University economist talks to County Court
By Larry Meyer
Argus Observer
Friday, June 6, 2008 10:42 AM PDT
VALE — Bruce Sorte said he likes helping counties and towns generate ideas and plans to improve their financial picture and spark growth.
However, the Eastern Oregon community economist with Oregon State University, said he also expects local leaders and others he meets with to do something with those ideas, many of which may not take a lot of money but require effort.
“Doing is much harder than planning. I see a lot less doing than planning,” he said during a meeting of the Malheur County Court Wednesday.
In one community, Sorte said, he talked to a lot of people, and 200 ideas were generated. When he checked back only two of the ideas had actually been implemented. Sorte expressed his seriousness regarding helping communities find prosperity succinctly: He only wants to work with people who are interested in doing something.
Noting the disparity between wages in the United States and Mexico, Sorte said as long there is some open trade, those wages will start to converge closer together. He also noted that Americans have become used to a lot of discretionary spending, but under the current economic paradigm those former privileges will not exists and items like week-long vacations will be a thing of the past.
“The ability to buy new homes is going to go away,” he said.
People will start repairing things, instead of buying new, look for better quality and will become more stressed, he said.
“You’re in a competition,” Sorte told his audience, explaining companies and people move to the places that offer them the most of what they need or can use.
He used the example of a nurse who chose to work in a community not only for what she would receive, but because the community helped set up her husband in business, so he would not have to go job hunting.
“You have to have jobs,” he said.
Some areas are looking at having a health district, offering a certain level of coverage, Sorte said. Communities should be making mailing lists of people who have come there for any reason, to be contacted later about community events, resources and opportunities, as a way to get them to come back.
Sorte gave a long laundry list of things the communities can use and need to stay healthy. Here are just a few of them:
— Stay the course — and a continued focus on agriculture is OK.
— Build things that last.
— Work toward education.
— Keep banks in the community.
— Keep churches in the community.
— Think of new business opportunities.
— Recruit everyone.
Commenting about an issue that is dear to a lot of people in Malheur County, Sorte said, land use law should be flexible and easily changed when necessary. What worked before when the regulations were written does not work now, he said.
