Up Sucker Creek

Up Sucker Creek
Photo Courtesy of the Lake Oswego Library

Saturday, April 11, 2015

Clackamas County BOC at Athey Creek April 21

I know, let's have a "vibrant" economy! 
OK, where? 
Let's put it where it's needed most.
Nah, let's just put it where we want it.
Oh, OK.  I do want to fit in and be popular.

It sounds like the Clackamas County Board of Commissioners wants economic development. OK.  The only problem is, do they know how a government can make a "vibrant" economy?  Can they do it in the way they have in mind, and will it be vibrant? 

The CCBOC is holding a series of town halls to talk to county residents about "growing a vibrant economy".   Is this another event for citizens so everyone can pretend there was public involvement?  When I hear the word "vibrant", I think of smart growth communities and town centers.  Would economic development go to areas where unemployment is the highest, or to places where Metro wants growth to occur?

There are predictable consequences when government gets involved in anything: It usually doesn't work very well, and it costs a lot of money to do it. And when it doesn't work out as planned, it's not that the plan was no good, it's because there wasn't enough money.  

"The most terrifying words in the English language are, 'I'm from the government and I'm here to help.'"             -- Ronald Reagan 

The first town hall is at Athey Creek Middle School in Stafford - a curious place to start the tour - on Tuesday, April 21, at  6:30 PM.  The theme of the town hall is, "Growing a Vibrant Economy".  Athey Creek Middle School is at 2900 Borland Rd., Tualatin, OR.


Clackamas County theme on 'Growing a Vibrant Economy' set for April 21 in Stafford
Oregonlive, March.31, 2015 By Tom Heider

The theme is a priority of Performance Clackamas, a strategic plan previously adopted by the County.  While the first half of the Q and A will be on economic issues, attendees are free to raise questions of any nature related to the county during the second half.

Later this year, town halls have also been set for Milwaukie, Canby and Welches, each to focus on different priorities of Performance Clackamas.  More on these points at http://www.clackamas.us/performance/

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