Blog

Censorship, the Cancel-Culture & Economic Development

Censorship, the Cancel-Culture & Economic Development
Just the Facts.

In 2019 Amazon wanted to build a headquarters in New York. They would have received an estimated $3 billion in incentives in return for creating at least 25,000 jobs, an Amazon-sponsored employment center and workforce development program focused on technology training and local recruitment, including for those living in the Queensbridge public housing project, and neighborhood improvements such as a 3.5-acre park and waterfront esplanade.

Businesses Leaving Riot-Torn Cities Is a Man-Made Disaster

Quality of Life and Economic Prosperity Will Take a Long Time to Recover

A company that has been in Minneapolis for 80 years is leaving that city. Businesses in Seattle are moving to Idaho and Arizona or at least out of the area to other parts of Washington State.

For many years now, people and businesses have been leaving California in droves. This has been in large part due to government policies, such as onerous tax burdens. The Nevada real estate market has been a testament to this exodus.  Today the Phoenix, Arizona real estate market is booming as is the Boise market.

Will Coronavirus Impact a Company’s Future Relocation?

Not all states have handled this pandemic the same way. Not all states were affected the same way. Georgia “opened up” earlier than most, as did Colorado. One governor is a Democrat and one is Republican, so it isn’t just politics. Some states have had very strict rules and others have been less restrictive.

It is obvious the U.S. economy has been devastated by the shutting down of business. Most leaders probably did the best they could with the information available. Some leaders have been criticized for going too far. Will governors look back at how they managed their state during this time and match their policies to the rate of economic recovery? 

American Independence from China

A New Industrial Revolution?
 
Last month I wrote about our dependence on China for 80 percent of our antibiotics.

I made the case the United States should have health and medical independence. We can’t remain in such a vulnerable position. We now have energy independence. We were totally dependent on OPEC countries and Russia. Both energy and health are national security issues, economic issues and should be economic development priorities.

Declaration of Independence

American Independence Should Be Economic Development Priority

Similar to how the 911 attacks showed us the inadequacies of screening for terrorists, especially on airplanes, the Coronavirus Pandemic shows weaknesses in our preparedness to combat other threats.

I’m not talking about blame, panic and unreasonable, hysterical political attacks. I refer to our dependence on foreign countries for our basic needs.

Marketing and Customer Service are Also Economic Development

Visit Florida has been in the news again because there are legislators wanting to eliminate it or cut funding - again. Last year the budget was cut from $76 million to $50 million and again, some ranking members of the Legislature are questioning the value of marketing Florida as a place to visit and do business. All too familiar, we have been down this road before with both VISIT Florida and Enterprise Florida.

All You Upstarts Out There

Constant Change Causes Ups and Downs for Entrepreneurs

Read the Wall Street Journal lately and you see weekly articles about We Work. Nothing good is being said. We Work is a real estate company that specializes in co-work space both physical and virtual. This idea really began at the turn of the century. It’s only 20 years old. It started out as a solution to a problem. Simply, it was unproductive for some to work at home, cost prohibitive to rent or build an office of your own and it created a social and synergistic working environment. What a cool idea. Many jumped on this bandwagon and started co-work spaces. Many closed a year later. We Work has more problems than it can count including the flamboyant CEO.

What Everyone Thinks About Millennials Isn’t Necessarily True

And How That Can Help Our Community

At the beginning of this decade millennials were reported as moving to cities in droves. This helped lead an urban revival according to an article in the Wall Street Journal last month.

We’ve all continually heard that millennials want big-city life. It is a quality of life issue with them. They want cultural diversity, a vibrant nightlife, a myriad of restaurant, retail and entertainment options. The well-paying jobs are there.

Manufacturing in the United States is Not a Thing of the Past

It Has a Big Impact on Our Present and Future

While we all know that manufacturing in the United States is less than what it used to be, it is still a large part of our economy and is undergoing a lot of change.

According to a recent Wall Street Journal article, manufacturing jobs accounted for 25% of total employment in 1970, 16% in 1990 and 8.5% currently. However, if you look at the “Final Output of U.S. –Made Goods,” manufactured items account for 30% of GDP. This describes the goods loaded on trucks, trains and ships, moving through warehouses and ending up on retailer’s shelves and floors.

Jail Time and Economic Development

Work Programs Are Making a Difference

We have all seen alarming stories about early release of dangerous felons, overcrowding in our prisons, sanctuary cities that do not capture and detain people who come to this country illegally, etc. Controversy abounds and the effects are often detrimental to our society.

Prison work programs may be a story that is not only helpful to our society but a part of economic development today.

In 1979 the U.S. Department of Justice implemented the Prison Industry Enhancement Certification Program (PIECP) developed by Congress. This program allowed inmates to work for private companies. Private companies must submit to all necessary requirements and can then be exempt from federal restrictions regarding prisoner-made products.