When I got out of the Navy 30 years ago, my plan was to settle down and live and work in my hometown, St. Paul. Since I live a block off Grand, I thought my ideal situation would be to find a job downtown and take the bus to work and back. My line of work is training design and development, so I can work for virtually any company in any industry. Yet, in the past 30 years, I've worked in Minnetonka, Edina, Eden Prairie, Eagan, and now Burnsville. I never found a job opening in St. Paul, and in fact, I gave up looking a few years ago.
Why does St. Paul have to bribe an employer to come in and setup shop, bringing its jobs with it? The municipalities I mentioned above don't have to. Well, you and I both know why. The tax structure is so high and the organized labor so powerful, it would take a fool or a bribed CEO to agree to do it. I'm one of the very few who has stayed in St. Paul when my job was always somewhere else. Most people simply move closer to their job, which is the primary reason why the suburbs are growing and the cities are shrinking ... the new jobs are being created in the burbs where the taxes are low(er) the schools are (percieved to be) better, and the commute is non-existent or at least shorter. In our rush to place tax and regulatory barriers in front of employers, thinking we're actually helping someone, all we did was drive the employers away, which has resulted in their employees moving out of the city and the city is now in the humiliating position of having to bribe employers to come here. And the same people who are responsible for this condition are still running this town and telling us that they're the ones who know best. Dennis Tester Mac-Groveland >----- ------- Original Message ------- ----- >From: [EMAIL PROTECTED] >To: [EMAIL PROTECTED] >Sent: Thu, 2 Sep 2004 12:47:49 > >According to today's Pioneer Press, Gander Mountain >Co. is >considering moving 200 jobs to downtown St. Paul. > >"But city sources who have knowledge of the >discussions said St. Paul >is dangling as much as $1.5 million in economic >development funds in >front of Gander." > >Any comments? > >--------------------------------------------------- > > >Gander Mountain scopes out St. Paul >http://www.twincities.com/mld/twincities/news/local >/9557822.htm >Firm may relocate HQ to downtown > >"The money would come from the city's Strategic >Investment Fund, >which pays companies that relocate to St. Paul. The >Capital City >Partnership, a CEO-led group that pushes for >downtown development, >helps administer the investment fund for St. Paul. > >Under the program, companies can be eligible for up >to $3,000 per job >they bring to the city. The money would come in the >form of a >"forgivable loan," which, if the company agrees to >stay a certain >amount of time - say, 10 years - does not have to >be repaid." > >--------------------------------------------------- > >-- >Tim Erickson >List Manager >St. Paul Issues Forum >http://www.e-democracy.org/stpaul/ >Hamline Midway Resident >651-643-0722 >[EMAIL PROTECTED] > >St. Paul Links - >http://www.e-democracy.org/stpaul/links.html > >"The St. Paul Issues Forum is a interactive e-mail >discussion on >important issues about St. Paul public policy. >Participation is free >and open to anyone. We currently have about 350 >concerned citizens >and community leaders subscribed to our >discussion." >_____________________________________________ >To Join: St. Paul Issues Forum Rules Discussion >Email: [EMAIL PROTECTED] > >_____________________________________________ >NEW ADDRESS FOR LIST: [EMAIL PROTECTED] > >To subscribe, modify subscription, or get your >password - visit: >http://www.mnforum.org/mailman/listinfo/stpaul > >Archive Address: > http://www.mnforum.org/mailman/private/stpaul/ _____________________________________________ To Join: St. Paul Issues Forum Rules Discussion Email: [EMAIL PROTECTED] _____________________________________________ NEW ADDRESS FOR LIST: [EMAIL PROTECTED] To subscribe, modify subscription, or get your password - visit: http://www.mnforum.org/mailman/listinfo/stpaul Archive Address: http://www.mnforum.org/mailman/private/stpaul/
