Published on Friday, November 20, 2009

 
The results of this month’s Tucson city council election shows the electorate is not happy with the status quo. A large part of the campaign focused on incompetence and a lack of economic opportunities. It’s time for Tucson and its leaders to start making the changes that voters and the business community called for during the campaign, and they deserve.

So we thought, alright big-talking radio guys, what would we do if we were kings for a day? Here is what the Wake Up, Tucson Kingdom would look like:

1. The employment mix would have fewer government jobs. The largest employment sector in Southern Arizona is  government — 21 percent of our region’s workers are military, schools or universities and city or county government. By comparison, Phoenix, Denver and Seattle weigh in at between 13 and 15 percent. Tucson’s second largest regional employment sector, at 17 percent, is the service sector. Low on the list are tech jobs, manufacturing and financial service. Not a great stat for a city that isn’t even a state capital.

These lopsided numbers demonstrate that Tucson does way too much handing money back and forth. Fresh capitalist dollars are what we desperately need to grow our economy. Gone are the days when we can just rely on construction jobs to raise the tide. A focus on industries that make things, move things or sell things is needed now more than ever.

2. Roll out the welcome mat to business. An anti-big box ordinance, hostile neighborhood interactions, NIMBYism run rampant and a maze of rules discourage all but the most committed entrepreneurs. Sprinkle in years of regulations, a culture of saying “no” along with zoning and land-use codes designed to discourage the entrepreneurial spirit and you get enterprise exoduses. Businesses are leaving the city or worse, they’re leaving the region altogether.

Last week, we had a prominent local guest on our radio show who talked of how it took 14 development plan reviews and more than nine years to launch his projects. He went so far as to suggest California can be a more business-friendly environment than Tucson. California? Wasn’t Tucson Regional Economic Opportunities (TREO) targeting California companies to try to persuade them to relocate here? How’s that for irony?

3. Less of Pima County would be unincorporated. Pima County has 36 percent of its population living in unincorporated areas outside of cities and towns. In Maricopa County it’s only 6 percent. These are important numbers because our region’s portion of state shared revenues are calculated using these population numbers. These numbers cost our region $60 million to $80 million per year that goes to our friends up north. That pays for a lot of over-budget underpasses.

Annexation and incorporations have been attempted over the decades in Pima County. With minor exceptions, it appears we are at a stalemate. To fix this, the Legislature will have to go against the powerful League of Arizona Cities and Towns to amend state law requiring approval of a jurisdiction to start a new municipality within 6 miles of an existing one. Adjust the law and watch for the Town of Vail to be the first to incorporate. Followed by renewed efforts in Tortolita, Casas Adobes and Catalina Foothills. Even Green Valley might go for it.

4. More competition among cities and towns. Maricopa County has 16 municipalities compared to Pima County’s five: Tucson, South Tucson, Marana, Sahaurita and Oro Valley. More cities translate into more competition as each fights for tax dollars. As Tucson fiddles over Rio Nuevo and rainwater harvesting, Oro Valley, Sahuarita and Marana are picking off businesses and creating places where people want to live. Marana’s now the home of professional golf’s Accenture Match Play Championship, a new Ritz-Carlton Resort and, possibly, a world-class sports stadium.

5. Bureaucracies would be shook up. Doing the same thing over and over again just doesn’t cut it anymore. The world is moving too fast and is too competitive not to change. As the late Gerald Burrill, retired Episcopal Bishop of Chicago, said, “The difference between a rut and a grave is the depth.”

Southern Arizona suffers from a  lack of accountability and vision from a many of the important business groups that represent the rest of us.  While these hand-picked, resume building boards may ensure that things keep humming along, it is at the expense of the rest of that are lower on the food chain. Not all these are bad some do great work. You be the judge based on the actions and results.

Those of you in leadership roles on these chambers, bureaus and associations; take a hard look at who you’re helping and who you’re hurting.  You have a fiduciary, financial and social responsibility to all of us to ask the tough questions, demand transparency, hold your group accountable. 

For the common business owners, it’s time to really reflect on whether you’re continued support is manifested in a thriving business environment.  It’s time to bring accountability one check at a time.

Contact Joe Higgins at joe@joehigginsinc.com or Chris DeSimone at provenpartners@comcast.net. They’re the hosts of “Wake Up Tucson,” which airs 6 - 8 a.m. weekdays on The Voice KVOI 1030-AM. Check out their blog at www.TucsonChoices.com.