HOW I SEE IT: Economic development is anything but

The solution to our problem is economic development. We hear it all the time, especially from our supervisors. Economic development will solve our problems and the world will be a better place. The problem is, our supervisors don’t understand the problem.

If economic development is the solution, why do we need impact fees to offset the cost of economic development? If economic development brings prosperity, why do my taxes keep climbing? Why are we depleting our natural resources, losing farmland and destroying our watersheds? I would like to tell my supervisor, “Thanks … but quit trying to help me; I can’t afford it.”

The current trend in economic development is nothing more than establishing tax-revenue streams from big-box retailers directly to local government. Wealth generation completely bypasses the citizens. Profits made on the backs of minimum-wage workers are not even re-invested in the community.

Minimum-wage workers are publicly subsidized labor. Even after a 40-hour week, they haven’t earned basic cost-of-living expenses. For a family of two parents and two children, the basic cost of living is $48,778. Families not earning this figure still spend it, with your help. You help them by paying for Section 8 Housing, free medical clinics, welfare and higher insurance premiums.

Our government’s concept of economic development is not the solution, its part of the problem.

As I see it, the real question is, how do we make our community a better place to live? A place where we can work, raise children and recreate in the fullest measure? How do we preserve what we have and create a better environment for future generations?

The answer: We build a better community. We develop policies that conserve our natural resources and preserve our historic and cultural assets. We build infrastructure that enhances quality of life.

A better community attracts wealth because it’s a great place to visit. Tourism and Recreation is a $4 billion-a-year industry in Virginia. Tourism fosters small business. Small business is the largest employer of people in America. Small businesses pay employees far above minimum wage. Small businesses reinvest their money in the community. A community with great quality of life attracts good companies.

The result is what some might call “economic development.” Economic development is not the solution; it is the result of building a better community.

As your supervisor, I will dedicate my efforts to building a better community. We will create opportunities for private enterprise to invest in tourism and recreation infrastructure. We will curtail large-scale residential growth in the county and encourage the development of music, arts and cultural venues. If you share my vision, I am your candidate.