Posts Tagged ‘economic stimulus plan’

Mayors complain stimulus dollars go to rural

July 20th, 2009

The Los Angeles Times reports that mayors from urban centers are complaining that stimulus dollars are being disproportionally doled out to rural areas.  Most of their concerns seem to center around transportation.  As the article reports:  

Mayors contend the stimulus relies too heavily on long-standing government formulas that make states the primary conduit for the cash. Once the money is funneled to states, governors and legislatures dole it out disproportionately to rural areas that have amassed political clout, mayors say.

This is interesting to me because my limited experience suggests little of the money has made it to rural communities.   That said, I have to admit that I haven’t been following the subject closely. 

Are you aware of any projects in rural places that have been impacted by stimulus dollars?  I think readers of ReImagine Rural would be very interested in examples you are able to share.

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Rural Infrastructure — The Clark Story

February 13th, 2009

The stimulus package currently in Congress focuses on job creation and infrastructure development.  While the urban infrastructure most discussed revolves around roads, schools, and mass transit, the rural infrastructure appears focused on broadband internet.

After reading about the establishment of a “community owned” variety store in Clark, South Dakota, I was reminded that rural infrastructure comes in many forms.  I was also reminded that decisions about prioritizing any community’s infrastructure needs is best decided by an informed citizenry at the local level. 

 

The Clark Hometown Variety Store

According to an article in the Watertown Public Opinion, the community of Clark has been without a place to buy many household necessities since the community’s convenience store closed three years ago. 

After struggling to reestablish the store through more traditional means, 115-120 community residents “stepped up” and purchased stock ($500 a share) in the newly formed community-owned variety store.

Since opening its doors on Christmas Eve, the store has been an economic boon for the community.  Greg Furness, President of the Clark Chamber of Commerce, is quoted in the Public Opinion article saying people from Watertown and Huron have been making the trip to purchase fabric.  The store also employs one full-time and four part-time workers. 

More importantly, the store fills a need within the community. Communities that offer places to purchase necessities are much more attractive places to live.   In many ways, they are a necessary part of the community’s infrastructure, just like good roads, schools, etc…. (source:  Joe O’Sullivan, “Clark community store revived”. Watertown Public Opinion, Feb. 9, 2009). 

  

Other forms of rural infrastructure

I’m not the only one who considers stores like this a vital element of a rural community’s infrastructure.  The Center for Rural Affairs also categories grocery stores and public libraries as infrastructure. I’d probably place “third places” in the infrastructure category as well. 

This brings us to the broadband internet debate.  I believe that broadband internet is vital to the economic development of all rural communities.  In fact, I’d go a step further and say that we have to develop greater access to wireless internet as well.   Young people will demand access to both, and will move away from communities where they can’t get it.

The stimulus package is a pretty complex bill, and I admittedly haven’t paid all that much attention to it. 

I just hope that the federal government’s approach to stimulating the rural economy isn’t limited to increasing broadband service.   If it is, there will be a lot of rural communities left out of the stimulus plan altogether.

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Posted in Economic Development, In the News, Rural | Comments (2)

Goodbye McMansions

January 12th, 2009

According to CBS News Sunday Morning, Americans are recognizing that higher construction and energy costs make living in larger homes less desirable.  Citing statistics from the National Association of Homebuilders, they claim the average size of new homes has shrunk 194 square feet in the last three months alone.  And that trend will most likely continue into 2009.

But what does that mean for our rural communities?

During the age of “McMansionism” it was popular for the more affluent to build homes in new developments on the edge of town or on small acreages just outside town.  With stagnant population growth the norm in many rural communities, this left the older and usually smaller houses in the core of the communities to decay.  Sort of like urban decay, just on a micro scale.

To me, the move towards smaller, less expensive homes is another reason to advocate for “Purchase, Rehab, Resell“ programs.  If renovated with energy efficiency in mind, these older houses will serve as excellent opportunity for families to get into quality homes at lower prices.   

But those opportunities are non-existent if the houses look like rundown, old homes.  So then the question becomes if not Purchase, Rehab, Resell, then what?  Perhaps this should be a part of the Economic Stimulus Plan that seems to be leaving rural places behind.

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Posted in Community Development, Housing, In the News, Rural | Comments (0)