[MissoulaGov] Committee Update 9-30-09 Bikes on Sidewalks

[Matt Singer]

This is a fair conversation and I'd be eager to read ideas, but the
bottom-line is that what the city council can do about our economy is
relatively little. Our economy is hurting because the national economy is
hurting. Watching mills close because of a combination of low demand, the
Canadian supply, and other factors is something largely outside the city's
control.

What the city can do is keep working to make Missoula's likely naturally
oversaturated labor market (beautiful city + college = lots of smart people
willing to work cheap) from being too harmful by increasing access to
affordable housing, healthcare, and transportation.

Beyond that, what can be done locally? A small gas tax to raise revenue
strikes me as a not bad idea, although I'm sure others will disagree.
Missoula has major infrastructure needs and we need to pay for them somehow.
Property taxes are quickly becoming a third rail. Local option sales taxes
are repeatedly denied by the state.

What else might be a good idea in town? Rather than shuttering payday
lenders, since the state has yet to act, we could work to get less predatory
alternatives set up. Even if such programs lost money, they might save
society a lot in the long run by helping break one of the downward spirals
of poverty.

Dog leashes, cell phones, and bike helmets become big issues because they
are tangible and easy. Economic development for real is hard, especially
with the limited powers of city government.

I should finally note that I think the zoning rewrite makes some small but
important strides, in my understanding, toward clarification of messy rules
that hamper some economic development in town. I tend to agree with some of
my liberal friends that city governments could often tend toward more
libertarianism without much damage to the fabric of our community and
probably with much benefit.

$.02,
Matt Singer
(thoughts here are my own, not my employers')

Forward Montana / The Bus Federation
500 N Higgins Ave Ste 107 | Missoula, MT 59802

406-542-VOTE (8683)
406-544-0211 (cell)

http://www.forwardmontana.org | http://www.busfederation.com


On Mon, Oct 5, 2009 at 2:37 PM, Geoff Badenoch <geoffb at ism.net> wrote:

>  Let’s talk about what the City Council can and should do about the
> economy and the job climate; that seems to be the most constructive
> follow-on to this suggestion. This is what I know their participation is or
> has been:
>
>
>
>    - The Mayor has a seat on the Missoula Area Economic Development
>    Corporation Board.  He can participate in shaping its policies and be
>    attuned to their activities and needs, and communicate this to the Council
>    and the citizens.
>
>
>
>    - The City in the past has been a member of the Chamber of Commerce
>    although I don’t know if that is the case today.
>
>
>
>    - The City created the Missoula Redevelopment Agency nearly thirty
>    years ago and has supported its efforts at forming public/private
>    partnerships to re-use aging parts of our community for housing and business
>    while improving community infrastructure like parks, trails, utilities,
>    public art, etc.
>
>
>
>    - The City Council granted nearly every request from businesses seeking
>    to phase in new property taxes resulting from business expansion allowed by
>    law.
>
>
>
>    - The City was a founding partner in the Partnership Health Centerwhich was created as much to benefit low income individuals and families as
>    to reduce costly visits to local hospital emergency rooms.
>
>
>
> There may be others.  What more do you citizens who read this think the
> City should do to invigorate the economy?  This is an election year and if
> there are legitimate things that can be done by the City and which are not
> the rightful province of the market, or the federal and state government,
> let’s add your ideas to the election year discussion.
>
>
>
> Geoff Badenoch
>
>
>
> -----Original Message-----
> *From:* missoulagov-bounces at cmslists.com [mailto:
> missoulagov-bounces at cmslists.com] *On Behalf Of *Paradigm1 at aol.com
> *Sent:* Monday, October 05, 2009 2:17 PM
> *To:* hdgray at modwest.com; dstrohmaier at msn.com
> *Cc:* missoulagov at cmslists.com
> *Subject:* Re: [MissoulaGov] Committee Update 9-30-09 Bikes on Sidewalks
>
>
>
> *I also appreciate the hard work done by our City Council. However, I do
> agree with Mr. Grays comments regarding where energy seems to be focused or
> mis-focused lately. Missoula has already watched Stimson go under, Stone
> Container hanging on by a thread, a record number of Montanan's living in
> poverty, many empty storefronts and offices. Blighted and vacant areas along
> Brooks and Broadway etc. Yet Council seems to be more interested in dealing
> with our behavioral issues as they relate to walking the dog, talking on the
> phone, architectural looks, wearing helmets, riding your bike etc... and who
> knows what else. *
>
>
>
> *Most Missoulian's will continue to make wise and courteous choices in
> these areas, and the few that don't will not be aware of these new rules, or
> follow them anyway. I would love to read about new ideas and programs from
> Council that relate to invigorating Missoula's economy and job climate,
> rather than the next wave of behavioral ordinances. *
>
>
>
> *Carl Posewitz, Ward 3 and Ward 1*
>
>
>
>
>
>
>
> _______________________________________________
> -----Please delete extra content when replying to messages------
>
> Note: This list is NOT an official service of the City Of Missoula. But
> posts to this list may be entered into the public record.
> Subscribe or view archives at Missoulagov.org
> List Serve hosting provided by www.CedarMountainSoftware.com.
>
-------------- next part --------------
An HTML attachment was scrubbed...
URL: <http://www.cmslists.com/pipermail/missoulagov/attachments/20091005/1ac968c7/attachment.htm>