[Vision2020] Unstable,
Doomed Model Cannot Protect Our Qualityof Life
Matt Decker
mattd2107 at hotmail.com
Thu Mar 2 13:54:32 PST 2006
Joe,
What is fair or a reasonable amount of growth to the MCA? Would they
consider 150 houses a year too much? Would 50 or 5 be too many? You say that
The MCA is about smart and thought out growth, but I have yet(at least on
V2020) to hear what specific answers that is. Could you please reflect on
what is best for Moscow according to the MCA.
Thank you,
Matt
>From: joekc at adelphia.net
>To: Jeff Harkins <jeffh at moscow.com>
>CC: vision2020 at moscow.com
>Subject: Re: [Vision2020] Unstable, Doomed Model Cannot Protect Our
>Qualityof Life
>Date: Thu, 2 Mar 2006 16:37:36 -0500
>
>Jeff,
>
>I respect your expertise in economics. But I majored in mathematics as an
>undergraduate and I have a huge problem with the numbers-in-a-box reasoning
>that you use below.
>
>You seem to think that folks will keep on coming to Moscow whether or not
>there are houses for them to purchase. I bet that if we were to stop
>building houses as of this moment, eventually the folks would stop coming.
>The numbers you note are not predestined. We have some control over growth
>in spite of those statistics.
>
>Furthermore, you keep sticking to the same old false dilemma: either we
>have growth without reflection or we have no growth at all. Of course,
>Moscow and Latah County are growing. Of course, we need to find ways to
>deal with that growth. Among the MCA board, to use one example, are plenty
>of folks who work in real estate, own private businesses, and are otherwise
>aware of the growth considerations to which you speak. The MCA, for
>instance, is not anti-growth. We are just
>anti-growth-at-any-cost-and-without-reflection-on-the-consequences. There
>is a difference.
>
>Much of the points that you make are persuasive only if you reject the
>sincerity of the comments above. This makes any dialogue between us very
>difficult. I believe that what you say is what you believe. I ask for the
>same level of consideration from you. There are no hidden agendas.
>
>--
>Joe Campbell
>
>---- Jeff Harkins <jeffh at moscow.com> wrote:
>
>=============
>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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