Tag: Greater Wichita Economic Development Coalition
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Wichita’s economic development is expensive, risky
Sunday’s Wichita Eagle carried an op-ed piece written by Doug Stanley, vice chairman of the Greater Wichita Economic Development Coalition. As we might expect, he calls for more government involvement and management of economic development.
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Sedgwick County industrial park requires scrutiny
At Wednesday’s meeting of the Board of Sedgwick County Commissioners, a seemingly innocent item appeared on the meeting agenda. Titled simply “LAND PURCHASE CONTRACT — Presented by Chris Chronis, CFO” and accompanied by a recommendation to approve the contract, this item might have slipped public notice if not for Dion Lefler’s Wichita Eagle story the…
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Sedgwick County land purchase raises questions
Wichita Eagle newspaper stories from summer 2003 tell of the City of Bel Aire’s plans for an industrial park. Today Sedgwick County may purchase this land from the small city. This item, described on the agenda — at least I think this is the item — simply as “Land purchase contract” has assumed a sense…
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Wichita Eagle’s GWEDC board membership in perspective
What is the role in public affairs of a newspaper like the Wichita Eagle? Can it wear more than one hat — making news as well as covering it? This is not a hypothetical question.
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In Wichita, let’s have economic development for all
There’s probably little doubt that offering incentives to companies to move to Wichita results in some that do. And, as we’ve seen, some Wichita companies are adept at inciting rumors they might move or locate new facilities somewhere else in order to gain some advantage or incentive from local or state (or sometimes both) government.
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Can Wichita government investment create jobs?
Recently the president of the Greater Wichita Economic Development Coalition wrote an op-ed that engaged in a large measure of self-congratulation, while at the same time asking for even more resources. (Vicki Pratt Gerbino: Invest in recruiting, preserving area jobs, February 15, 2009 Wichita Eagle) We need to examine whether activities of groups like the…
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Marcey Gregory Letter Fact Check
A letter in the Wichita Eagle on October 26, 2008 contains a few inaccuracies — okay, lies — and I’m surprised it made it past the editors. The Wichita Metro Chamber of Commerce has said several times that Karl Peterjohn, in his interview before them, was confused about the Greater Wichita Economic Development Coalition and…
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Wichita Mayor and City Council Prefer to Work Out of Media Spotlight
In a statement read at the August 26, 2008 meeting of the Wichita City Council (see City Council Acts on Arena Area Redevelopment), Wichita Mayor Carl Brewer expressed his concern that “The naysayers have gotten too much media attention while those who are engaged and do the hard work are too often ignored and criticized.”…
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Local economic development in Wichita
There is an interesting academic paper titled “The Failures of Economic Development Incentives,” published in Journal of the American Planning Association, and which can be read here: www.planning.org/japa/pdf/04winterecondev.pdf. A few quotes from the study: Given the weak effects of incentives on the location choices of businesses at the interstate level, state governments and their local…