Archive for April 19th, 2009

I look forward to Inside Tucson Business each Sunday. If you do business in this community you should be reading it.

I especially miss Steve Emerine’s column.  Steve wasn’t afraid to shake up the local powers. He had a straight forward yet polite way to praise and poke our elected officals. With Emerine’s passing Tucson and Inside Tucson Business lost a strong voice.  Dave, who I know personally, tends to take a safer road in his editorials. I suppose he has to given his position and balancing advertisers.  Well looks like Hatfield is getting fed up too.

ITB would be remiss if they didn’t take a few jabs at the Tucson City Council and the insanity that’s going on over there.  As the voice of business ITB should be out front, offering solutions and educating their readers.

As the Tucson  business community circles the drain, don’t expect the Star to give any constructive solutions. The Star’s ad revenue dives and yet their editorial board continues to ignore the sad climate created by our local government.  Great job on this one Dave, keep em coming. 

Reaction to
Tucson being pathetic

By Dave Hatfield – Click HERE for full story.
Published on Friday, April 17, 2009

OK, OK, OK. Talk about getting reaction. Last week’s column headlined “What a pathetic city Tucson is becoming” got plenty of it. 

I heard from natives and other long-time residents, high-ranking executives including CEOs of businesses employing hundreds of people as well as people who run small businesses, representatives of biotech and other industries targeted in Tucson Regional Economic Opportunities’ economic development blueprint, representatives of the financial sector, real estate, tourism and the arts. I even heard from a couple of politicians. Some were frustrated and others ashamed but all agreed with the sentiment.

Tucson is losing population in relation to what’s happening elsewhere in Arizona and that means it’s losing political clout. The lack of direction being shown by the current Tucson City Council members will come back to haunt their successors. This will start to manifest itself after the next census numbers come out when the region loses one, possibly two, legislative districts. And when those district boundaries are drawn, no amount of gerrymandering will keep much of a voice in the Legislature Within the region, Oro Valley, Sahuarita, Marana and unincorporated metro areas are literally running circles around Tucson…….MORE

It’s time to move Tucson forward

Inside Tucson Business – Click HERE for full story.
Published on Friday, April 17, 2009

Tucson needs business leadership and I can’t think of a better time for us to stand up and be counted. Yes, it’s hard to be a business owner and even harder to find time under this economic stress. But this is exactly the time for us to stand up and take a real leadership role. If we don’t do it, who will?

Growing up here, the business community was a big part of Tucson. We encouraged growing the financial and economic base; we hoped our next generations of young people stay and build on what we were to leave behind. We shared our success with the community. The business community was involved in recruiting new opportunities for business. Growth was not a bad four-letter word.

It wasn’t all rosy by any means, but there was a better attitude about business and the atmosphere for business was better back then.

What happened? The NIMBY — Not-In-My-Backyard — and No-Growth mentality began and today it has cultivated such a strong voice of negativism, politicians are afraid. Meanwhile, the business community became complacent. We quit on ourselves and our futures. We contributed money to career politicians and yet they turn their backs on the business community. And we let them do it. 

On Wednesday (April 22), Smart United Business Strategies (SUBS), with Inside Tucson Business, will sponsor a business gathering that will focus the issues that need to be addressed and the process to carry it out. It will be from 6 p.m. – 7:30 p.m. at the Sillwell House, 134 S. Fifth Ave.

It’s time the business community took some responsibility to help lead this city in the right direction – a balanced community that appreciates the fact that good business is the best foundation for Tucson.

Please join with us to discuss common-sense ideas for economic development and prosperity building, public safety issues, local elections, budget issues and an up-to-the-minute update on what’s happening in the Legislature.

Let’s take the leadership role necessary to make Tucson a great place to do business so we can all benefit.This is only the beginning of our success. Be a part of it and get involved. To RSVP, send an e-mail to rick@substucson.com or call (520) 624-0231. We’ll have some appetizers.