In 1992 Democrat Bill Clinton ran for president of the United
States citing high unemployment figures and a nation-wide economic
slump as a focal point for his campaign. Campaign manager James
Carville rallied supporters with the phrase
”
It’s the economy, stupid.
”
The campaign was successful and Clinton took credit for turning
around the economy in eight years, actually creating a federal
budget surplus for the first time in decades.
In 1992 Democrat Bill Clinton ran for president of the United States citing high unemployment figures and a nation-wide economic slump as a focal point for his campaign. Campaign manager James Carville rallied supporters with the phrase “It’s the economy, stupid.” The campaign was successful and Clinton took credit for turning around the economy in eight years, actually creating a federal budget surplus for the first time in decades.
In San Benito County, we should adopt the same phrase to signify our purpose to resolve our own economic problem. For several years, much of what we have heard from our leaders has been “It’s the out-of-town developer, stupid.” “It’s Measure G, stupid.” “It’s the District 5 election, stupid.” All of these issues may or may not have some merit, but all are clearly subordinate to the looming problem that vexes local business, local families and local government. Developers aren’t the problem now, “It’s the economy, stupid.”
So when we begin to focus attention on the Home Builders Association lobbying against a mandatory 30 percent quota of affordable housing to the state Department of Housing and Community Development that affects funding to county programs, we are again missing the point of our main problem. Headlines about developers’ greed are a diversion from the single most important issue that we, as a community, face.
To those who continue to demonize developers, let me repeat: “It’s the economy, stupid.” Just ask Dorothy McNett or any of the other businesses that have folded and left San Benito County.
The majority of county supervisors get the message. They have taken bold and decisive action to replace staff they feel won’t produce results conducive to economic growth – the very word that seems to polarize our community. Without economic development and growth, we will continue to suffer from loss of government services. The private sector will continue to suffer from lack of business, followed by loss of jobs, resulting in more loss of tax revenue from closed businesses that will cause a lack of funding for public infrastructure improvements, roads, water and wastewater plants. The vicious circle becomes a catastrophic downward spiral.
But the voting public is wise to these issues and we elected new leaders to move us in a different direction. While we mourn the loss of businesses like Dorothy McNett’s Place, we are confident that our new city and county leaders will make meaningful change to improve the local economy. They must because their jobs as elected officials depend on it.
One way to be proactive about economic development would be to form a subcommittee under the San Benito County Council of Governments that addresses the local economy and the effect on its local government members. Transportation issues are extremely important, but building consensus on county-wide economic development seems just as important at this crucial time. Some local leaders that I spoke with think this is an idea worth pursuing.
San Benito County and its local governments are in competition with other communities to improve economic development. Yet, we are years behind due to lack of proper planning and execution to attract new businesses. For too long, the county fostered an anti-business environment through cumbersome zoning ordinances and high permit fees. The changes in staff that maintained this oppressive business environment are long overdue.
So if the Council of Governments does create a committee to improve economic development, it should do so with input from the Economic Development Corporation of San Benito County, the Farm Bureau, Chambers of Commerce, (San Benito County and San Juan Bautista), Business Council, Water Resources Association of San Benito County and Hollister Downtown Association. We can then move forward with a comprehensive and sustainable agenda to improve the local economy with an emphasis on infrastructure management and a balanced approach to environmental concerns.
Countywide fiscal management and economic development is more important than dishing the dirt on developers who are entitled to lobby against oppressive ordinances that have the appearances of altruistic motives – low income housing – but are really designed to discourage housing development altogether. Next time some one makes noise about out-of-town developers, tell them no, “It’s the economy, stupid.”
Mike Smith lives in Hollister and is interested in public, music and the arts. He works in the water utility industry in Salinas.
