Jobs and Economic Development

[Ken Medlin <dev-plan@moscow.com>]

Dear Senator Crapo:  I appreciate your considered response (Aug. 4) to my 
earlier inquiry via email about promoting more diversified economic 
development and job opportunities for rurally employed Idahoans as well 
as for our youth emerging into the labor market.  Except for mention of 
the WIA program, your comments focused primarily on expanding 
agricultural outlets and commodities through Federal actions related to 
trade barriers. From a long term perspective, this approach will 
encounter its limits due to worldwide economic trends, while at home it 
is still a viable political strategy.  Some of us wonder if Idaho can 
generate new bases of economic prosperity (our State is one of the 
nation's poorest) while retaining a healthy share of agricultural 
production.
     In the early l980's Pres. Reagan pronounced at the world 
agricultural conference in Cancun a major U.S. goal of helping to empower 
the so-called underdeveloped nations' rural economies by transferring 
American know-how so that their peoples could feed themselves (the 'teach 
a man to fish' theme). While rural developmet abroad has lagged behind 
expectations, progress is being made which ultimately will greatly reduce 
world needs for American surplus production of foodstuffs and the U.S. 
role as "supermarket to the world" -- a relationship which drains less 
developed regions of capital needed for industrial and technological 
investments. As it is, the U.S. subsidizes foreign purchases of our own 
agricultural surplus. How long can this continue? Is it sound economics?
    I recently visited Scotland where many  innovative measures have 
promoted rural economic diversity and jobs in new sectors while 
preserving substantial agriculture-related industries, such as wood pulp. 
Idaho's geography would seem to lend itself to such diversification in 
areas such as tourism, wild animal preserves for various recreational 
pursuits including hunting-fishing, scenic areas for visiting and camping 
(I think our Bitteroot and Sawtooth regions offer prime opportunities -- 
e.g., State hiweay 11 and Road #250 up to the North Fork of the 
Clearwater R. pass through lovely areas where tourist facilities are less 
than sparse!). It may well seem to some northcentral Idahoans that public 
funds and private venture capital are less available here than they are 
in other parts of the State. What do you think about such resources as 
compared to  southern communites? My Grandmother was raised in Rocky Bar, 
now a ghost mining town, which at one time had a famous lady bartender! 
Maybe it could be resurrected and used as a movie site?! Thinking 
creatively or foolishly? I guess it was Shakespeare who said, "Nothing's 
either good or bad but thinking makes it so."
   Then, with the West and Northwest of the U.S. becoming ever more 
powerful and progressive economically, as compared to the East Coast and 
SE region, opportunities for Idaho to latch onto the evolving development 
ought to be better explored. One little example of such opportunity here 
locally:  the "D-8 Enterprise" of Mr. Barry Ramsay, which produces molds 
for cycle helmet production around the world. It's a very clean process 
and an expanding market. But Barry encountered a lot of difficulty in 
getting folks around Potlatch to accept his ideas and grant a building 
permit just off US-95. The "Incubator" at the U of I is a good idea, but 
it's underfunded and the one bitsy tech-park development off Hiway 8 is a 
timid attempt at what could be done, were investment capital more readily 
available. What more could be done?
   These are the kinds of things I had in mind when writing you about 
what your interests are, at the Federal level, in promoting future 
economic enterprises and jobs for Idaho. Leadership at State and Federal 
levels often spurs new ideas and movement at local and regional levels: 
People begin to expect positive change and better futures for their 
children, many of whom in small Idaho communities have to attend schools 
that are in awful physical condition. Everything is interrelated, of 
course. 
    I sent a similar letter to Sen. Craig, but never received an answer. 
I am grateful to you for responding, and if you have any other comments 
related to my above remarks, I am a willing listener. One other item of 
interest would be the growing impacts of the trucking industry on 
accident rates. A just released DOT study done at the Univ of Michigan 
(where I taught for 27 years) discloses data that do not speak well for 
citizens on our hiways. Have you seen the report and what is your 
position in that regard?  
   I look for forward to any other comments you may have.  Thank you.

                                                                     
William K. Medlin (PhD)

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William K. Medlin
Dev-plan associates
930 Kenneth Street
Moscow ID 83843
208/892-0148
dev-plan@moscow.com