Smarting from a budget hit by the county commission, the Lake Area Improvement Corporation as axed its proposed housing study program. According to KJAM ["City Approves Ammended [sic] 2008 Budget," KJAMRadio.com, 2007.09.25], the city commission Monday night reduced the community development budget from $112,000 to $62,000, based on the LAIC's decision not to pursue the housing study.
Surely Dwaine Chapel, Jon Knuths, and the other LAIC leaders could bring out some figures to explain their prioritization of programs. However, the LAIC raised $2.3 million in its Forward Madison campaign last year. As far as we know, the LAIC hasn't burned up all that money yet. Given that one of the purposes of that fund was to "strategically grow the community through business retention, expansion and recruitment," and given that the businesspeople and workers we want to retain and recruit need affordable places to live, perhaps the LAIC could put some of that Forward Madison money to work on its housing initiatives.
And heck, who needs a study? Does the LAIC spend $20,000 studying or focus-grouping its handouts to recruit and promote businesses? Probably not. The LAIC knows affordable quality housing is tight in Madison; we know there are programs out there for developing housing resources. Let's get the LAIC leaders together with some other community thinkers and have them spend a couple days walking around town surveying the housing situation themselves. Then put them in a room with some business journals and a couple Internet terminals, let them brainstorm a bit, and I'll bet we'll get a good local plan for action housing.
Don't let the county commission get you down, LAIC! We've got the money, we've got the brains -- let's keep that housing effort as part of our economic development picture.
You are right. A study is not what is needed for most things. It just costs money and time. Get a few local heads together and develop a plan like you said.
ReplyDeleteRemember the slogan fiasco for Madison a couple of years ago? Madison paid a lot of money to some group to come up with a slogan, which they did; only problem was their suggestions were terrible. And guess what, the local people themselves came up with a great one and the city was out a lot of money for a worthless study.
We have a lot of smart people in Madison who understand the community and its needs. Cultivate them and their ideas.
Nonnie is mostly right. We need to cultivate local ideas just like we need to cultivate local ag and local retail. The Center for Technoentrepreneurism is based on that very idea.
ReplyDeleteMy only quibble with Nonnie lies in her claim that the locals came up with a "great" slogan. "Discover the Unexpected"? My wife and I are still trying to discover the unexpected -- it hasn't turned up yet. The slogan is still a stinker, but (back to agreeing with Nonnie, sort of) I'd rather have a cheap local stinker than pay some out-of-town shysters for a stinker.