PAGE FIVE
We boldly respond to a recent Billings
Gazette editorial calling for more polish to beautify Billings.
I would agree with that part of the editorial, people from
Poland would help, but so would Scots, Japanese, Mexicans and just about any other
nationality. Let's face it, Billings is ugly! Anybody from just about anywhere could
be more objective and show us ways to improve our community.
The first step in recovery is admitting your problem. If you
think more Polish people would help in that regard, hey, go for it.
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I attribute part of our ugliness problem to editors trying to
be architects. I guess they figure if I can try to write, they can try to design our
communities. Well, at least I admit my punctuation is bad!!! Some editors think that just
because they have a degree in journalism they are experts at everything.
Dear Editor: Get professional help! The last thing people
need is more advice from a mainstream publication telling them everything will be fine
with a little more spit and polish. That's like the Captain of the Titanic telling us our
arrival in New York will be delayed somewhat because of a little hole that needs to be
polished.
The Gazette turned the buffer on high-speed when it decried
the ugly billboards one sees coming into Billings. Their idea is, if we could just get rid
of those darn billboards, Billings would be polished and therefore presentable. Well,
maybe to Kosovo refuges who have just been through a blitzkrieg!
I do agree with getting rid of billboards, though. That is
why I don't have one for my company. I feel that true leadership is to walk the talk - or
is it chew gum and walk. Anyway, if you feel like I do, and the Gazette does, about
billboards, then you shouldn't advertise with billboards. Which is why I was very hurt and
disappointed to see a Gazette billboard the very day I read the Gazette opinion page
telling everyone else to take down their billboards.
Under the banner, my lawyer is the only honest one and my
representative isn't a bum like all the others, the Gazette seems to be saying "my
billboards are beautiful - it's yours that are ugly."
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Why is all this important to
communities?
Because our survival depends on facing reality. We tend look
at our little city through rose-colored blinders. If we don't face up to the changing
world we won't have anything to polish. The looks of a community is inextricably tied to
the economy. Our economy is in the toilet and we need a radically different viewpoint to
get it jumpstarted. Only a radical transformation will get our economy in step with a
changing world - and a 4% growth rate like other areas of the country. And not just any
growth - smart growth!
When I say changing world, I don't mean from the 50's to the
60's. I'm talking radical change brought about by the information revolution in a global
economy and changing demographics. Entire industries are transforming themselves before
our eyes in a matter of weeks and months. To say phone, cable, software, Internet, cars,
health care, and farming are going through massive changes, is the understatement of the
millennium.
You ain't seen nothin' yet. Corporations that weren't around
months ago are leading the way. Here in Billings and Montana, we're still following
economic policy and incentives from the turn of the last century. I don't say this to be
flippant or to exaggerate. Let's analyze the process and learn from it.
For example, the current practice of trying to bring
companies into Montana through tax incentives has been going on a hundred years and it
hasn't worked yet. That's called robbing Peter (who is a child in school) to pay Paul (who
is a savvy mature rich businessman) and it should be called corporate welfare. If it
actually worked, we might be able to overlook these taxpayer funded wealth transfer
schemes but there are 10,000 other tradeports in 10,000 other cities vying for the same
companies. Billings is not in the best location or technologically advanced enough to
offer much to these high-tech companies.
Building the infrastructure for a large industrial park
without one prospect signed on is not the most efficient way to spend tax dollars for the
future either. (See Better Ideas Page) And shuffling the
same money around in and out of different accounts will never increase wealth for
Billings. The taxpayers are buying their own jobs. Taxes go up and there is no money for
schools or other infrastructure. You have just spent it all on the right to work at your
job - plus the commission the tradeports take to facilitate all this voodoo economics.
(Instead of trickle down it should be called trickle up.)
Also, as was the case a hundred years ago, each local
economic decision seems to be tested against how it will affect the local establishment.
The new world economy is not waiting for any local decisions. Large corporations don't
give a whit about local politics or development. Many companies, individually, are
spending almost as much on changing technology as the proposed new farm relief program for
the entire United States (being voted on this week in Congress). These billion dollar
companies are not going to go down the tubes waiting for anybody - bankers, realtors,
insurance agents, or architects. We will go through radical transformation whether we
accept it or not and it will happen faster than any of us can imagine.
Jobs, businesses, schools, professions, marketing, and sales
are some of the things that will be completely different in a matter of months to a couple
of years. Believe it baby, there's a tornado coming and those who prepare will survive and
those who don't will flounder. (Actually, its been happening for years, and we've been
ignoring it, which is why we're in this mess, but it can and will get much worse - unless
we move fast).
One indicator of the radical change coming is Citigroup, one
of the nation's largest banks. They are spending $3.5 billion on information technology.
Their goal is to have one billion customers and allow each and every one of them a
one-to-one access to all their financial and insurance needs with a tiny cell phone
anywhere in the world. Starting today they won't need bricks-and-mortar or local banks to
do that. Do you think that will change our world? If not, increase prune intake.
Here's another eye opener. Giant auto makers predict 25% of
their sales will be made over the Internet this year. Wow, that was fast! Wait around 12
months and see what happens.
Things that can happen probably will happen. It
is now possible to offer listings of real estate by owners online. Today, Amazon.com could
offer this service to owners free, as an inducement to buy other things from them. A buyer
could access a free worldwide searchable database much like the online auctions and save
6% or more on the real estate commission - with satisfaction guaranteed from Amazon.com,
or AT&T, or IBM, or Microsoft. What will this technology do to the local real estate
industry?
What if there were no local banks or no local real estate
agents? First National Bank of Costco? It can happen to you. Construction and
architecture will eventually be controlled by large centers of knowledge, experience, and
capital - along with technology. Intel Architects? Microsoft Contractors? School
construction and maintenance will quickly follow this path because it is more efficient -
and smarter. Think you are indispensable? I've got some bad news for you.
Imagine the fastest transformation possible within your
experiences. Then double it and double it again. People in the centers of knowledge,
power, and money are twenty years ahead of us in thinking and accepting change. A lot of
things we think are radical are no big deal to them; they take it in stride while we
struggle with outmoded concepts. That is why it is hard for people out of this mainstream
to compete. We will continue to slide farther and farther behind while our local leaders
talk about nineteenth century problems and options.
Even the effort to land the high-tech Spaceport for Montana
misses the point. We must build on a solid foundation for long-term economic renewal, not
gamble on pork barrel politics. In the end, even technology won't work if we don't have a
new attitude to face reality, welcome change, and demand innovative ideas - and not punish
those who lead us in that direction. Let's utilize all of our resources. Our small
communities and inner cities will not survive the worldwide radical transformation
happening now without it.
How many Poles does it take to change your community's
attitude? e-mail jb@redfly.com.
