It’s the second installment of the “commissioners’ corner”, as they call it, on the Ravalli Republic editorial page. This week, Kanenwisher chose to write the bimonthly column about the county’s strategic economic planning project the board has decided to undertake.
For background, here’s my story about the presentation Matt gave proposing the project and here’s my follow up about the commissioners opting to move forward with the proposal and create a steering committee.
In today’s column, Kanenwisher said the commission the strategic economic planning project is about looking for “long term solutions to our economic problems here in Ravalli County.” He pointed to looser regulations and natural resource development as keys to the project.
“It is my belief that the keys to economic growth in Ravalli County are the reduction of regulatory burdens, utilization of natural resources, gathering and sharing information with private industry, and focusing public infrastructure development.
The goal is to provide a business environment that is as attractive as our natural environment without sacrificing one for the other.”
The traditional government response, Kanenwisher said, is to make it look like you’re doing something, anything, now. But that doesn’t make for long term success, he argues.
Indeed, the local equivalent of writing a check to a “green energy” company or a public works project to build a bridge to nowhere provides a short term feather for our political caps but has proven to have little long term effect other than public debt.
While there are still more questions than answers at this point, Kanenwisher said he knows where he wants to look to to find those answers.
To answer these questions I intend to look toward economic leaders and successful entrepreneurs in the valley for ideas and feedback concerning this process.
Politics in the 'Root 