RE: new development planned

[Ry Jones <rjones@moscow.com>]

At 02:25 PM 6/17/99 , Teresa Miller wrote:
>At 11:58 AM 6/17/99 , Teresa Miller wrote:
>>>There are stronger efforts than ever for recruiting more students......
>>Students aren't exactly an economic dynamo.
>Really?  Who do you think the majority of the apartment complex's go up for?

exactly... it's transient housing. I would be shocked if UoI students
contributed very much to the economy of Moscow. Do most of the landlords
live here? My landlords live in Spokane and Pullman, so my rent goes out of
state, probably never to return. Students don't buy houses. You can't run
an economy on beer, pizza, and books.

I grew up in a university town that faced the same problems, except we had
some industry to fall back on (Pfizer, CBS/Sony, BF Goodrich). Most
universities exist to raise the number of degreed, debt laden citizens in a
populace to make a town or state more attractive to employers. In
Bloomington there is a saying... PhD's pump gas. How is a high school kid
trying to make some dough supposed to supplant a PhD having fellow? If you
own the gas station, who would YOU hire?

Ever read any Ted Rall? http://www.rall.com/ his latest book covers this in
depth (Revenge of the latchkey kids). Buy a copy today. Good stuff from a
former investment banker/college admissions clerk/punk rock cartoonist.