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<DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2>I found it interesting that Solomon's posting, in
response to Arnold's posting, in response to Weitz' posting, in response to
Metzler's posting, in response to my original question, all used the subject
line "is v2020 doomed?"......from just that read, I would say the answer is
no.</FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2>BL</FONT></DIV>
<BLOCKQUOTE
style="PADDING-RIGHT: 0px; PADDING-LEFT: 5px; MARGIN-LEFT: 5px; BORDER-LEFT: #000000 2px solid; MARGIN-RIGHT: 0px">
<DIV style="FONT: 10pt arial">----- Original Message ----- </DIV>
<DIV
style="BACKGROUND: #e4e4e4; FONT: 10pt arial; font-color: black"><B>From:</B>
<A title=msolomon@moscow.com href="mailto:msolomon@moscow.com">Mark
Solomon</A> </DIV>
<DIV style="FONT: 10pt arial"><B>To:</B> <A title=donovanjarnold2005@yahoo.com
href="mailto:donovanjarnold2005@yahoo.com">Donovan Arnold</A> ; <A
title=gweitz@moscow.com href="mailto:gweitz@moscow.com">Jerry Weitz</A> ; <A
title=metzler@moscow.com href="mailto:metzler@moscow.com">Michael</A> ; <A
title=vision2020@moscow.com
href="mailto:vision2020@moscow.com">vision2020@moscow.com</A> </DIV>
<DIV style="FONT: 10pt arial"><B>Sent:</B> Saturday, June 03, 2006 7:13
AM</DIV>
<DIV style="FONT: 10pt arial"><B>Subject:</B> Re: [Vision2020] is V2020
doomed?</DIV>
<DIV><BR></DIV>
<DIV>A quick review of Idaho history should serve to remind us that
Moscow/Latah's "political and economic influence in the state" was due to the
demographics of the 1800's. When Idaho entered the Union in the post Civil War
era, the major population centers were the mining districts of the state
(primarily the Silver Valley), the main trading centers situated along major
transportation hubs (still largely river or Oregon Trail focused : Lewiston
and Boise), some dryland farmers in the Palouse and the beginnings of
irrigated ag along the Snake in the south. There was no timber industry to
speak of, no north-south road, and very few Republicans. To a large extent,
Idaho was Democratic, as in Southern Democrat in post Civil War America. When
it came to setting up the new state's infrastructure, the north with it's
large population block was able to secure the capitol in Lewiston (the
terminus for upriver navigation on the Snake), the state hospital in Orofino
(Orofino used to be a gold mining town before Weyherhauser and the green gold
of timber came in the early 1900's), the teachers college in Lewiston (now
LCSC) and the state university in Moscow (whose moderate Republican leaders
banded with the Dixiecrats to prevent the Mormons of south Idaho from
dominating the state. South Idaho got the prison in Boise and the School for
the Deaf and Blind in Gooding (another Oregon Trail connection although I
can't recall if that happened at the same time as statehood). ISU was
eventually established in Pocatello (a Democratic RR town), but that was much
later.</DIV>
<DIV><BR></DIV>
<DIV>For an excellent account of how the state came to be formed, I recommend
UI Law Professor Dennis Colson's book on writing the Idaho Constitution:<FONT
color=#000000> Idaho's Constitution: The Tie That Binds</FONT></DIV>
<DIV><BR></DIV>
<DIV>It was a marriage of convenience that lasted, for Moscow, a surprisingly
long time. Lewiston lost the capitol quite quickly when the instruments of
state power were "stolen" and transported to Boise via the only connecting
route: downriver on the Snake and then over the Oregon Trail via Pendleton to
south Idaho (a trail any one who has to go to Boise from Moscow has travelled
more than once if you've had the misfortune of needing to be in Boise, with a
car, when a rockslide closes Highway 95).</DIV>
<DIV><BR></DIV>
<DIV>What has diminished Moscow's influence in the state has far less to do
with the internal workings of our community than the explosive growth of the
state capitol (with all the attendant power that implies along with it's
setting aside the mainline RR and an Interstate highway), the race hate
politics of the 60's, 70's and 80's that saw tectonic shifts in the major
parties political platforms with Southern Democrats realizing they are now
Republicans, the national shift from moderate to radically conservative
Republicans and a winner take all mindset first seen here in the Church/Symms
race in 1982, white flight from other states in the 80' and 90's to almost
lily white north Idaho north of the C'dA Reservation, and the boom in second
home/retirement homes in the ski/river/lake areas of the state as the baby
boom generation reaches it's economic if not age maturity.</DIV>
<DIV><BR></DIV>
<DIV>There are great challenges facing us. A city council and mayor who have
been in office for less than six months did not create our problems. Unlike
Donovan, I remain hopeful they are able and willing to face them. Thanks Jerry
for summing them up so succinctly.</DIV>
<DIV><BR></DIV>
<DIV>Mark S.</DIV>
<DIV><BR></DIV>
<DIV>At 12:17 AM -0700 6/3/06, Donovan Arnold wrote:</DIV>
<BLOCKQUOTE cite="" type="cite">Jerry,<BR><BR>I don't think Moscow is
willing to do what it needs or takes to survive in the 21st Century as a
strong growing community. We are not a growing community. We are in fact a
shrinking one. We are quickly losing our political and economic influence in
the state. We are the Spanish after the Armada. It is not a mystery of
how to get out of this rut. But that is the direction many people here in
power today want the city to go. They want us to be a small, poor college
town stuck in 1999. They want the average annual income to be $24,000 in the
city, and family income in Latah to be $30,000 a year. They want us paying
45% of our income in substandard housing, 20% on food, and 10% more on all
other retail goods. They even want us to pay 20% in sales tax, even for food
and other necessities.</BLOCKQUOTE>
<BLOCKQUOTE cite="" type="cite"><BR>If Moscow wants to be a thriving
community it needs to be willing to embrace change and growth. Our community
leaders so far have refused to do that. Our leaders fear it and run away
from it, rather then learning about it and using it to our advantage. They
insist on using a candle out of the fear of being electrocuted by turning on
a light switch.<BR><BR>Thanks for the work you do for this community
Jerry.<BR><BR>Best,<BR><BR>_DJA<BR><BR><BR><BR><BR><BR><BR><I><B>Jerry Weitz
<gweitz@moscow.com></B></I> wrote:<BR>
<BLOCKQUOTE>No, and I believe that UI needs all the help we can give it
and wish the V2020's focus is on how to prosper with 21th Century
realities, how to avoid "swaths of prosperity(Gov. Warner),'' and help
make our rural area prosper as an example for other rural areas that are
being gutted. jerry (a devoted ruralist) At 11:38 PM 6/2/06, Donovan
Arnold wrote:<BR>
<BLOCKQUOTE cite="" type="cite"><FONT size=-2>"It seems to me that if
folks on Vision2020 focused on solutions to pressing issues such as
helping the UI regain its prestige and position, offering solutions
rather than difficult arguments to such items as water,
attracting/retaining business that create good jobs, helping with
transporation issues, providing excellence in k-12 education for all
students, making the town more attractive, promoting
sensible growth through actual planning, considering the consequences of
having the area's retail shift to the corridor and how to have our
community prosper if this occurs, etc., I suspect Vision2020 will
lift itself up and have the reputation of being a safe place to forward
great ideas and actions."-- Jerry W.</FONT><BR><BR>In other words, in
that very long sentence, Jerry, you think V2020 is
doomed?<BR><BR>Best,<BR><BR>_DJA<BR><BR><I><B>Jerry Weitz
<gweitz@moscow.com></B></I> wrote:<BR>
<BLOCKQUOTE><BR>It seems to me that if folks on Vision2020 focused on
solutions to pressing issues such as helping the UI regain its
prestige and position, offering solutions rather than difficult
arguments to such items as water, attracting/retaining business that
create good jobs, helping with transporation issues, providing
excellence in k-12 education for all students, making the town more
attractive, promoting sensible growth through actual
planning, considering the consequences of having the area's retail
shift to the corridor and how to have our community prosper if this
occurs, etc., I suspect Vision2020 will lift itself up and have
the reputation of being a safe place to forward great ideas and
actions. After all, local politics may turn out to be the most
important. jerry <BR><BR><BR>At 11:23 AM 6/2/06, Michael
wrote:<BR>
<BLOCKQUOTE cite="" type="cite"><BR><FONT face=Arial size=-1>I agree
with Bill London. It almost seems that the strange
conservative presence on Vision 2020 is a strategic move; Im not
saying it is, but it certainly does look like it. I know there
are some long term contributors here who have recently given up, and
I certainly cant defend this list as I have done in the past.
Ironically, though, Wilsons point about whos doing what and why on
Vision 2020 has been disintegrated in the process. I have not
given up on V2020 either, though.<BR></FONT><BR><FONT face=Arial
size=-1> <BR></FONT><BR><FONT face=Arial size=-1>Michael
Metzler<BR></FONT><BR><FONT face=Arial
size=-1> <BR></FONT><BR><FONT face=Arial
size=-1> <BR></FONT><BR><FONT face=Arial size=-1>have heard
from a few people lately who think V2020 is doomed. The
horrible mean-spirited postings of late have disgusted many of
us. What is to be done?<BR></FONT><BR><FONT
face="Times New Roman"> <BR></FONT><BR><FONT
face="Times New Roman">I haven't given up on V2020. I
think we need to deal with the present problem on V2020. The
problem is that following the Lewiston Tribune feature, a couple of
hot-head arch-conservatives decided to have some fun with the
liberals in Moscow. So they joined and started
screaming. And we jumped for the bait. What I suggest is
that we practice what Doug Wilson is so clever at
using...old-fashioned shunning. We should all stop responding
to the postings from tony and dick. This tactic has worked
before on V2020. I would suggest trying it
again.<BR></FONT><BR><FONT
face="Times New Roman"> <BR></FONT><BR><FONT face=Arial
size=-1>BL<BR></FONT><BR><FONT
face="Times New Roman"> <BR></FONT><BR>_____________________________________________________<BR><BR> List
services made available by First Step Internet,<BR><BR> serving
the communities of the Palouse since
1994. <BR><BR> <SPAN></SPAN>
http://www.fsr.net <SPAN></SPAN> <BR><BR>
mailto:Vision2020@moscow.com<BR><BR>ŻŻŻŻŻŻŻŻŻŻŻŻŻŻŻŻŻŻŻŻŻŻŻ<SPAN></SPAN>ŻŻŻŻŻŻŻŻŻŻŻŻŻŻŻŻŻŻŻŻŻŻŻŻŻŻŻŻŻŻ<BR></BLOCKQUOTE></BLOCKQUOTE></BLOCKQUOTE></BLOCKQUOTE>
<BLOCKQUOTE>
<BLOCKQUOTE>
<BLOCKQUOTE><BR>_____________________________________________________</BLOCKQUOTE>
<BLOCKQUOTE><BR>List services made available by First Step
Internet,<BR><BR>serving the communities of the Palouse since
1994.<BR><BR>http://www.fsr.net<BR><BR>mailto:Vision2020@moscow.com<BR><BR>ŻŻŻŻŻŻŻŻŻŻŻŻŻŻŻŻŻŻŻŻŻŻŻ<SPAN></SPAN>ŻŻŻŻŻŻŻŻŻŻŻŻŻŻŻŻŻŻŻŻŻŻŻŻŻŻŻŻŻŻ<BR></BLOCKQUOTE></BLOCKQUOTE>
<BLOCKQUOTE><BR><BR>Do you Yahoo!?<BR>Everyone is raving about the <A
href="http://us.rd.yahoo.com/evt=40791/*http://advision.webevents.yahoo.com/handraisers"><SPAN></SPAN>all-new
Yahoo! Mail Beta.</A><BR></BLOCKQUOTE></BLOCKQUOTE></BLOCKQUOTE>
<BLOCKQUOTE cite="" type="cite"><BR></BLOCKQUOTE>
<BLOCKQUOTE cite=""
type="cite"><X-TAB>
</X-TAB><X-TAB>
</X-TAB><X-TAB>
</X-TAB></BLOCKQUOTE>
<BLOCKQUOTE cite="" type="cite">
<HR SIZE=1>
</BLOCKQUOTE>
<BLOCKQUOTE cite="" type="cite">Sneak preview the <A
href="http://us.rd.yahoo.com/evt=40762/*http://www.yahoo.com/preview">all-new
Yahoo.com</A>. It's not radically different. Just radically
better.</BLOCKQUOTE>
<DIV><BR></DIV>
<P>
<HR>
<P></P>_____________________________________________________<BR> List
services made available by First Step Internet, <BR> serving the
communities of the Palouse since 1994.
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