R2000-67 AUTHORIZING CONTRACT OR CONTRACTS

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it is not enough to maintain economic development activities, top-heavy with primarily business- related inducements and incentives, i.e., attractive land costs, tax increment districts, enterprise zone, training and retraining, etc. I've appreciated your definition of economic development— "Those programs which attempt to incr�ease the per capifa disposab/e income of a targeted ar�ea population"— as the means to achieve the desired result of a high quality of life — defined by you as: `?he availabllfty of the broadest posslble range of p/easurab/e human e�periences in a positive environmenL" As I concur with much of what your definitions purport, I believe that the marriage of this two definitions can be achieved only when we understand and suppo�t the addi- ', tional proposition: �I Because of the widespread and sustained market failure of Decatur central city '' and its poor people and because such market failure continues to adversely the to- tal market of Decatur, the specific and immediate economic development and vi- talization of the areas are in the best interest of the people who live there and, more importantly, are in the best interest of the whole of Decatur. Quality of life improvements for every man,woman and child are worthwhile pursuits. One thing I've leamed in the administration of the Decatur Boys and Gi�is Club is that such improvements should be tied directly to programs' contents and should be readily and easily measurable. Fur- ther, these improvements should be accessed for their respective and collective spillover benefits and costs to targeted groups and to others (i.e., a freeway built to run through or near a neighborhood might benefit those who use it by increas- ing their access to and exit from the central business district and increasing sales for downtown businesses, but, at the same time, may represent a significant cost to neighborhood residents displaced or inconvenienced by it; making incentive packages to new or relocating businesses more attractive mar seal the deal, but, such mar reduce the wage structure for workers, and may limit who does and who does not get hired, because of the distinct advantages extended to such em- ployers, etc.). Spilfover costs, then, should be avoided, where possible. Improved quality of life for poor people, flrst, follows the perfection of a plan of action which will r�esult in the accomplishmerrt of these broad agenda items: . The establishment of an economically prosperous central city by strengthening firms and organizations run by the people who live there. . The creation and maintenance of locally-owned business firms, ones which can channel jobs, wages, goods, services, and profits back to people at the neighborhood levels. . The reduction of unemployment and underemployment rates and increase of decent and dignified income levels in and for central city residents. . The combating of unemployment and underemployment with the implemen- tation of quality education and training programs with (real) potential of re- ducing poor people's career tracks and areas (formerfy) leading to high prob- ability of dead-end jobs. . The campaign to improve quality education reception by first exalting socio- economic status of the poor community. (Targeted) economic development for poor people can not be solely a process of increasing the disposable income of the residents. In addition, such much include a process of social change, involving not only educational attainment, but also the development of awareness, participation and cohesiveness. High quality of life,then, has a psychological component, as well. 9