Radio Free JoJo

I happened to catch on C-Span former Speaker of the House Newt Gingrich speaking at the American Enterprise Institute this week on the topic of Pursuing Happiness and Prosperity. Now I know that Newt can be a controversial figure, but much of what I heard made a lot of sense. In one part of the speech he detailed how the once thriving city of Detroit has fallen to great trouble, not only because of the struggling US automobile industry, but because of an entrenched government bureaucracy unwilling to change and reform for prosperity in the 21st century. There’s a lot here for our officials in Erie to head.

I can’t embed C-Span videos but here is the link.

The Erie Times News has a blaring headline this morning about the airport runway extension. That 1920 foot piece of asphalt has certainly been jerked around for months and even years. Now it seems that the city and Airport Authority have settled on an solution to get the job done, however, there is just this one hurdle: the county, who is writing the multi-million dollar check, has to sign off. It’s that same County Council who last week gave the other parties a “take it or leave it” ultimatum.

All of this intergovernmental bickering has me pining for the simplicity of metropolitan government under which I lived for four years in the 1980’s. It was Nashville, TN, the progressive city that really doesn’t have anywhere near the natural and cultural resources available to us here in Erie, yet long ago, got it right in their governance. Their decisions long ago have led to the prosperity they continue to enjoy today.

Next Tuesday will be the 45th anniversary of Metro Nashville/Davidson County. I want to share a link to their Metro Charter’s history, of which has become the model of the country.

What was key for Nashville was: 1) the unified agenda of Nashville’s representatives to the state legislature for powerful laws to help city and county cooperate, and 2) that it wasn’t one taking over the other, but a true consolidation of both governments to become a third strong, home-ruled force for change.

Take a read and tell me what you think.

I can picture the scene at a hotel conference room somewhere in the rust belt. It’s a meeting of “Bad Local Economies Anonymous.” A gentleman stands up and says, “Hello, my name is Erie, and I’m terrible for business.” The rest of the cities chime in, “hello, Erie.”

With that metaphor, please know that I mean no disrespect for the amazing work of 12 step programs to change peoples’ lives for the better. But indeed, the metaphor holds up for cities both in Pennsylvania and elsewhere that have been facing a half-century of economic decline. The first step on the road to recovery is to name your problem. For quite some time, there has been a community conversation on what Erie’s problem is that has led to our present state, and what are the cures for its turnaround. Some people are given to the idea that we have no problem, other than our negative perspective; that our “half-empty” mentality blinds us to the really remarkable things that are happening here. There has even been a campaign to start going after the media messengers who in their laziness just reinforces established prejudices instead of digging for the real story on Erie.
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If my memory serves me well, presidential election years tend to give the nation’s economy heartburn.  Back in 2000 when GWB was running the dot-com bubble was bursting, and even with a national balanced budget, the market was tanking before 9/11. Bush 41 was beaten by Clinton 42 because of the economy, stupid, and Papa Bush’s win in 1988 came just months after the stock market crash of 1987. Of course, who would forget Reagan’s win after Carter’s malaise, and the gas lines, price controls, and turmoil of the Ford and Nixon years. This multi-trillion dollar US economy just doesn’t have the stomach to handle the stress caused by an election.
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It’s been seven months since I last wrote about the airport runway extension. It was decided and reaffirmed long ago that the runway was the region’s number one economic development priority.
The last seven months have put a 5000 watt spotlight on the leadership void that the citizens in Erie County have to put up with. We’ve gone from agreement to disagreement; cooperation to miscommunication. The latest news come from a resounding rejection by County Council of the most recent proposal from the airport authority, along with the demand for the seating of new authority members selected by the county before any money changes hands. As an incentive to the Mayor, the Erie Golf Course got thrown into the mix, and then thrown out. Of course, Millcreek Township meanwhile has been doing their typical anti-regionalism dance.
So where do we stand? Supposedly we are close to an arrangement that will move the project forward, even as it gets more and more expensive to accomplish. With every month of delay, it reportedly costs an additional $300,000 to complete; that’s $10k per day! If the reports I’ve heard are accurate, these last seven months of wrangling may have added $2.1 million to the cost of the runway extension.
For a project that has been in the planning for over 10 years, what’s it going to take to make it happen already?

Get ready for seven weeks of Democrat strategery.

With Sen. Clinton’s win in Ohio and Texas last night, the door is wide open for the continued contested race for the Democrat nomination. Sen. Obama’s lead in delegates really hasn’t changed much, yet the momentum swings in Hilary’s favor as a victor in big blue states.

Thus first quarter 2008 profits for Pennsylvania’s television and radio stations are really looking up. Since Clinton and Obama raised $85 million between them last month, with more of the same bound to come in this month, PA broadcasters could easily find themselves with a windfall of upwards of $50 million of new money spent on commercials. It also affects the cost of every other spot as commercial inventory will most definitely tighten.

There also will be a small bump in the hotel and restaurant industry as hundreds of journalists from around the world will take up residence in both the big cities of Philadelphia and Pittsburgh, but also towns like Scranton, Bradford and of course, Erie, PA. They’ll go on and on about the union influences, the mid and northern state conservative “T”, the effect of NAFTA, outsourcing and the like.

Erieites, be ready to put on your thick skin along with your parkas, as our town will more than likely be called worse things than “unfashionable.”

P.S.: I have to admit that I was totally wrong, along with most pundits, about the race going on so long that PA would be in play. Lucky us!