George Rebane
There are several approaches that a region or community can adopt to build a better business climate. Every approach is founded on a social ideology that is promoted by its backers as a belief system that has either worked in the past, or one that will work in the future if only we give it a chance. For example, California has made its selection clear, and it is sadly both unworkable and unsustainable.
Joseph Bast of the Heartland Institute has assembled a body of research on business climates that he summarizes into ten points of public policy for consideration by elected officials. These are published in ‘Building a Better Business Climate’. They all seem to be also supported by what I would call common sense. But in today’s America common sense is no longer a common commodity in the minds of voters.
Policy point number ten is particularly important to smaller communities like Nevada County that have so much to offer to young families whose bread winners do good work with the stuff between their ears. It is reproduced below in its entirety with my emphasis added.
10. Attract members of the creative class. A final component of a good business climate is adopting policies that make cities and communities attractive to scientists, engineers, entrepreneurs, and other members of the so-called “creative class.” These individuals are sought after by companies, with the result that businesses will move to cities and regions where such individuals congregate.
Members of the creative class are younger than the average worker and seek cities with amenities that suit their lifestyles. They change jobs frequently and consequently prefer to live in cities with lots of job opportunities to avoid having to relocate. Creative people spend more time on outdoor recreation and view their cities the way tourists do, as a collection of places to visit to have fun.
Cities and states that keep these preferences in mind can avoid wasting millions of dollars on “economic development” schemes that target the wrong people or attempt to draw them to the wrong places.
In California our progressives are convinced beyond debate that implementation of AB32 will create new and productive green industries by government subsidy and regulatory diktat. History has shown this approach to be another ‘road to serfdom’. In November voters will have an opportunity with Prop23 to ‘suspend’ the fall of this executioner’s axe. Russ Steele of NC Media Watch has the latest doings on Prop23 going on at the state’s Regional Council of Rural Counties meeting this week in Sacramento (here).
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