John Colson:
"GLENWOOD SPRINGS— —This city and the town of Carbondale are acting together but separately to come up with economic development ventures.
And the nonprofit Roaring Fork Business Resource Center is in the middle of it all.
"I've been preaching this whole regional thing forever," said Randi Lowenthal, CEO of the RFBRC, also known as the Center. She said she believes the only way towns can be successful is to work together to attract new business and tourists, and to encourage economic growth.
Her ideas have gotten a good reception from the officials in both towns.
"I think Randi's plans might offer us a chance for some tangible success," said Glenwood Springs Mayor Matt Steckler...."
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"Unapologetic pursuit and tracking of patterns within the news others make since 2010."
3 comments:
"a chance for some tangible success" being the key phrase, Matt.
How many viable small businesses have relocated or started with success in Glenwood over the past decade?
That answer is less than a handful. If that.
We realize only bare minimum gains from our tourism marketing efforts. That holding steady and miniscule gains benefit only a very small portion of our business community. There are suffering small business owners everywhere within 81601. The same ostensible monologues roll off the same shrinking contingent of power mongers at the top, with our city admin, council and BOCC falling for the pitch every single time. "Give us more money and we'll do you proud".
There has not been an upswing that is noteworthy since 2006 and 2007. That rise also held no particular significance as it was simply our first move into the world of online internet marketing. A move that came nearly 5 years later than surrounding resort communities.
The sad news is that we have never caught up to any of them. We deal with hundreds of thousands of dollars in accommodation tax revenues and they deal with millions of dollars in accommodation tax revenues.
Randi began the business center resource because there was a near desperate need at the time for small business support. Realizing little to nothing from then GSCRA or DDA; Randi has quietly given tangible, hands-on assistance to many. Support her efforts now and pressure hard our city council.
We need a lot more than just a chance.
What needs to happen is the total elimination of the Good Ol' club in Glenwood Springs. There isn't one truly tangible success that any of them have brought to business, tourism, politics, elected offices or basic services such as banks in near 15 years. A monkey could have given us a debt-free county with the kind of revenue that rolls in off big O and G. Banks like Alpine should have been shut down when the first scandals hit let alone the 3rd, 4th and 5th scandals and fail to repay of TARP. It's called insolvency no matter what power abuse keeps the paper lookin good. The politics in our law enforcement community is shameful and an outrage. The politics of county and city that run our law enforcement community are even worse. It's called corrosive and destructive, not protect and serve. What needs to happen in this town if the small business community and general population is to really be able to live in peace of mind and prosperity is for a full-house cleaning to take place. Vote Linman, Caloia and get rid of every councilman up next spring in '13.
Randi and lots of others have always said truth that it will only be through a combo of business development and tourism that we get anywhere. People need to watch the city council mtgs from home. Log on to the city site and they're all there. Watch to council comments, citizens appearing before council and council reports on meetings they sit in on. Additionally watch the specific agenda topics related to biz and tourism. They're finally getting some kind of smarts at the city and making it known that they don't like the shuck and jive from the chamber all these years that the city doesn't own any of this stuff they've paid for all along. It's about time because those are assets. Finally getting the websites untangled and away from the chamber. Never should have been co-mingled anyway. Problem I have is that we're paying for all these fixes which shows we're still licking the boots of a few. We don't need any more to clean up and we don't need any more gimmicks. Which is what Randi and others have been saying for years.
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