Will the Real "Economic Development" Please Stand Up?

Friday afternoon I stopped by the Bankstreet Brewhouse for a liquid pick me up prior to going home.

It had been a long week what with truck drivers, freight brokers, and Common Council meetings and I needed to unwind a bit. At least that was the original intent.

But alas, it wasn’t to be.



I had no more sat down & ordered a beer when I happened survey the room to see CM Gahan at the small bar behind me.

Now being one whose Mamma taught me that it was impolite to holler at people across the room I invited him to join me. My BAADDD!

He began the conversation by asking my position on the proposed hiring of more policemen.

I said that I agreed with the plan and he responded that he didn’t think it was either sustainable or necessary.

“The statistics don’t support the need for ten additional officers!” was Jeff’s position.

Huh??? Whose statistics??

About this time John Gonder who had been talking to Roger a short distance away, joined in the conversation.

He agreed with Gahan that the plan was neither necessary nor worth the money at this time.

This as always led into a heated discussion about the use (proper or otherwise) of EDIT funds.

“They are for economic development, not employee salaries!” said Gahan.

“They shouldn’t be used for either new officers or the Sewer Utility!” responded Gonder.

“So John” says I, “are you going to lead the charge to take the $875K of EDIT funds out of the Sewer Utility’s hands?”

No response.

Gahan offered on the one hand that the Sewer Utility was rolling in dough and didn’t need a rate increase.

“OK!” I say,” Then let’s take the EDIT monies away and see! If they can stand alone without being propped up, I’ll shut up about rate increases!”

“But they need those dollars to pay for the ongoing projects!” responds Jeff.

“Time out Jeff!!” I retort “You can’t have it both ways! Either they need the Edit funds to operate or they don’t!”

“Don’t put words in my mouth” says Gahan. “I can think of no better example of economic development than that which has gone on in the Charlestown Road corridor. Those EDIT funds helped to build the infrastructure that made all that possible.”

CM Gonder at some point in this exchange offered that he thought using said funds to forgive a tap in fee on occasion was a good thing but not to construct the entire system while the landowners/developers get off scot free.

By now my beer is getting warm and the conversation is getting even hotter so I turned back to the job at hand and they both finished their business and left.

Reflecting on this exchange over the weekend a few questions came to mind for your consideration.

Is there an election this fall that I didn’t hear about??

What is this elusive animal called Economic Development?? Can anyone me a simple definition of what that term entails?

Can any two people from either the private sector or government agree on that definition?

In the end, who benefits from it?

Lastly, my favorite unanswerable query.

Can someone please explain how providing infrastructure improvements to landowners/developers at subsidized rates makes more economic development sense than does providing safe, clean, crime free neighborhoods for average people to invest and live in?

I gotta go eat pot roast fresh out of the oven but please continue the discussion.


I’m anxious to see the answers!