[Vision2020] RE: Unstable, Doomed, Missed Points

Fri Mar 3 09:31:43 PST 2006

OOOPS found a glaring editorial error.  This one is corrected.

At 09:24 AM 3/3/2006, you wrote:
>BJ,
>
>Thank you for your comments.
>
>I appreciate your interest in this matter but I 
>am puzzled by your unmitigated assertion that 
>the quality of life in Moscow is superior to 
>that in Rhode Island.  The fact that the 
>population in RI is 1.3 million or so suggests 
>to me that there must be many people that find 
>the quality of life acceptable.  Now that is 
>true, but it is also true that many of those 
>folks have never spent any time in Latah 
>County.  I suspect that it is also true that 
>there aren't many folks from Latah County that 
>have spent meaningful time in RI.  I did live in 
>Smithville for 15 months - so I have had the 
>opportunity to experience both.  A charming 
>place really - rich in American history and a 
>community tied to the Atlantic Ocean and 
>maritime activities.  And they have a 400+ year 
>American history. We are still in knickers compared to that.
>
>But all that of course really misses the 
>point.  I made no declarative statement about 
>the quality of life in Rhode Island versus 
>Moscow.  I did make a comparison between the two 
>with regard to the green space amenities.  RI 
>has been able to invest a significant amount of 
>resources in public green spaces and parks - 
>which has been made possible as a result of 
>economic infrastructure.  We don't have a similar resource base.
>
>What I find so disappointing in discussing such 
>topics with you and others is the shift from a 
>quantitative dialogue (intended to clear some of 
>the fog from the scene) to having to retort to a 
>statement such as " ...but obviously Moscow's quality of life beats Rhode
>Island's hands down."
>
>Quality of life is a qualitative assessment - 
>and only measurable at the individual personal 
>utility level. It is virtually impossible to 
>compare the utility of one person's "quality of 
>life" with that of another person.  You just 
>don't seem to understand that - but that does 
>explain why you and others are so quick to 
>impose your "quality of life" standards on 
>others.  It does help to explain it - but it does not excuse it.
>
>In any case, let me reiterate the point I made 
>last night.  To maintain the status quo in 
>growth (.6% to .7%), we must find a way to house 
>about 150 - 200 families each year in Latah 
>County - that is a mathematical fact.  The 
>challenge in all of this is that those families 
>must have a way to feed and house themselves - 
>they must have economic opportunity.  There is a 
>desperate need for a viable economic engine that 
>offers people JOBS.  And there are some very 
>specific elements to those jobs - the output of 
>those jobs must, in one way or another, attract 
>income from outside of the county - we need to 
>export product in exchange for financial capital 
>- that is also a mathematical fact.
>
>You note that "Numbers don't always tell the 
>whole story and are often poor indicators of 
>culture and atmosphere." I agree with you 
>completely. And my numbers were not used to 
>advance a culture or atmosphere.  But some 
>numbers are very useful in helping us understand 
>the challenges we face here in Latah 
>County.  Among those are per capital income, 
>property tax burden per capita, overall tax 
>burden per capita and local per capita gross marginal product.
>
>Finally, you state "BTW, people and number of 
>houses don't automatically equate to favorable
>economic growth.  In fact, quite often the 
>opposite is true."  The fact is people and 
>number of houses are an indication of economic potential or lack thereof.
>
>Again, thanks for your comments.
>
>>Jeff & Others,
>>
>>Glad to see you made it to the New Cities meeting tonight.  Jeff, it's
>>unfortunate you did not stay around long enough to hear the former Rhode
>>Island and current Moscow resident refute nearly everything you said about
>>how great Rhode Island is.  The Rhode Island NUMBERS may be superb when
>>compared to Latah County, but obviously Moscow's quality of life beats Rhode
>>Island's hands down.  Numbers don't always tell the whole story and are
>>often poor indicators of culture and atmosphere.
>>
>>B. J. Swanson
>>
>>BTW, people and number of houses don't automatically equate to favorable
>>economic growth.  In fact, quite often the opposite is true.
>>
>>---------------------
>>
>>-----Original Message-----
>>From: vision2020-bounces at moscow.com [ mailto:vision2020-bounces at moscow.com]
>>On Behalf Of Jeff Harkins
>>Sent: Thursday, March 02, 2006 11:55 PM
>>To: vision2020 at moscow.com
>>Subject: Re: [Vision2020] Unstable, Doomed Model Cannot Protect OurQuality
>>of Life
>>
>>Joe and others,
>>
>>Thank you for your thoughtful and deliberate
>>comments.  But I think you miss the points.................
>>
>>
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>_____________________________________________________
>  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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