Wednesday, January 02, 2008

One Southern Indiana's Michael Dalby: " ... A response was needed to clarify our position."

Michael Dalby's text is dated December 28, 2007. Go here to learn how it came to be:

Background: How it came about that One Southern Indiana’s Michael Dalby contributed today's statement to NA Confidential.

Readers, what do you think?

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Before Christmas, Develop New Albany Director Debbie Farmer arranged a meeting where Roger, Debbie, and I sat down and discussed the issues. I appreciated that meeting and felt it helped both of us understand the nuances of complicated issues. And I realized we are both generally aiming at similar goals – creating a better community by building a sustainable economy – we just go about it in different ways.

First off, as to my delay in responding, One Southern Indiana has a standing policy to not respond to letters to the editor or other similar individual forums. We don’t feel it’s prudent to get into a “tit for tat” debate spurred by an individual comment. But after meeting with Roger, I agreed that a response was needed to clarify our position.

One Southern Indiana is a business association and economic development not-for-profit organization. Our mission is to grow the southern Indiana economy – particularly within Floyd and Clark counties. There are many factors that impact a community’s economy. We would be remiss if we stood on the sidelines and didn’t seek to engage those issues. One Southern Indiana has taken official public policy positions on five issues: support of full-day kindergarten, support of funding for the IUS dorms and the Ivy Tech expansion, support of the Ohio River Bridges Project, support of the need for County funding (hopefully as a step toward regional funding) for the Clark County Regional Airport, and the need for property tax reform and local/state government efficiency.

We have not taken a written official position on ROCK – nor do we plan to. Our relationship to ROCK extends to their efforts to encourage communities to apply existing zoning ordinances and laws to push pornography shops and their over-sized billboards out of areas where they retard business growth. Our role is business development and we must evaluate impediments to business growth in Clark and Floyd Counties. We would no more expect businesses to locate next to Theater X and the oversized XXX billboard than we would want them to locate next to a slaughterhouse or junk yard. All three are obstacles to business growth and expanding the tax base in those locations.

As to any other agenda pursued by ROCK, it is not One Southern Indiana’s role in the community to take stances on social issues. But I agree with your “slippery slope” statement – it is risky to take a step into a portion of an issue and not become immersed in all the corollary issues. As chief executive of 1SI, I should have done more research and made our position more clear. As I stated in the beginning, our role is to do all we can to grow the regional economy. The issues we have officially taken written stances on (as stated above) clearly fall into that arena. Those are the issues that best compliment our core mission. I appreciate you raising this point. Thank you.

As to our invitation to and hosting of President Bush, we felt it was a great and rare opportunity for the citizens of Southern Indiana (and New Albany in particular) to get to host a seated President – bringing dollars and world media attention to our region. Whether or not we agree with his policies, it was an honor to host our nation’s President. One Southern Indiana will have a standing invitation to every sitting President – whoever he or she may be. It should also be noted the majority of the expenses for the event were paid for through the private donations from our members (and not withdrawn from our dues). I’m sure taxpayer dollars were spent for law enforcement time and resources. This did not go unnoticed or unacknowledged. I think that’s a small price to pay for all the attention resulting from such a rare opportunity. Again, it was not an endorsement for or against Mr. Bush’s policies. There were no hidden agendas. Our respect for the office of the President is sincere and extends to all past, present, and future U.S. Presidents – regardless of party affiliation.

As to our focus being more on suburban “greenfield” development verses downtown re-development, I would point to the fact that since our establishment less than 18 months ago, One Southern Indiana has assisted businesses with the creation of over 3,000 primary jobs (jobs that bring new dollars into our community) and do not include retail or healthcare jobs). These new jobs account for over $107 million annually in new payroll. The companies (both new and expanding) creating these jobs are also creating over $113 million in new taxable investment (tangible capital). While this does include some “greenfield” developments (like Connextions’ projected new 750 jobs in River Ridge), we have also assisted 16 existing companies to expand and add new jobs and new investment (including Clarke American in Jeffersonville, Globe Mechanical in New Albany, D.A. Inc in Charlestown, and Marine Builders in Utica). We would love to work on a project seeking to expand or relocate operations to a redevelopment area in Clark or Floyd Counties, and I believe that as the demand for office space along the Ohio River increases, those projects will occur. We look forward to working with Develop New Albany to help in those efforts.

As I previously explained, our intent is to grow the economy and thanks to the financial assistance of over 1,000 private sector companies, we have been very successful in assisting businesses while simultaneously helping our local economy. For the record, we currently receive no public funding, although the projects we assist most benefit local governments by expanding the property tax base and adding to local income tax collections. As you know, community public services are paid for via taxes and fees. Additional dollars for public services can be gained by either (a) raising taxes and fees or (b) expanding the taxable base (and, thus, actually lowering the burden of government on the individual taxpayer). Our economic development efforts assist in the latter effort. We are, in fact, the only area organization focused on expanding the tax base, and we feel justified in asking local governments for a small percentage of the portion of that new tax revenue to offset our expenses. Every dollar provided by local government would be leveraged by 13 private sector dollars. As proof of the value we bring to our private investors, we are currently providing an ROI of over $90 (in new [taxable] private sector capital monies) for every dollar we spend on our economic development efforts (the national average is $18). We believe we offer a very valuable, cost-effective, and highly leveraged investment for local government.

I appreciate the opportunity to meet, I sincerely appreciate the opportunity to explain our position, and I appreciate the role your blog plays in expanding the community dialogue.

9 comments:

  1. 1SI's "efforts to encourage communities to apply existing zoning ordinances and laws" sounds right, but,...

    it appears the laws it is targeting have conservative "family values" PR potential deeply embedded.

    So why not fight gambling, or oppose drinking which can lead to child abuse and cycles of improvishment that undermine economic development? Why not lobby for housing standards to be enforced?

    Which is not to say I hope we see more xxx businesses springing up.

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  2. "...bringing dollars and world media attention to our region."

    Media attention I cannot dispute. As for bringing dollars, I guess Sam Anderson appreciated the lunch business. And the owners of the Grand.

    Since 1SI is so adept at figuring ROI, what are the figures on this visit?

    I would also note, that there is no mention of what the members of 1SI learned at the "meeting" that would help our local economy. Remember, that was the stated purpose when the visit was announced. For 1SI MEMBERS only.

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  3. If it had been President Bill Clinton swooping in there would be no grumbling from the bloggers. Gambling is a tax on the poor because the wealthy can afford to waste a couple hundred at the boat, but the poor risk their rent. By the way, what is wrong with having family values deeply embedded in anything? Are New Alabnians threatened by traditional families?

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  4. Daniel:
    I do not think this is an issue of Clinton Vs. Bush, nor is it an issue of "traditional families".
    For me this is an issue of a group of commercial elite determining the direction of OUR community based on their personal/political beliefs.
    I think also there would have been some stink raised regardless of who 1SI brought in here, becasue, as stated by the 1SI person himself, they may have paid privately for the "funds" to buy a presidential visit, BUT it was in fact the taxpayers who were forced to foot the bill for the overtime expenditures for Law enforcement/ security for a basically private function.
    By the way, gambling is a choice. It is NOT a tax. For every one "poor" person "risking" thier rent, there are a hundred who are not.

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  5. The reference to Bill Clinton isn't much of an argument; you're assuming that unidentified bloggers are Democrats, and assuming that as Democrats, they'd be friends of Bill Clinton's.

    The problem with "family values" is two-fold. First, they have little or nothing to do with economic development in the 1SI scheme of things.

    Also: If the business in question was a Koetter-built factory manufacturing sex toys, would the reaction be the same as toward Theatair-X?

    Second, there's the irritating little matter of who decides what is and is not a "family value." Truly there's a devil in the details when it comes to deciding, and usually it comes down to someone encouraging the rest of us to practice "family values" according to one particular Christian denomination.

    New Albanians might not be threatened by "traditional families," whatever that means, but they certainly stand to be threatened by the desire of some to impose religious tests on them.

    How's that vinyl coming?

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  6. Typical response from his type. When you can't handle the heat, bring up Bill Clinton. And then invoke family values. What, no apple pie?

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  7. Mr. Short, be aware when you come at such a varied group of readers and bloggers with that lame "family values" response, your gonna bet hit back. Hard.

    That was weak, and as TNA stated, who decides what family values are? The same "leader" who's put so many of our family members at risk by asking them to fight in this BS war? God help us then.

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  8. I invite Mr. Short to stick around long enough to participate in some give and take. It might be instructive for all of us.

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  9. I'm not going anywhere and I accept your invitation. Thanks for the chance NA.

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