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Press Releases
For Immediate Release
July 11, 2002
The Cape Cod Times, The Barnstable Patriot, The Register
We have something to say about the cape's
future: "It's the community, Stupid!" we are at a
crucial point in our development as a region, and it is time
to make some hard choices. As most of us recognize, the main
issues are congestion (i.e. traffic), making a sustainable living,
affordable housing, water quality, inadequate infrastructure
and education. We offer some observations/solutions on some
of the issues:
1. In order to reduce the sustainability gap (i.e. increase
the take home pay of our workers so that it covers their living
costs), we can do the following: a.) create more educational
opportunities tied to the "new economy" for our residents.
b.) discourage growth in sectors that on average pay below "liveable"
wage levels. c). encourage growth in categories that pay a "living"
wage. (In order to be totally fair, it is noted that Cape Cod
Community College and our Tech Schools have been revising their
courses to reposition themselves as training headquarters for
our new economy sectors, and offer many certificate programs
to support these avenues.)
2. In order to help manage growth: a regional body that
offers solutions to unmanaged commercial growth, so that individual
land owners and projects are not the driving force behind new
growth needs to exist. Desired results would be that development
will be directed to appropriate areas of planned intensity and
future sprawl will be eliminated. This requires changes in our
current zoning in order to allow for mixed use and more density
in some areas, and less in others. Regional decision-making
is key on the Cape, since all towns are connected and therefore
a decision made in one town has a contingent effect on their
neighbors. We are in possession of an exemplary comprehensive
regional policy plan, yet no single entity is charged with its
implementation. The time has come for us to organize, in order
to implement the plan.
3. Identify the "leaks" in the cape's economy,
and plug them; as, it is apparent that our community character
is based on the nurturing and support from locally based businesses.
Local businesses pay local dividends, and it is the re-circulation
of locally businesses. Local businesses pay local dividends,
and it is the re-circulation of locally earned dollars that
is the measure of the economic health of our communities. when
local commercial lending institutions no longer benefit from
local commercial growth and pursue off-cape interests in order
to grow their business, it is a sure sign that our local economy
is not retaining its dividends, and the community is the big
loser. Plugging leaks in our economic prosperity bucket will
increase our local dividends tenfold.
We have a vision for the future of the cape, and it includes
these sectors of the "new economy": education (as
a business), health care, marine science, environmental technology
and sciences, biotechnology, telecommunications, software engineering,
arts and culture, retirement services and "clean"
manufacturing.
Our vision does not include more retail and more services, since
these sectors traditionally pay below a sustainable wage. Over
one third of the cape's population (other's say this figure
is much higher) is employed in these sectors. It doesn't make
economic sense to propagate more of these jobs, since the wages
cannot sustain our population. In addition, there is already
over 11 million square feet of retail selling space just in
the Town of Barnstable, which means that each "eligible
customer" has over 240 square feet of space within which
to shop. The national average is 10-20 square feet. Our vision
of the Cape does not include more retail, because we are already
saturated, and our workers deserve an opportunity to earn more.
Our vision of the Cape does include the support of health care
as our biggest and strongest industry.., one where the new Cape
Cod Healthcare Ambulatory Center and other medical services
are clustered together. In this area, there may also be supportive
medical facilities, research labs, pharmaceutical facilities,
assisted living centers, clustered residential development,
small businesses to support the workers and residents, a shuttle
service to the food markets and all-ready-exisiting shopping
centers, and places for alternative transportation (bicycle
paths, and bus stops). A Cape Cod where there is a base of well-trained,
well-paid workers here to support the above industries, and
where the Cape becomes known not just for having the busiest
emergency room in the State, but for being the most desireable
place to relocate for employment in medical support services
and research.
Our vision for the cape includes a densely populated downtown
area in ALL Cape towns, featuring residential space above small
commercial businesses, with planned space for recreation that
is easily accessible without having to drive. In other words,
town centers that retain town character.
Our vision for the Cape includes many sources for continuing
and other educational experiences so that people come here for
the distinct and admirable purpose to learn. Education as a
business is a formidable reason to live and work here.
Our vision for the Cape includes the completion of the communications
support network (backbone) that the Cape Cod Connect project
has been working to fulfill, so that more "new economy"
businesses can relocate here and re-invest their profits in
the local area.
Our vision for the Cape includes one of beauty and pride.. .and
no one we know has ever been proud of their home because they
had more strip malls than anyone else, or because they didn't
have to drive 30 minutes to the next retail giant.
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