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Moscow</title></head><body>
<div>Darrell,</div>
<div><br></div>
<div>The perverted irony of the situation is overwhelming: the
anti-business talk comes completely from certain business people who
disagreed with the outcome of the last city election and the Thompson
rezone denial which they carried to Boise as part of the Chamber tour.
Their attempt to paint Moscow black has succeeded beyond their wildest
dreams. Why they would want to do that is beyond me, but they have. It
wasn't even on the radar screen before then.</div>
<div><br></div>
<div>m.</div>
<div><br></div>
<div>At 3:03 PM -0700 10/26/07, Darrell Keim wrote:</div>
<blockquote type="cite" cite>Bruce,</blockquote>
<blockquote type="cite" cite>Responses below:<br>
<br>
</blockquote>
<blockquote type="cite" cite>On 10/25/07,<b> Bruce and Jean
Livingston</b> <<a
href="mailto:jeanlivingston@turbonet.com">jeanlivingston@turbonet.com</a
>> wrote:<br>
<blockquote>Darrell, good to hear from you again.</blockquote>
<blockquote> </blockquote>
<blockquote>I don't think I disagree with you on any point in this
post. And I don't see any point you make as inconsistent with my
personal feelings about the best future direction of the city.<br>
</blockquote>
</blockquote>
<blockquote type="cite" cite> </blockquote>
<blockquote type="cite" cite>I really wasn't seeking to be
inflammatory with the post, more informational. A lot of people
don't consider the business environment and its impact on our
town when they talk quality of life.</blockquote>
<blockquote type="cite" cite><br>
<blockquote> </blockquote>
<blockquote>I recognize the existence here of a healthy retail economy
and a vibrant downtown, and I acknowledge that they contribute to our
quality of life. Are you suggesting that either our local retail
or business climate is not healthy? If so, what is unhealthy and
how would you propose to make things healthier?<br>
</blockquote>
</blockquote>
<blockquote type="cite" cite> </blockquote>
<blockquote type="cite" cite>I've talked to alot of people about this
of late, and got a lot of opinions. One of the goals I've set
for myself as the new Chamber E.D. is to meet with several of our
member businesses each week. I ask them a variety of questions,
and always include this one: "What do you think is the
biggest issue facing Moscow business?" Over half have told
me they think it is the cities anti-business reputation, be it real or
simply perceived.</blockquote>
<blockquote type="cite" cite> </blockquote>
<blockquote type="cite" cite>Even if the reputation is simply
something perceived, with no basis in reality, it is an impediment to
business that we need to be concerned about.</blockquote>
<blockquote type="cite" cite><br>
<blockquote> </blockquote>
<blockquote> </blockquote>
<blockquote>Bruce<br>
<blockquote>----- Original Message -----</blockquote>
<blockquote><b>From:</b> <a href="mailto:keim153@gmail.com">Darrell
Keim</a></blockquote>
<blockquote><b>To:</b> <a href="mailto:thansen@moscow.com">Tom
Hansen</a></blockquote>
<blockquote><b>Cc:</b> <a href="mailto:idahotom@hotmail.com">Tom
Hansen</a> ; <a href="mailto:vision2020@moscow.com">
v2020</a></blockquote>
<blockquote><b>Sent:</b> Thursday, October 25, 2007 2:22
PM</blockquote>
<blockquote><b>Subject:</b> Re: [Vision2020] real economic development
in Moscow</blockquote>
<blockquote><br>
</blockquote>
<blockquote>Bill et al:</blockquote>
<blockquote> </blockquote>
<blockquote>I was at the MCA's recent economic forum. I found it
to be very interesting in both what was addressed, and what wasn't.
I felt the panelists did a fair job of describing what aspects of
Moscow drew them to locate here. Nice parks, short/no commute,
culture, universities, etc. If pushed, I think the panelists
would summarize what brought them as quality of life. Also
mentioned as reasons for coming to Moscow were Alturas and the Small
Business Incubator.</blockquote>
<blockquote> </blockquote>
<blockquote>I liked what BJ Swanson had to say about the importance of
bringing in higher paying jobs (The example in her case being tech.
jobs. Other types of high paying jobs create the same
phenomenon). Essentially, she advocated for working to bring in
higher paying jobs, and that retail businesses would follow. I
think I can accurately quote her as saying "You can't build an
economy on retail jobs alone."</blockquote>
<blockquote> </blockquote>
<blockquote>Or, as Stu Scott said at another recent economic forum
(paraphrasing again), some businesses re-circulate and slightly
magnify the dollar. To truly grow the economy you've got to
manufacture something. (The same forum mentioned something like
$1.15 going into the economy for every $1 spent at a local chain
store. And, $1.25 going into the local economy for every dollar
spent at a locally owned merchant. I digress...)</blockquote>
<blockquote> </blockquote>
<blockquote>I can agree with almost all of the above discussed at the
forum. I would add that Moscow has traditionally
"manufactured" education and agriculture. The UI and
agriculture have been our biggest "factories." And,
just as BJ's model predicts, those high paying education and
ag. "factories" brought in what we currently have for a
business climate.</blockquote>
<blockquote> </blockquote>
<blockquote>Now for the part that I found interesting because of its
absence:</blockquote>
<blockquote>How is quality of life defined?</blockquote>
<blockquote>How does our local business climate fit into the quality
of life picture?</blockquote>
<blockquote> </blockquote>
<blockquote><i>The above, it seems to me, is the crux of our current
civic debate.</i></blockquote>
<blockquote> </blockquote>
<blockquote>So, how is quality of life defined?</blockquote>
<blockquote>Ask a hundred people and get a hundred different
answers.</blockquote>
<blockquote> </blockquote>
<blockquote>The panelists listed as quality of life indicators such
things as: parks, walkability, little traffic. Quality of life
must have something else to it, too. If quality of life is ONLY
the items listed by the forum, then I humbly suggest that Garfield and
Oakesdale also fit the bill quite nicely to become hotbeds of
technological development.</blockquote>
<blockquote> </blockquote>
<blockquote>Hopefully you understand the above was
sarcasm.</blockquote>
<blockquote> </blockquote>
<blockquote>I believe there is another, as yet unmentioned,
aspect of quality of life. I submit that what makes Moscow's
quality of life so good is the great combination we have of parks,
traffic, etc; with our engaged citizenry, and good local
economy.</blockquote>
<blockquote> </blockquote>
<blockquote>How does our local business climate fit into the quality
of life picture?</blockquote>
<blockquote>In a lot of ways, our existing businesses are
what make our quality of life possible:</blockquote>
<blockquote>Businesses provide the jobs that allow people to live
here.</blockquote>
<blockquote>Businesses pay taxes helping to make our parks and
infrastructure possible. (Incidentally, the businesses also make it
possible for the people that live here to pay taxes.)</blockquote>
<blockquote>Businesses make it possible for us to get our
"necessities" locally.</blockquote>
<blockquote>I'm sure others can come up with more to add to the
list.</blockquote>
<blockquote> </blockquote>
<blockquote>Smart businesses looking to locate here realize they won't
be operating in a vacuum. They look at ALL of our local business
and social environment before deciding to grow here. They look
from a business perspective at our city government,
infrastructure, parks, ecology, businesses already present, etc.
</blockquote>
<blockquote> </blockquote>
<blockquote>Smart businesses also look at a bigger picture beyond
"bottom line" items. They look from a social
perspective to see if their employees will be happy living in the
community, again looking at our city government, infrastructure,
parks, ecology, businesses already present, etc. Both
perspectives must be promising for it to be a strong
match.</blockquote>
<blockquote> </blockquote>
<blockquote>Moscow would be unattractive to high wage paying
employers if we did not already have a strong mix of local businesses
and retail stores.</blockquote>
<blockquote> </blockquote>
<blockquote>To put it simply, prospective businesses are
looking to grow their new "factories" on the shoulders of
what is already here.</blockquote>
<blockquote> </blockquote>
<blockquote>I strongly believe in working to bring in high paying
jobs. To do so we must be aware of what about our existing
structure is going to be an attractor, and we must work to keep it
healthy.</blockquote>
<blockquote> </blockquote>
<blockquote>Later,</blockquote>
<blockquote>Darrell</blockquote>
<blockquote> </blockquote>
<blockquote><br>
<font color="#550055">> 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 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 improve<br>
> the overall economy", then we lose what now attracts these
high-tech 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</font><br>
</blockquote>
<blockquote>
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