2008: Nostalgia: Development: Reflection

OpEd: Getting the Order of Things Right Economic Development Summit: The goal is to refine the objectives. 1)Workforce Development. 2)Downtown Revitalization. 3)Government Relations. 4)Marketing. 5)Entrepreneurial Environment." This listing of the goals from the recent economic summit has a flaw. It is in the reverse order of priority. The keynote speaker of the conference was Terry Whipple and his speech was titled "Catch the Culture." The rich environment for economic development is marked by openess to the new, by a tolerance of young, and yes flawed ideas that are being shaped and perfected. The rich environment is not marked by closed, rigid process that blocks through restraint of trade or quid pro quo arrangements where there are certain entities that require that they receive all the profit from the arrangement or the idea will be denied development. In summary; Where there is restraint of trade and impediments to free flow of ideas, there will never be a vital economic process. There may be the show or "facade", but never the real thing.