot of these towns have virtually no business district and the
>>towns look shriveled up. I drove into Bill Clinton's birthplace and found
>>nearly a ghost town.
>>
>>Wal-Mart and the other huge chains have sucked the soul from these towns.
>>As a young college student studying economics I suspected the basic
>>economic
>>premise of growth, growth that was crammed down my throat was not quite
>>right and 35 years later I know it is an unsustainable and doomed model.
>>
>>Antone G. Holmquist
>>Moscow
>>
>>------------------------
>>
>>Protect Our Quality of Life
>>
>>Moscow, Idaho, Heart of the Arts, home of the Farmers Market - nestled
>>cozily in the undulating Palouse. Moscow is a community unique in its
>>ability to combine small-town familiarity and warmth with the enriching,
>>energizing force of the University of Idaho. This has been Moscow's
>>strength for many years and now it is under attack.
>>
>>Wal-Mart, the largest corporation in the world, and persistent violator of
>>human rights both locally and globally, wants to gouge out a chunk of the
>>Palouse and replace it with a sprawling, concrete Goliath of commerce -
>>the
>>Wal-Mart Supercenter.
>>
>>The super center is likely to alter the character of Moscow to something
>>more gray and generic. It will initiate urban sprawl, threaten both
>>downtown businesses and the potential for sustainable economic growth, and
>>have a negative impact on the local environment - all of which makes
>>Moscow
>>a less attractive place to live.
>>
>>Whether or not this assault on our quality of life occurs has a lot to do
>>with the City Council's answer to the question: How to zone the area
>>Wal-Mart wants to invade. If it is zoned a mixed-use area, Moscow will be
>>protected from the corporate onslaught.
>>
>>Please contact your City Council members and let them know how important
>>it
>>is to this community that they zone that area mixed-use in order to
>>protect
>>our quality of life.
>>
>>Eileen McGovern
>>Moscow
>>
>>------------------------------------------------------------------------
>>
>>Thank you so very, very much Antone and Eileen for expressing a true sense
>>of community.
>>
>>Take care, Moscow.
>>
>>Tom Hansen
>>Moscow, Idaho
>>
>>**************************************************************
>>
>>"A bad cause will ever be supported by bad means and bad men."
>>
>>- Thomas Paine (English Writer, 1737-1809)
>>
>>**************************************************************
>>
>>
>>
>>_____________________________________________________
>> List services made available by First Step Internet,
>> serving the communities of the Palouse since 1994.
>> http://www.fsr.net
>> mailto:Vision2020 at moscow.com
>>¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯
>_____________________________________________________
> List services made available by First Step Internet,
> serving the communities of the Palouse since 1994.
> http://www.fsr.net
> mailto:Vision2020 at moscow.com
>¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯
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