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<DIV><FONT size=4>Phil:</FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT size=4></FONT> </DIV>
<DIV><FONT size=4>Your total ignorance again about what I would do in any
particular economic development proposal scenario is <STRONG><FONT color=#ff0000
size=5>absolutely stunning</FONT></STRONG>.</FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT size=4></FONT> </DIV>
<DIV><FONT size=4>However, your post <STRONG><FONT color=#0000ff
size=5>spectacularly</FONT></STRONG> demonstrates a point of an earlier
post: You really belong on the LEDC board. Why? Because of
your "hands out" attitude.</FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT size=4></FONT> </DIV>
<DIV><FONT size=4>Almost all of the economic development projects you discuss
would provide direct economic benefit to a practicing geological
consultant. Guess what? You are a practicing geological
consultant. Could it be that your concern for <STRONG><FONT
color=#0000ff>your own economic benefits</FONT></STRONG> are more important to
you than the overall benefits to Latah County of economic development no matter
how cleverly and saintly you describe these projects and no matter what their
overall impacts?</FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT size=4></FONT> </DIV>
<DIV><FONT size=4>I do not mean to imply that every member of the LEDC board is
a selfish, egotistical slug. There are some very fine, selfless,
community-minded members. However, there are a number of members with
attitudes similar to the ones you have expressed in your posts decrying and
nay-saying the suggestions I and others previously made.</FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT size=4></FONT> </DIV>
<DIV><FONT size=4>I would expect no change in the future in <FONT
color=#0000ff><STRONG>your</STRONG></FONT> attitude or perspective.</FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT size=4></FONT> </DIV>
<DIV><FONT size=4>However, I would hope that each LEDC board members
would have a <STRONG><FONT color=#ff0000>brutally frank
discussion</FONT></STRONG> <STRONG><FONT color=#0000ff>within</FONT></STRONG>
themselves about their attitudes and fitness to serve. This should be
followed by a <STRONG><FONT color=#ff0000>brutally frank
discussion</FONT></STRONG> <STRONG><FONT color=#0000ff>between</FONT></STRONG>
the board members. One would hope the result of these discussions would be
either an abrupt change of behavior of or resignations from the board from those
members who are kedges.</FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT size=4></FONT> </DIV>
<DIV><FONT size=4>Latah County has decided to invest $30,000 of our tax money
this year in economic development. Without some changes in the LEDC, we
will be throwing some or all of that money down a badger hole, in my
opinion.</FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT size=4><BR>Art Deco (Wayne A. Fox)<BR><A
href="mailto:deco@moscow.com">deco@moscow.com</A><BR></FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT size=4></FONT> </DIV>
<DIV><FONT size=4></FONT> </DIV>
<DIV><FONT size=4>----- Original Message ----- </FONT>
<DIV><FONT size=4>From: "Phil Nisbet" <</FONT><A
href="mailto:pcnisbet1@hotmail.com"><FONT
size=4>pcnisbet1@hotmail.com</FONT></A><FONT size=4>></FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT size=4>To: <</FONT><A href="mailto:vision2020@moscow.com"><FONT
size=4>vision2020@moscow.com</FONT></A><FONT size=4>></FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT size=4>Sent: Friday, November 18, 2005 9:19 AM</FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT size=4>Subject: [Vision2020] Acceptable business</FONT></DIV></DIV>
<DIV><FONT size=4><BR></FONT></DIV><FONT size=4>> One of the greatest
dichotomies in our little burgh is the variation between <BR>> the desires of
the white collar University element and the blue collar rural <BR>> element
and those who join either camp.<BR>> <BR>> Our white collar worker wants
non-impactive business, something thats nice <BR>> and officy that pays good
money for the degrees that each hang on their <BR>> walls.<BR>> <BR>>
Blue collar workers are looking for industry, where their skills at hard
<BR>> work receive a premium and which are often seen as very impactive by
the <BR>> white collar clique.<BR>> <BR>> In the white collar cliques
universe, the blue collar is doomed to live <BR>> life taking jobs in retail
or similar service occupations. The wages and <BR>> the future for
these workers becomes a modern serfdom, what Dr. Aaron Harp <BR>> called
social stratification by elevation. The high white collar earners <BR>>
move steadily up hill to buy view lots on the top of Palouse Hills and the
<BR>> blue collar earners have rented trailers in selected valleys
below.<BR>> <BR>> Here in Latah County, we have Moscow and then we have
the rest of the <BR>> county. Moscow has a built in employment bonus
because it draws state tax <BR>> funds into the economy every year to fuel
the University. The Moscow <BR>> economy has ups and downs according to
the money made available from the <BR>> Legislature, but provides good steady
jobs for the 3000 people who work <BR>> there.<BR>> <BR>> The rural
portion of our area does not have that advantage. The rest of the <BR>>
county is plagued by high unemployment and gross underemployment with little
<BR>> sense that there is a future for them in the place of their
birth.<BR>> <BR>> University families earning 50-60 thousand a year want
things like small <BR>> shops and personal services and a small but classy
clubby atmosphere. The <BR>> blue collar family dragging down $20,000 a
year is more interested in <BR>> getting what ever they can cheaply at Wally
World.<BR>> <BR>> Creating a few more jobs in white collar sector outside
the university <BR>> setting does not solve this problem. The lone wolf
business model simply <BR>> creates a few more jobs for people headed for the
top of a hill and creates <BR>> no living wages for the blue collar.<BR>>
<BR>> Mark Seman has an interesting perspective on this, suggesting home
<BR>> occupation, in essence cottage industry as a means of providing higher
wage <BR>> employment for white and blue collar alike. The skill set
there is <BR>> craftsmanship, value added through personal attention and
artistry. Its <BR>> not a bad small scale model, but can also be
upgraded to allow similar <BR>> businesses on a slightly larger
scale.<BR>> <BR>> Then there are also jobs and industries that can combine
the skills of the <BR>> knowledge center with the skills of our blue collar
workers.<BR>> <BR>> Latah County has trees and no wood carvers. We
have stone and no stone <BR>> cutters. We have clay and no brick
makers. We are adding very little to <BR>> the value of the things we
produce for export.<BR>> <BR>> Training for development in craftsmanship
for blue collar workers would <BR>> increase the living wage for that sector
of our economy. Melding University <BR>> knowledge of our materials to
add value to exported products would also add <BR>> living wage jobs.<BR>>
<BR>> Things like Medical Ceramics using locally sourced materials to make
dental <BR>> porcelain, joint replacements, synthetic bone and other such
devices would <BR>> seem a good fit. Making high value porcelain in
china wares or in art <BR>> related ceramics would also be a good
fit.<BR>> <BR>> Nanomaterials and nanocomposite production from local
feedstocks is also an <BR>> area worthy of research for local
development.<BR>> <BR>> Research and development of higher value crops and
value added through <BR>> skilled organic farming is also a living wage
alternative.<BR>> <BR>> And of course lets not forget slate and marble
tile production, thus <BR>> allowing us to convince Angelina that Carl has
the appropriate shower to <BR>> justify hanging out with him.<BR>>
<BR>> The vision that I see is one in which we have local craftsman turning
out <BR>> things of beauty side by side with people making high tech high
value items. <BR>> It is a vision that sees the wage gap shrink and
uses the skills of all <BR>> members of our community. Adding jobs
solely for the white collar will not <BR>> solve our problems and simply
leads to eventual class conflict.<BR>> <BR>> So Wayne tells us that he is
not anti-business, but if we snagged somebody <BR>> like CoorsTek to turn out
medical ceramics here on the Palouse, would we not <BR>> hear horror stories
about them? If we got Boeing to build a composite <BR>> materials plant
here are we going to hear shouts of no way? If Quarry Tile <BR>> built
a facility to make ceramic wall tiles with a 100,000 square foot <BR>>
facility? How about if a plant to make marble counter tops came
in?<BR>> <BR>> Because I think that most of us know that the minute any
new business looked <BR>> at the area, Wayne would be out there 'digging up
dirt' and turning siting <BR>> them here into the next big battle. And
most businesses know that any call <BR>> to move here will be accompanied not
by a welcome mat, but by a battle <BR>> royal.<BR>> <BR>> Phil
Nisbet<BR>> <BR>>
_________________________________________________________________<BR>> Dont
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size=4>> <BR>>
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size=4>
<BR>> </FONT><A
href="mailto:Vision2020@moscow.com"><FONT
size=4>mailto:Vision2020@moscow.com</FONT></A><BR><FONT size=4>>
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