<p>Darrell,</p><p /><p>It is nice to have you here, offering observations. </p><p /><p>That being said, have you any solutions to offer? How do you propose to change that "anti-business" perception, that you say may have no basis in reality, (though you don't say it doesn't, either)? One group that is perceived as "anti-business" is struggling mightily to correct that misperception, <a href="http://www.moscowcivic.org">www.moscowcivic.org</a> . I would assume that you would agree that is a step in the right direction and would be a positive means of helping to eliminate the (I believe) eroneous anti-business charges. Is it helpful to have pillars of the business community running advertisements ad nauseum touting our community as anti-business? </p><p /><p>How would you as Chamber E.D. propose to eliminate this "anti-business 'perception' " ?</p><p /><p>Bruce</p><p /><p><br />-----Original message-----<br />From: "Darrell Keim&!
quot;
keim153@gmail.com<br />Date: Fri, 26 Oct 2007 15:03:05 -0700<br />To: "Bruce and Jean Livingston" jeanlivingston@turbonet.com<br />Subject: Re: [Vision2020] real economic development in Moscow<br /><br />> Bruce,<br />> Responses below:<br />> <br />> <br />> On 10/25/07, Bruce and Jean Livingston <jeanlivingston@turbonet.com />wrote:<br />> ><br />> > Darrell, good to hear from you again.<br />> ><br />> > I don't think I disagree with you on any point in this post. And I don't<br />> > see any point you make as inconsistent with my personal feelings about the<br />> > best future direction of the city.<br />> ><br />> <br />> I really wasn't seeking to be inflammatory with the post, more<br />> informational. A lot of people don't consider the business environment and<br />> its impact on our town when they talk quality of life.<br />> <br />> <br />> > I recognize the existence here!
of a
healthy retail economy and a vibrant<br />> > downtown, and I acknowledge that they contribute to our quality of life.<br />> > Are you suggesting that either our local retail or business climate is not<br />> > healthy? If so, what is unhealthy and how would you propose to make things<br />> > healthier?<br />> ><br />> <br />> I've talked to alot of people about this of late, and got a lot of<br />> opinions. One of the goals I've set for myself as the new Chamber E.D. is<br />> to meet with several of our member businesses each week. I ask them a<br />> variety of questions, and always include this one: "What do you think is<br />> the biggest issue facing Moscow business?" Over half have told me they<br />> think it is the cities anti-business reputation, be it real or simply<br />> perceived.<br />> <br />> Even if the reputation is simply something perceived, with no basis in<br />> reality, it is!
an
impediment to business that we need to be concerned about.<br />> <br />> <br />> ><br />> > Bruce<br />> ><br />> > ----- Original Message -----<br />> > *From:* Darrell Keim <keim153@gmail.com /><br />> > *To:* Tom Hansen <thansen@moscow.com /><br />> > *Cc:* Tom Hansen <idahotom@hotmail.com />; v2020 <vision2020@moscow.com /><br />> > *Sent:* Thursday, October 25, 2007 2:22 PM<br />> > *Subject:* Re: [Vision2020] real economic development in Moscow<br />> ><br />> ><br />> > Bill et al:<br />> ><br />> > I was at the MCA's recent economic forum. I found it to be very<br />> > interesting in both what was addressed, and what wasn't. I felt the<br />> > panelists did a fair job of describing what aspects of Moscow drew them to<br />> > locate here. Nice parks, short/no commute, culture, universities, etc. If<br />> > pushed, I think the panelists would summarize!
what
brought them as quality<br />> > of life. Also mentioned as reasons for coming to Moscow were Alturas and<br />> > the Small Business Incubator.<br />> ><br />> > I liked what BJ Swanson had to say about the importance of bringing in<br />> > higher paying jobs (The example in her case being tech. jobs. Other types<br />> > of high paying jobs create the same phenomenon). Essentially, she advocated<br />> > for working to bring in higher paying jobs, and that retail businesses would<br />> > follow. I think I can accurately quote her as saying "You can't build an<br />> > economy on retail jobs alone."<br />> ><br />> > Or, as Stu Scott said at another recent economic forum (paraphrasing<br />> > again), some businesses re-circulate and slightly magnify the dollar. To<br />> > truly grow the economy you've got to manufacture something. (The same forum<br />> > mentioned something li!
ke $1.15
going into the economy for every $1 spent at<br />> > a local chain store. And, $1.25 going into the local economy for every<br />> > dollar spent at a locally owned merchant. I digress...)<br />> ><br />> > I can agree with almost all of the above discussed at the forum. I would<br />> > add that Moscow has traditionally "manufactured" education and agriculture.<br />> > The UI and agriculture have been our biggest "factories." And, just as BJ's<br />> > model predicts, those high paying education and ag. "factories" brought in<br />> > what we currently have for a business climate.<br />> ><br />> > Now for the part that I found interesting because of its absence:<br />> > How is quality of life defined?<br />> > How does our local business climate fit into the quality of life picture?<br />> ><br />> > *The above, it seems to me, is the crux of our current civ!
ic
debate.*<br />> ><br />> > So, how is quality of life defined?<br />> > Ask a hundred people and get a hundred different answers.<br />> ><br />> > The panelists listed as quality of life indicators such things as: parks,<br />> > walkability, little traffic. Quality of life must have something else to<br />> > it, too. If quality of life is ONLY the items listed by the forum, then I<br />> > humbly suggest that Garfield and Oakesdale also fit the bill quite nicely to<br />> > become hotbeds of technological development.<br />> ><br />> > Hopefully you understand the above was sarcasm.<br />> ><br />> > I believe there is another, as yet unmentioned, aspect of quality of<br />> > life. I submit that what makes Moscow's quality of life so good is the<br />> > great combination we have of parks, traffic, etc; with our engaged<br />> > citizenry, and good local economy.<br />> >!
;<br
/>> > How does our local business climate fit into the quality of life picture?<br />> > In a lot of ways, our existing businesses are what make our quality of<br />> > life possible:<br />> > Businesses provide the jobs that allow people to live here.<br />> > Businesses pay taxes helping to make our parks and infrastructure<br />> > possible. (Incidentally, the businesses also make it possible for the people<br />> > that live here to pay taxes.)<br />> > Businesses make it possible for us to get our "necessities" locally.<br />> > I'm sure others can come up with more to add to the list.<br />> ><br />> > Smart businesses looking to locate here realize they won't be operating in<br />> > a vacuum. They look at ALL of our local business and social environment<br />> > before deciding to grow here. They look from a business perspective at our<br />> > city government, infrastructur!
e, parks,
ecology, businesses already present,<br />> > etc.<br />> ><br />> > Smart businesses also look at a bigger picture beyond "bottom line"<br />> > items. They look from a social perspective to see if their employees will<br />> > be happy living in the community, again looking at our city government,<br />> > infrastructure, parks, ecology, businesses already present, etc. Both<br />> > perspectives must be promising for it to be a strong match.<br />> ><br />> > Moscow would be unattractive to high wage paying employers if we did not<br />> > already have a strong mix of local businesses and retail stores.<br />> ><br />> > To put it simply, prospective businesses are looking to grow their new<br />> > "factories" on the shoulders of what is already here.<br />> ><br />> > I strongly believe in working to bring in high paying jobs. To do so we<br />> > must be !
aware of
what about our existing structure is going to be an<br />> > attractor, and we must work to keep it healthy.<br />> ><br />> > Later,<br />> > Darrell<br />> ><br />> ><br />> > > R-<br />> > > You missed the point.<br />> > > These high-tech jobs can go anywhere. All towns want them.<br />> > > The entrepreneurs can be choosy, and they are choosy. They want towns<br />> > with<br />> > > a high quality of life.<br />> > > If Moscow sacrifices its high quality of life for (what you describe as)<br />> > > "almost anything that will provide jobs, increase the tax base and<br />> > improve<br />> > > the overall economy", then we lose what now attracts these high-tech<br />> > jobs.<br />> > > You just can not have it both ways.<br />> > > I want to live in a town that maintains its high quality of life and<br />> > >
therefore is attractive to high-tech jobs -- not a town that has no<br />> > > standards but goes for any growth.<br />> > > BL<br />> ><br />> > ------------------------------<br />> ><br />> > =======================================================<br />> > List services made available by First Step Internet,<br />> > serving the communities of the Palouse since 1994.<br />> > http://www.fsr.net<br />> > mailto:Vision2020@moscow.com<br />> > =======================================================<br />> ><br />> ><br />> > =======================================================<br />> > List services made available by First Step Internet,<br />> > serving the communities of the Palouse since 1994.<br />> > http://www.fsr.net<br />> > mailto:Vision2020@moscow.com<br />> > =======================================================<br />> ><br />> <br !
/>>
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