[Vision2020] Council Far From Anti-Growth

Thu Mar 16 14:52:28 PST 2006

Tom Hansen says,

  "For  a community to expand its economic horizons, it must provide jobs that  create careers at more than $7.25/hour.  Perhaps what Moscow  needs to do is expand its technological career fields, not its shelf  stockers.  Shelf stockers would not qualify (as you say) for  low-income housing, let alone the $200,000 neighborhood.   Technology parks breed careers."

  Tom,

 I  share your deep concern for those that qualify for $50,000 a year jobs  finding a home in Moscow. However, there are a good deal of people in  our community that do not have the skills get to a $50,000+ salary at  this point in their life, either do to education, training, experience,  health conditions, or skill.      
  I believe that if you want a just society, a sound stable economy, to  help the poor help themselves, to attract college students to the  community that bring in more dollars, and have predictable economic  growth you have provide  jobs that  can be preformed by the  current residents in the community, not just the wealthy, privileged,  well educated, and experienced that can preform in the high technology  fields. 

  The majority of the Moscow's workforce consist of recent high school  graduates with no experience. So obviously, the majority of jobs need  to be jobs that students can preform. 

  Most of the high paying jobs in our community almost always end up  being filled by people from outside our community, even when we have  the people here that can preform the job with as much skill and  success. 

We  should promote a diverse economy that allows everyone to obtain a job  regardless of their skill, experience, health, education, age, number  of hours they can work, and intelligence. Let us work to make sure our  top jobs, especially government ones, are filled with locals, not  recruited from elsewhere. 

  The fastest way to raise wages and improve living conditions is to keep everyone employed. 

  -DJA

Tom Hansen <thansen at moscow.com> wrote:                      st1\:*{behavior:url(#default#ieooui) }                    Greetings Visionaires –

    Arnold stated:

    “When  I think of planned growth, I think of the city coming together to meet  and plan for the future growth of Moscow based on the future needs of  Moscow residents, not just what would be nice, or fit the community  desires of those with the most wealth and means.”

  Well, Arnold,  when I think of “planned growth”, I think of a gradual evolution of a  community developing into what its citizens value most.

    Perhaps Moscow  will develop into another Coeur d’Alene,  but not by Friday.  It takes time, effort, confidence, and team work for a  community to grow.  

    For  a community to expand its economic horizons, it must provide jobs that  create careers at more than $7.25/hour.  Perhaps what Moscow  needs to do is expand its technological career fields, not its shelf  stockers.  Shelf stockers would not qualify (as you say) for  low-income housing, let alone the $200,000 neighborhood.   Technology parks breed careers.

    First  we must decide, as a community, where we want to go.  Then  together we can commit our time, effort, confidence, and team work  toward that goal.  But that will take time and we MUST go about it  as a community.

    Having been born and raised in Los Angeles,  I tended to dread megalopolises and their 7 million people with 7  million attitudes.  Having served a career in the Army in a  multitude of locations I was exposed to life in small towns many  times.  I developed a desire for small towns and their strong  sense of “community”.  I fell in love with the Silver Valley  shortly after my wife and I married and she talked me into visiting her family  in North Idaho.   I recall thinking to myself as we drove over Lookout Pass and I first  laid eyes on Idaho, “I am going to die of old age here.”

    Trust  me, Arnold.  It wasn’t the proximity to Wal-Mart that appealed to  me.  It was the open-arm, open-heart welcome I received from a  vast majority of the people I met in small town North Idaho; that strong sense of  community.

    There  was a song I heard a few years back on (believe it or not) “Andy of  Mayberry”.  The song was “My Home Town”.  It reflects pretty  much how I feel about my adopted home town of Moscow:

    “My home town is the greatest place  I know,
    Where the neighbors I find are gentle and  kind,
    And the living is easy and slow,
    My hometown is the only place to be,
    Here the worries are small, and 
    And the kids grow tall and healthy &  free,
    It's my hometown, my hometown,
    Mayberry, Mayberry”

    I  know that economic expansion is the desire of every community, but  growth and maturity take time.  For those that want to live in a  large city by Friday, take I-195 north for about 85 miles.  As for  me, I am going to enjoy watching my adopted home town grow into what I  know it can be.  Until then, I will satisfy myself living in . . .

    “Big Rock Candy Mountain”
    http://www.tomandrodna.com/Sounds/Big_Rock_Candy_Mountain.mp3

    “In the Big Rock Candy Mountain,
    It's a land that's fair and bright,
    The handouts grow on bushes 
    And you sleep out every night.
    The boxcars all are empty
    And the sun shines every day
    I'm bound to go
    Where there ain't no snow
    Where the sleet don't fall
    And the winds don't blow
    In the Big Rock Candy Mountain.”

    Seeya round town, Moscow.

    Tom Hansen
    Moscow, Idaho 

    "Life  should NOT be a journey to the grave with the intention of arriving  safely in an attractive and well preserved body, but rather to skid in  sideways, chocolate in one hand, a drink in the other, body thoroughly  used up, totally worn out and screaming 'WOO HOO. What a ride!'"

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