An Economic Development Vision for Mariposa
Communication thread
(Concept: “Paradigm Shift” A time
when the usual and accepted way of doing or thinking about something changes completely.
Cambridge Dictionary-OnLine)
E-Mail Thread July 2015
This e-mail thread provides the arguments, pro and con for the direction that OUR Economic Development efforts are focused, or wrongly focused, at present in Mariposa County. I've deleted the names of people mentioned/commenting in this thread. I am promoting a "Paradigm Shift" in our thinking about how we spend our Tourism Windfall, or at least a portion of it $500k currently allocated to the Mariposa County Yosemite Visitor Bureau that is added to the approximately $1.5 Million that the Bureau spends on promoting Yosemite and Mariposa County! It is my position that we should be spending that money on supporting a "Cultural Tourism" program and reap a broader benefit for the residents of Mariposa County!
To: Mariposa County Board of
Supervisors
From: Bob Borchard Date 7/15/15
Dear Honorable Mariposa County Supervisors
I Just thought I would give you some ideas about HOW the County
MIGHT invest $500k in an Economic Development program that would give us some
job creation AND tourism support. Nevada County’s program is aggressive and
they just picked up $500k in grant funds to develop a Media Campus project.
This is a variation of the OLD Industrial Park concept. I worked with one of
these “business development centers” in the City of Marina when I was a Project
Manager for the City. I suggest you take a look at their Annual Report http://www.mynevadacounty.com/nc/bos/docs/Nevada%20County%20Economic%20Development%20and%20Tourism%20Marketing/Economic%20Resource%20Council/ERC%20County%20Report%20-%20Jan%2016%202015.pdf
to get some idea about how their organization is structured and the programs
they support (including Tourism). As we move into the FY 2015-16 budget cycle,
I think it’s time to look at some changes
It is time for Mariposa County to start thinking critically about
its future. It’s time that we, as a County, start considering the “capital
exit” that is created when OUR County Revenues are “invested” in the economies
of other regions, States or even other Countries!
It’s not hard to envision OUR County creating an EDC organization
that “links” the resources of the private sector, our schools (including Merced
College, Stanislaus and U.C. Merced) in a technology development program that
builds on the resources that already exists in the County, builds the skills of
our residents (Adult Education) and trains OUR High School students for
meaningful careers in the technology/communications industries! This seems to
me a much sounder investment than buy “likes” on Facebook pages!
We have options, as a County, to turn our economy around and help
it face forward. While there is a great deal of comfort in doing the same old
thing year in and year out, I think we, as a community, are poised to launch an
effort to look to the future. The YOUNG people of OUR community deserve no
less! At present, the Tourism Bureau is named as the LEAD ORGANIZATION for
implementing OUR Economic Vitality Strategy and Implementation Plan for
Mariposa County (Nov. 2007) on Page 3, first full paragraph. http://www.mariposaedc.com/downloads/Economic_Vitality_Strategy_Mariposa_County.pdf.
At the same time, the Director of the Tourism Bureau stated to the Mariposa
County BOS, in an e-mail communication stated “What
Bob does not seem to understand is that the Tourism Bureau's mission is not to
provide economic development - it is to put heads in beds, which is what drives
48% + of the county's general fund. Economic development may occur as a result
of our tourism marketing and community support efforts, but it is not our
defined objective.”
As a practical matter, what I (Bob) do understand is that the BOS
“gives” the TB $500k to do a JOB that the BOS defines, as I think is clearly
stated in the County’s EDC strategy! Clearly the Tourism Dir. is not interested
or committed to following the BOS directives on these matters so I feel that
the BOS should redirect those funds toward a COUNTY Economic Development
Council. The existing EDC could be an “advisory” body to this organization but
it would need to be a County Department or organization.
Thank you for your time and consideration.
Bob Borchard
To: A wider audience
From: Bob Borchard Date 7/15/15
This morning I got this
e-mail thread from Some folks in Nevada County regarding a $500K “media” grant
they got. They told me that they did not want to share information with me
about their project because they considered US as “competition” for their media
project! Little do they know that we are not but it was fun having them THINK
we were. Then I got to thinking how much FUN it would be if we REALLY were in
the running for this “cutting edge” industry? So I penned this e-mail to our
BOS. In my mind it’s about moving our County’s economy forward and creating a
diverse economic base. I would like to hear your thoughts on my idea. Let me
know if you agree in where I’m going with this or not. Thanks, Bob
To: Bob Borchard
From: (Local Economic Development
Leader) Date
7/15/15
Greetings
All
Bob
is partially right; the Tourism Bureau was identified as the lead for the Destination
Mariposa County portion of the strategy, the purpose of which is “Achieving
the goal to strengthen the tourism industry by making Mariposa County a
year-round destination involves three related strategies:
1A:
Increase Occupancy in the ‘Off Season’ to Make Tourism a Year-Round Industry in
Mariposa County
1B:
Expand, Link, Network and Communicate the Mariposa County Experience
1C:
Organize to Compete Effectively to Capture More Visitor and Resident Spending”
No lead organization was identified for
the other portion of the strategy, Business Development, because no
organization was or is funded to lead/pursue it.
To: (Local Economic Development Leader)
From: Bob Borchard Date 7/15/15
I may have misread the
strategy but, looking at the Nevada County “model” it is easy to THINK that the
intent of the overall strategy was comprehensive. AFTER the TB had established
the Assessment District, envisioned in the Strategy, was it the INTENT to
continue to “invest” exclusively in Tourism Promotion or were those funds
“envisioned” to be invested in other elements of this comprehensive strategy?
Bob
To: Bob Borchard
From: (Local Economic Development
Leader) Date
7/15/15
Hi Again Bob (and adding ____ and _____)
–
I’m not an officer or even a director
of the Tourism Bureau, and your question is best answered by Terry or someone
on its Board. But I can say this much: from the very beginning the
TBID took a broad view of its middle name: “Business Improvement.”
Business is improved in the short term by marketing the destination “as is,”
but there are also ways to improve/expand business long term by enhancing the
destination and/or extending the season. And it is for this reason that
the Tourism Bureau supports the effort to recruit a developer/operator for a
resort hotel and conference center in Mariposa.
To: (Local Economic Development Leader)
From: Bob Borchard Date 7/15/15
(Name deleted), I understand your point BUT, in the final
analysis, any economy exclusively dependent of “Tourism” and “Service” jobs is
a WELFARE economy! These tourism/service jobs cannot support a family! That is
an economic FACT that is borne out by looking at the “quality of life” of any
“destination” economy! Diversification was a serious Goal in our Economic Plan
and one has to assume that those involved in the formulation of this plan
envisioned a dynamic strategy of “investment” not something that has turned
into a multi-million dollar “entitlement” while the balance of the strategy is
left to wither! The Conference/Convention Center, on its face, defies logic
given the present day setting of Mariposa. Such a concept, without “demand”
will result in the same “white elephant” that the City of Modesto is locked
into FEEDING with City Tax receipts.
A more realistic policy would be to build this enterprise slowly
by building the attractiveness of Mariposa as a “Destination”. Maximize the USE
of existing facilities/resources to BUILD a Convention/Conference BUSINESS in
Mariposa and create the NEED for such a facility and ALLOW the private sector
to build in a fashion that would meet this need. The NEED for Government
subsidies of this type of development are a STRONG indication that the private
money markets CAN’T justify the RISK of this type of investment. What makes
that RISK any different if you are a PUBLIC agency. The proper role of
government, in an economic development strategy is to “encourage” desired
investment. Creating MORE TOURISM jobs, it could be argued, is NOT a priority
or even a desired outcome in OUR Goal to create a strong healthy economy in the
County. OUR Business, would thrive year round if the people of Mariposa where
employed in industries that paid better than minimum wage and provided year
round jobs. This is NOT going to be achieved if we continue to “MORE OF THE SAME”
with respect to stimulating a Tourism Centric economy exclusively.
It’s time to step back and look at the FOREST (name deleted). Why
is it the largest government building in the County is a Welfare Services
Building? Ask yourself what the EDC is hoping to accomplish here in the BIG
PICTURE? Where would the EDC get the biggest BANG for its BUCK, building more
welfare subsidized jobs so we can make a marginally larger TOT base or build a
diversified economy where people don’t need welfare subsidies to survive and
our young people can look at their hometown being a place they can live and
work (without Welfare) when they graduate from school?
We are, in my mind, at the
cross-roads in Mariposa. We have a unique opportunity to improve the quality of
life of our community or continue to see expansion of the “Welfare” supported
visitor based economy. It’s all in YOUR EDC Plan, the trick is in the
execution! Bob
To: Bob Borchard
From: (Local Economic Development
Leader) Date
7/15/15
Hi
Once Again Bob –
There
is something worse than having low-paying “tourism/service jobs,” and that’s
having one of those “tourism/service jobs” and being laid off 5 or 6 months
every single year.
BTW: I think it’s silly to bore all of
these nice folks with back-and-forth like this. Let’s just agree to
disagree and call it a day.
To: (Local Economic Development Leader)
From: Bob Borchard Date 7/15/15
Agreed! Bob
To: (Local Economic Development Leader)
From: Bob Borchard Date 7/16/15
I spoke with (name deleted) last evening. He suggested that we
DON’T “drop” this discussion! Those who are “bored” with it can ignore the
discussion and others might learn something! He also suggested that I need to
provide our EDC with an alternative “vision”, other than creating “welfare”
jobs. And, to answer you question NO, your convention/conference center will
NOT, in ANY practical analysis, do anything to shorten the unemployment/under
employment cycle. I won’t waste a lot of time breaking that myth down!
As an alternative, as Leroy suggested, let’s look at the model
that Nevada County is following. (see attached) For a little reading on the
subject of “regional innovation” you might read https://books.google.com/books?hl=en&lr=&id=_Rjok73CxF4C&oi=fnd&pg=PR6&dq=eda+regional+innovation+strategies+(ris)+program&ots=j57a5p_0GT&sig=zR2MF-04vZyfl1_MFYdo0XAhK1Q#v=onepage&q&f=false.
I’ve attached information on the EDA RIS program. I suspect that an RFP will be
issued some time in November of this year with funding award in the spring of
2016. We are in a unique position to “capture” one of these grant awards with
the linkages that we, Walt and I, have been developing with folks at U.C.
Merced, the Merced Co. Office of Education, and others. Additionally, OUR very
own Mariposa High School Multi-Media program, that has been the source of OUR
launching of our Old Town multimedia enterprise and our little 3MC company with
its production history, provide a pretty impressive organizational structure to
compete for one of these Innovation Grants!
The contacts/connections are here. Our EDC group could team up
with our SBA agency representatives and, with a little financial support from
the County from our “Tourism Funds”, we could launch and REAL “Cultural
Tourism” program that focuses on building innovative “tools” right here in
Mariposa and STOP the process of shipping the high paying “promotional” pay-checks
to some out-of-region/state/off-shore communications tech service provider and
enriching other places with our scarce capital resources!
(name deleted), I love the
old saying that if you give a problem to a carpenter, the solution always has a
“hammer” in it! Job creation, to the tourist oriented industry in
Mariposa County, is always going to have a “pillow” (with “stuffer) to
put a “head” on! (Tourism promotion by our Tourism Bureau is about putting “heads”
on “Pillows”) Thinking outside this “BOX” is the Mariposa EDC’s Challenge and
as the person communicating in this “string” of communications, I encourage YOU
to try and take the lead in looking at innovative solutions if OUR EDC is to
play any meaningful role in Economic Development in Mariposa County.
Just as a thought, a “branch” of this “innovative” Cluster that we
“might” create, think Yosemite/Mariposa Film Festival! This is where the
technology is heading. To cite some “Numbers” from the Nevada County Proposal:
“While Tuesday's
initial Task Force meeting only served as a first step in what will undoubtedly be a multi-year process,
those involved in the effort believe it will lead to a game-changing, economic difference-making endeavor
for Nevada County.
You might say that it represents our "secret weapon" in the coming "War
on Jobs", which I referenced in last Month's
column. Why a Game Changer?
Here are a few revealing industry statistics to consider:
•
188.2 million people
in the US watched 52.4 billion on -line
content videos in December
2013. The average
American spent more than 19 hours watching on-line video.
•
72.1 million US smartphone users watched video on their devices at least monthly
in 2013. This
is expected to rise to 86.8 million,
more than a quarter
of the US
population,
in 2014.
•
Internet video traffic will be 79% of all global consumer Internet traffic in 2018.
•
Global Internet
traffic in 2018 will be equivalent to 64 times the volume of the entire
global Internet in 2005. Globally, Internet traffic will reach 14 gigabytes (GB) per capita by 2018, up from
5 GB per capita in 2013.
Based on those
numbers, this is the economic
development horse I want to ride!”
Rick Haffey, Nevada County CEO
Our High School Voc-Ed programs are
focused on “fire science”, “agriculture” with a small commitment to REAL
cutting edge economic innovation job training. Our community is focused on
creating “pillow-stuffer”/fry-cook service jobs while the WORLD is moving
into the future! We owe it to ourselves to support of elected leaders, in
both our schools and our County, to find a way to build a diverse economy using
the “high-end” employment opportunities that are already being created by
our tourist dominated economy, but are being “shipped” out of our county
because WE don’t “invest” in creating those jobs and those industries HERE at
Home! Bob
To: Bob Borchard
From: (Local Economic Development
Leader) Date
7/16/15
Bob, I would like to suggest you make a
presentation at the EDC’s next regular meeting on August 27TH at
noon at the library. We could devote up to a half-hour to the subject to
determine if there’s any interest, and if so, what a next step might be.
Would that work for you?
To: (Local Economic Development Leader)
From: Bob Borchard Date 7/16/15
Why? I would think that the
EDC, working with the SBA folks with your staff support from Tara should be
able to decide if YOU guys want to be in the Economic Development business or
not? The end of August is a long way off and I’m not sure where I will be on
that date. I’ve given you a lot of information to work with here and a
“presentation” is about “talk” and I’m, as the jargon goes, into “walk”. I’m
not here to try and get you guys to DO your JOB, even if you are a volunteer
organization. I think if you have any specific question about WHAT I or WALT Do
or are doing, WE would be delighted to do a presentation on New age
Communications Technology and how Mariposa can benefit from using the resources
that we have.
Frankly, if the EDC does not see the wisdom and logic of what I’ve
provided you, on the surface, I’m pretty sure I would be wasting MY time trying
to SELL you on this venture. As a practical matter, the Mariposa Co. BOS will
be making budgetary decision before August 27th and IF the EDC plans on being a
“Player” in the Mariposa County Economic Development Game, you need to be
prepared to take your place at the “table” when these budget hearings begin.
The difference between “walk” and “talk”! Remember, the Grant information I’ve
provided you will be going into “cycle” sometime in November and if the COUNTY
is going be a “player” they/YOU need to start putting your “ducks” in a row
NOW!
I’m sorry for being so
gruff but really! I’ve spent 40 years of my life in the “government game” and I
know how the “run-around” works; I invented some of the “plays” in this game!
Bob
To: Bob Borchard
From: (Local Economic Development
Leader) Date
7/16/15
I’ll take
that as a “no.”
To: (Local Economic Development Leader)
From: Bob Borchard Date 7/16/15
NO, (name deleted), TAKE
THAT AS A WHY? Bob
