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Show THE ZEPHYR/JUNE-JULY 2003 8 VS VERE ON DLE ZELLE THE CANYON COUNTRY Moab, Utah THE ZEPHYR / JULY 1990 economic development what is it? what does it mean for moab? Ken Davey There are magical terms In this society, terms that carry so much welght and authority that upon hearing them every listener solemnly nods with respect. Freedom. Family values. Economic development. Everybody cherishes them. Everybody wants them. Nobody knows what they mean. 3 A few years back, Just before Moab found Itself on cover after cover of outdoor recreation magazines, a businessman expressed Interest In setting up operations here. y everyone’s account, the man flew Into Canyonlands Alrport. When he found no one was walting to greet him, he turned around and went home. “It was ridiculous,” says one local business owner. "Here was an opportunity to grab someone, and we can’t even pick him up at the alrport. How many Jobs did we lose? Economic development Is too Important to throw opportunities like that away.” “It was a joke,” says one city council member. ”A fast buck operator with a As more tourists come into the area, the value of the existing businesses goes up, and the cost of starting a new business goes up as well. And those costs are rapidly climbing out of reach for most current city residents. The growth of tourism creates a situation promising strong profit In the future coupled with vastly ascending cash requirements. A vacuum Is created, drawing In outside Investment, which In turn makes It even more difficult for local business ventures. And as Moab garners more notoriety as a recreational paradise, an entirely new work force Is attracted to the area. Mostly young people with few economic responslbllities, they are willing to work for a tourist season In an area that affords them opportunities for biking and river rafting. Living 2, 3, 5, 8 to a household, they willingly work for lower wages and part-time schedules, Inexorably lowering the economic bargaining position of longtime residents with chlidren to feed, clothe, and educate. The growth industry In town Is making us poor. sketchy history rolls Into town and expects us to give him the keys to the city. We can't waste our economic development on people trying to take us for all we have. It’s too Important.” : WELCOME To MOAB MounTAIn Bike WELCOME OF ee So we are back to tourlsm. for development. With all Its drawbacks, It remains the most solld stead of looking for utopl bstitutes, more and litical and clvic figures In town are starting to re-examine some past opinions of tourism. As a town, we are beginning to discuss directing what we have Instead of searching for what we don’t. Instead of accepting as Inevitable the conclusion that service related, tourists jobs have to be the lowest pald, there Is talk of creating a town that can attract a higher quality (meaning blgger spending) tourist. TO The encouragement of more expensive, quality restaurants will lead to better wages for the restaurant staff, putting pressure on others In town who will want to continue the almost criminally low salaries. And that pressure to pay better will spread beyond restaurants, to motels and shops. The tourist Industry will continue to grow In Moab, no matter what we do. But we can at least partially direct that growth toward conditions that make It possible for residents to make the Investors pay (us) as well as profit. CAPlTOU THE WoRLD THE ZEPHYR / JUNE 1990 The business owner and the city council member describe the same Incident In different ways. They don’t agree on the man’s character. They don’t agree on the city’s response. They don’t agree on anything. Except that economic development Is important. ers of the Western Association of Land Users and members of the Southern Utah Wilderness Alllance don’t agree on mining. They don’t agree on grazing or wilderness or multiple use or chaining or the time of day. The only thing they agree on Is that they each are working for economic development. This coming November two county commissioner seats are up for election. You can bet every penny you have, then borrow more from relatives, that when asked to Identify the most Important Issue In the campalgn, each one will say economic development. And each one will mean It. But for all the talk about It, economic development remains a murky topic, Its definition whatever you want It to be. To a motel owner, It Is filling rooms on a November Tuesday evening. For a real estate broker, It’s selling more houses at higher prices. For a construction worker, It’s getting hired on at the equestrian center arena project. For some, economic development Is more shops on Main Street that will sell their paintings. And for still others, the only good economic development Is a dead economic development plan. They don’t want more people In town. An economy Is a process. It grows and shrinks and changes. Some people galn and others lose. And to a great extent, It cannot be directed by a plan, no matter how well concelved. AXyRoby SOT A coma? — Fach | -New restaurants have opened In town, with others on the way. The Super 8 Motel will soon expand by 75 rooms, and mote! chain operators have approached city officials with plans for possible facilities in town. River companies are buying new boats, bicycle tour operations have opened offices. And the tourists keep oncoming. Total sales tax collected Is Increasing 14 percent per year. Service and trade employment has Increased by as much as 25 percent. Increased tourlsm means more jobs, more tax revenues, more economic opportunities. But what has been the economic reality of Increased tourism? fects ae aoe ofcurrentbus|nesves/estergtovisitors, tourisinils;paying off like a lucky slot machine. But the overwhelming majority businesses. They work for others. of Moab residents do | not own thelr b SW wage Great Fa ces of M Oo ab ne qi ee ae Bob Swarthy Walker (Span musician/philosophe WHERE ARE THEY NOW? After a 13 year hiatus, Bob Greenspan is living and singing songs in Moab again. Seer, prophet & revelator Ken Davey gave up his journalism career to become the : Grand County economic own PAGE 33 : development coordinator. |