Rules for Idaho Economic Development
One of these days I keep threatening to develop a workshop or another talk based upon my Ignite Boise 1 presentation “Myths of Idaho.”
This morning the “news” in Boise is that the new manager of the Co-op was arrested on DUI charges. I haven’t seen the print edition, but this was a prominent story on the on-line version of the Statesman. So here’s my contention - borrowed from one of the Statesman commenters: in a real city, this wouldn’t be news. In a real city like Portland or Seattle or Colorado Springs or Albuquerque they have real concerns. When the Statesman does a story like this, it’s a disservice to Boise and Idaho as a whole. It says that we’re still such a small nothing town that a grocery store manager getting a DUI deserves news coverage. This is exactly the opposite of what we should be portraying to the rest of the country and to ourselves. As long as we keep repeating the myth that we are a small, isolated, rural community we’re repelling economic development - NO ONE wants to come to a small, isolated, parochial, rural community - not for any reason.
Rule #1 - stop the news stories on parochial nonsense.
Myths of Idaho | admin December 13, 2011
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By Brad, December 13, 2011 @ 9:56 am
” NO ONE wants to come to a small, isolated, parochial, rural community ”
That’s exactly why I live in Boise, and that’s how I’d like it to stay.
By Tim, December 14, 2011 @ 11:05 am
In your video you actually bring up an interesting statement of “fact”. That statement is “Idaho isn’t a rural State”. Seriously, have you actually looked around Idaho in your travels. I don’t mean while cruising at 65MPH on Interstate 84 through the Boise area. I mean virtually anywhere else in this State.
Just throwing some stats around doesn’t make it true. Maybe throwing out a statement like “southwest Idaho isn’t a rural area” would give you more credibility.
While not apples to apples, take a look at this 2006 population heat map and you’ll see why I have a problem with your “fact” http://eoimages.gsfc.nasa.gov/images/imagerecords/7000/7052/us_population_2005_lrg.jpg