Many people ask me how we can go to Washington, DC and ask the feds for money in a time when the federal deficit is higher than it’s ever been, and many say that earmarks are pork and wasteful. I understand what they are thinking and how they feel. I, too, have always had some trepidation in taking this trip each year. But, when I fully think about it, it becomes clear, and I am once again excited about moving forward with this effort. You see, One Voice isn’t about wasteful spending; it isn’t about pork. It is about many other things. This is why I still believe in One Voice:

1. It is our first amendment right to “petition the government for a redress of grievances.” In the context of the Constitution and One Voice, what does this mean? I think it means that as citizens we have every right to go to Washington, DC and ask our elected leaders for the things we believe are important. This ranges from the implementation of programs designed to defend our borders and punish those who might hurt our citizens, to healthcare, to immigration, to small business and to unfair taxes. It also means that we have the right, and I would even argue, duty, to ask for some of the dollars we send to the federal government back. We want to bring these dollars back to our own community to spend on projects that make us a quality place; the place where business and families can prosper. Therefore, our grievance is “We want some of our money back.”

2. Our request for funding for an appropriation is not for dollars that are “above the budget.” All we ask is that our community be given the opportunity to show how these projects will be beneficial to us. Should a career bureaucrat decide when and how our community is going to benefit due to some program that has arcane rules and national goals that don’t even come close to our needs? I say no. We send our congressional delegation to Washington, DC to do our good work and represent us. The best thing they can do from time to time is make sure that we have an opportunity to share in our national wealth.

3. Our requests are well-thought  and can withstand the  front page of any newspaper or media scrutiny. We have no “bridge to nowhere” (which, by the way, if you looked at it, was actually a decent project - its problem was the fast-moving media frenzy that occurred after someone had the audacity to criticize it which made it become the poster child for waste and pork), we have good projects and we have good outcomes. Our requests make it easy for our congressional delegation to support.

These are three strong reasons why asking our congressman or congresswomen for funding for good projects is right, fair and our duty. I love coming to Washington, DC and spending time on Capitol Hill trying to convince my elected leaders to find a way to fund our projects. There are so many groups, delegations and people milling about, waiting to meet with their elected officials to tell them their needs. Autism research, green energy alternatives, composting, small business outreach programs and a whole host of other ideas are brought to their attention every day. This is what makes us America. I can’t imagine any other place on earth where we get to do this.

On Earth Hour, hundreds of millions of people, organizations, corporations and governments around the world will come together by doing something quite simple—turning off their lights for one hour. In the U.S., Earth Hour sends a clear message that Americans care about their security and want to turn the lights out on dirty air, dangerous dependency on foreign oil and costly climate change impacts, and make the switch to cleaner air, a strong economic future and a more secure nation.

Participation is easy. By flipping off your lights off on March 27th at 8:30 p.m. local time, you will be making the switch to a cleaner, more secure nation and prosperous America.  Set your clock. Earth Hour will once again cascade around the globe, from New Zealand to Hawaii.  Since its inception three years ago, Earth Hour’s non-partisan approach has captured the world’s imagination and became a global phenomenon. Nearly one billion people turned out for Earth Hour 2009 – involving 4,100 cities in 87 countries on seven continents.

Last year, 80 million Americans and 318 U.S. cities officially voted for action with their light switch, joining iconic landmarks from around the world that went dark for Earth Hour, including:

Empire State Building, Brooklyn Bridge, the Las Vegas Strip , the Golden Gate Bridge, the Gateway Arch in St. Louis, Great Pyramids of Giza, Acropolis and Parthenon in Athens, St. Peter’s Basilica in Vatican City, Big Ben and Houses of Parliament in London and the Sydney’s Opera House.

Bloomington-Normal’s Earth Hour is sponsored by Imagine Green Bloomington/Normal and Vladimir/Canterbury Sister City Green Team. Last year’s major participant partners included:

• Avanti’s – lights dimmed in restaurant
• City of Bloomington – most lights off at City Hall
• U.S. Cellular Coliseum – advertised Earth Hour on sign
• Erik Prenzler – advertised for two weeks on sign on Empire Street
• Heartland Community College – reduced energy
• Illinois State University – reduced energy and advertised on Main Street sign
• ISU Credit Union – advertised on Main Street sign
• Illinois Wesleyan University – reduced energy
• State Farm – most lights out at Corporate and some at Corporate South
• Town of Normal – most lights out at City Hall, Children’s Discovery Museum and Normal Theater

This year’s new participant partners include:

• Economic Development Council of the Bloomington-Normal Area
• Sister Cities of Canterbury, England and of Vladimir, Russia

The Earth Hour team is looking for additional partners.  For more information, contact Joe Grabill at turtlecn@verizon.net.

Earth Hour reminds us there are many things we can do to reduce your business’s impact on the environment and, at the same time, SAVE MONEY:

• Replace incandescent light bulbs with fluorescent ones.
• Buy reusable dishware to reduce waste.
• Start recycling and ask employees to participate.
• Subscribe to online newspapers to reduce paper waste.
• Teleconference, instead of commuting to meetings.
• Turn off the lights when they are not needed.

To learn more, visit www.myearthhour.org.

So many of us sit on the sidelines and watch the world go by - ”Let someone else take care of things, not me.” While we may not come right out and say it, we sure think it. I once worked in a community where a friend of mine who knew that I worked in a city hall that had its share of drama and intrigue asked me, “How can you work down there with all that rabble?” - no doubt, referring to the elected and appointed officials with whom I spent my days and many late evenings. And, indeed, in this case they were a loutish sort, filled with vim, vigor and ego. I would not deny his characterization of this group; however, I took offense to his disdain for my participation.

To be clear, I was paid for my participation with the “rabble,” but I answered him with, “I am partnered and work with the rabble because you are not there.”  In other words, this fine man (who happened to be a college graduate with a good degree, but more importantly, with or without an education he was generally agreeable, curious and logical)  did not find it worth his time to participate in his community, but felt he could call them a pejorative name and discredit my professional choice of work environment at the same time. Imagine that!

My plea to you is that the world is not going to get better with all of you sitting on the sidelines. The community and its improvement is a participation sport. In fact, the EDC offers an easy way to participate in something we can all agree on and in which we can participate: our economy. The EDC works to help the community prosper. We do this through the resources provided to us by investors, public and private.  If you want to participate in your community, call City Hall and ask to get on a commission or committee, and call the EDC and invest some of your dollars in long-term growth. We use our funds efficiently, we have outstanding programs, we can offer you businesses and organizations that can tell you we have helped them…and we offer no “rabble” whatsoever.

Many may have read about a company the EDC is helping to stay in the area.  The company makes printed circuit boards. This company was started in Bloomington-Normal about 11 years ago and has prospered.  How has the EDC helped? One way we helped was through the execution of the Enterprise Zone process. Extending the Enterprise Zone to our client’s company is helping them reduce the cost of their expansion. The company will probably double the size of their employee base over the next several years; beyond that, it is hard to tell. The opportunity for entrepreneurial companies like our client’s company knows no bounds.

Notice that we didn’t “attract” this company to the area. We worked with a local company. This is the future of economic development. Helping local companies expand and grow. If we aren’t doing this (and doing it well), attracting a company from the outside is a hollow victory. Who knows how many people are out there with an idea? Our largest employer was started with one idea by one person, and is now the largest employer in the community, if not the state.

We need to know what your business is going through and what your issues are so we can see if there is a way we can match up your issue with any number of solutions already out there.  If there isn’t an obvious solution, then, perhaps, we can work with others to help you create one. And, if there are enough of you with a similar issue, then we can help you by collecting your issues and presenting them to the proper legislative body - be it local, state or federal.

Above all, we want to hear your opinion about the local economy, quality of life and the needs of your company in a larger sense. It is our opportunity to assist you with that process.  Call us at (309) 452-8437, and let us visit with you. Ask for Marty, and I will set up a retention visit with you.

My career and interest in local government started with an internship with the McLean County administrator’s office many years ago. Today, I see many successful college students launch careers because of internships they have had. Former interns of the EDC include an aide for New Orleans Mayor Nagin, a doctoral candidate at Michigan State University and a current employee. Having an internship provides valuable experience for the intern and great productivity for the organization. Here is information about an available internship:

ISU Capitol Hill Sponsorship — Illinois State University is offering a scholarship for students that will allow them to spend a summer or semester in Washington, D.C. The program provides a student with an opportunity to observe government at work by working in a Congressional or Senate office, a federal agency or a business. Up to four students will be chosen across disciplines for each term. Students are not paid, but each will receive a $4,000 scholarship to help defray the cost of living in Washington, D.C. For more information about the scholarship, interested students can contact Marissa McCord, Associate Director of Research and Sponsored Programs, at (309) 438-8595 or at mbmccor@ilstu.edu.

The EDC welcomes inquiries by students interested in internships.  Here is what our current Project Analyst Ken Springer, who finished his master’s degree while interning at the EDC,  had to say about his internship:

“Interning at the EDC was an adventure.  Often, I’d find myself thrust into situations and projects with which I had no prior experience.  This terrified me at first, but I quickly realized that what I was really getting was an opportunity to develop new skills and test my ingenuity.  The EDC staff was great at letting me work  on the outside edge of my comfort zone, but was still there to give guidance when necessary.  Interning at the EDC requires you to think quickly and critically.  Your boldness is rewarded with a wealth of experience.”

Jonah Ralston, who is currently working on his doctorate degree at  Michigan State University, also talked about his experience:

“The benefits of internships cannot be overstated; they provide valuable practical experience, and they allow you to make a number of professional contacts. They offer an opportunity to differentiate yourself in a highly competitive job market or in an application to increasingly selective graduate programs. My time at the Economic Development Council of the Bloomington-Normal Area afforded me many interesting opportunities, and I thoroughly enjoyed my time interning there during my senior year at Illinois State University.”

Grace Leopold, our most recent intern, now holds a marketing position in Chicago. She is thankful for all the knowledge she gained during her experience:

“Knowing essentially nothing about economic development when I first heard of the EDC, I anticipated learning a great deal during my time spent there. Not only did I learn a great deal about the vast array of hard work that goes into developing and retaining business in a community, I also learned politics, finance, community outreach, work ethic, dedication and what passion for a job really means. My internship was the most memorable and educational experience of my college career by far.”

 

Often, the internships are unpaid, but the opportunities and experience and friendships can last a lifetime. Contact me to find out more at (309) 452-8437 or mvanags@bnbiz.org.

The entrepreneur is an unsung hero in the American economy. Did you know that in McLean County alone, there are over 8,000 businesses with between one and nine employees? And, there are less than half a dozen private employers with more than 500. Yet, the balance of power in Washington sometimes weighs against the small business owner. What can the small business owner do about it?

The Kauffman Foundation is the pre-eminent foundation when it comes to entrepreneurship and small business issues. They have taken a stand and want entrepreneurs and those who support them to take join them in support of issues important to the small business. Check out their video:

I love listening to entrepreneurs. They are what economic development is all about. If you want to be part of the movement check, out the Build a Stronger America Web site.

We just finished our Community Leaders Breakfast, and I have to say that we are very pleased with the results. The EDC had over 620 of our closest friends at the meeting, and, of course, many were there to see Alma Powell of America’s Promise Alliance. She provided an inspirational message, and I liked how she tied her ideas about helping our youth with economic development. She nailed the message dead-on, and I hope most people walked away understanding the importance of helping our youth and, more importantly, how multi-faceted economic development is. Powell’s message of our youth being the reason for talking about economic development is so true and clear.

Bloomington-Normal is so lucky to be a truly outstanding community. It has so many assets. In many ways we are a model for other communities. Most people don’t realize how often all of us come together to work on common issues, how often the two communities support each other and the ongoing cooperative discussions the two communities have about common problems. Sure, there are times they don’t agree, and certainly, the cultures are different, but both are high-quality communities. As I said in my remarks at the meeting, we are a community that many people envy.

We need to continue to work together when issues arise. Right now everyone is being hit by tough budget cuts. Unfortunately, as the recession is working its way through the economy, the local units of government are being pinched. Loss of income and loss of sales tax revenue are just now trickling their way down into local government. This will also impact our budget and what we can do, as 30 percent of our budget comes from local government.

Regardless of these issues, the message from the EDC is this: We will continue to help local business grow and expand through our retention program. This puts businesses in touch with a wide variety of programs and services available to them at little or no cost. This strategy is the best for a recession. It prepares companies for when we climb out of our economic morass and puts them strategically in the right place for growth.

If you want a business retention visit, give us a call. We will be happy to come and meet with you. We will develop a personalized plan for growth and expansion for your business, or we can simply listen to your opinion about various issues, because that is important too.

So you think you know all about economic development? Do you know why the EDC is so focused on local business, helping them grow and expand? Do you know the trends in business attraction? Do you know why automotive plants have been trending towards building in the southern part of the country? If you know the answers to these questions, then you probably work at the EDC. But, if you don’t know and have always wondered, the EDC is offering something in which you might like to participate.

The EDC is offering Economic Development 101, a class to help everyone - elected officials, business people and others – with understanding the above issues and more. We will talk a little about what the EDC does, but more importantly, why we do it and what we feel are “best practices.” We hope you can join us.

Call our office at (309) 452-8437 and ask to register for ED 101. It’s back to school time!