Choices We Make For Economic Development

People come to or move to areas for many different reasons and many times think or believe that they need to bring changes with them. It happens over time. Sometimes it's for the good and sometimes it's what makes a place worse. In the end, it's all a matter of opinion. People move to a peaceful, quiet bit of paradise. They enjoy it and want to share it. So they spread the word and little by little the peacefulness changes. The local coffee shop isn't just right. It would be great if they did this or did that. What if they offered more baked goods, different papers, etc. So it goes, so it goes....

Now there has to be a balance between staying the same and stagnating and planned growth. Sustainability, competitiveness and all of what comes with keeping communities alive and vibrant are critical issues to be faced.

I happen to live in one of those peaceful and beautiful places. Broadly it's defined as the Finger Lakes Region of New York State. It's filled with the beauty and tranquility of the lakes themselves along with waterfalls, vineyards and fertile farmland. Communities struggle to deal with growth, taxes, the call for more services, better schools, housing options, etc.  What were once small family cottages have been replaced in many cases by huge McMansions where people can get lost in oversized space with views from every window or panel of windows.

Planning boards, economic developers and local legislative bodies struggle with the balance and the change. Chambers of Commerce do their jobs and sell the area and businesses more and more. They sell the small town feel and soon are faced with large corporate interests wanting a piece of the action.

All of this requires choices along the way and sometimes people pay a big price for choices that have been made by previous players or by people who have some huge vested interest. The compromise demanded by the choice making can be difficult. People and entities can be pitted against each other for years to come.

It seems to me that a clear mission and vision for a community or region is necessary before choices start to be made. There is also the issue of community ethics relative to change and choices. Are stakeholders always and truly a part of planning and development processes? Are people prepared for the economic payoffs or losses related to decisions that are made? Is the information about these economic factors widely shared?

There are those who still long for manufacturing jobs that will most likely never return due to the global economy and technological advances. Our industrial revolution that created the manufacturing sector transitioned to the technological revolution in the blink of an eye and some people missed or refused to see the transition.

So where does this all leave us in the Finger Lakes Region? Well, we've already made choices about wineries and they certainly bring an influx of tourists. They continue to expand along with craft breweries and distilleries. With all of these come many positives along with a few liabilities that can include large buses, rowdy visitations and a few dangerous encounters on area roads when designated drivers seem to have fallen off the wagon. The newest choice for the tourism buck and traffic will offer Casinos in all of their glory to the north and to the east. This choice is fueled by a governor's hope to garner some regional & upstate support. We will see how successful these choices are for the area. To the south we have pipelines and a planned LP Gas storage and transportation hub for the northeast in salt caverns along Seneca Lake. A Texas firm is enticing local officials with payments that are most likely way too small when one considers the potential risk to the community and the environment. So it goes, so it goes.....

I sit and contemplate all of these choices and their impact on the area we call the Finger Lakes. I sip my coffee and watch for the eagles that float above in the sky. I see an osprey carrying a fish back to its nest and a blue heron flying past the dock on this bit of paradise, hoping that it can continue for a little longer but realizing that hoping does little. We all need to make choices about our environment.