It’s been more than two months since election day, which means the steady stream of campaign commercials and political positioning that came with it, may finally be fading from memory.
But wait...before you pack all that political angst back in your mental attic, let me remind you of two words that must not be allowed to fade away between today and the next election cycle: Economic Development.
The creation of economic prosperity was at the top of the agenda for candidates representing the entire political spectrum because all candidates must deal with the same circling set of important but contradictory political truths:
1) Everybody hates taxes.
2) Everybody wants at least some of the benefits and services that come from taxation.
3) The cost of providing those benefits and services continues to rise.
4) No politician wants to raise taxes ....see point #1.
Economic development is the panacea for most political woes, because it alone can increase government revenues without raising taxes or service fees.
The more successful businesses found within any jurisdiction, the more sales tax and user fees come back to that jurisdiction, thereby reducing its need to raise taxes to counter ever increasing costs.
Consider the sad state of any number of large American cities, that for whatever reason, have lost their ability to sustain businesses and the jobs they create. Without that economic base, families move, and more businesses close. The tax base continues to diminish. Schools, hospitals, police, infrastructure, parks, and all other city services suffer. No amount of deficit spending by a local government can replace the revenue generating heartbeat that those people, businesses, and services bring to a community....and thus a vicious downward cycle continues.
John Pitt is an economic development executive for Logistic Specialties, Inc.
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