George Rebane
The GV mamas and papas are really in a quandary but, true to form, are keeping a stiff upper lip as they consider the conflicts of reality butting heads with a sagging ideology. The city is unable to fund its upcoming budget and is seeking to cut costs to stay afloat. In the meantime, it is contemplating another progressive measure to not only ignore, but actively fight, any hope of growing its revenue base so it can provide the services it has promised to maintain for the good people living there. Here from a local correspondent is a pdf with a compendium of a press release, proposed city resolution, and petition from yet another anti-growth organization ‘Friends of Grass Valley’ apparently made up of the same folks who put the vim and vigor into the RQC and CCAT (they sure have to wear a lot of hats to man all the switches and keep all the balls in the air). Download grass_valley_initiatives.pdf
As you read this, keep in mind that our county is growing at less than a fifth of California’s growth rate, and at the same time with the other hand is trying to promote economic growth. Can anyone spell schizophrenia?
Now let me see If I have this right. Western Nevada County has not grown for two years, 2007 growth for the whole County was 0.2% and 2006 0.6% and most of the growth was in Truckee at 1.1% Final figures for the cities are not in yet for 2007, but Grass Valley did not grow in 2006 it declined by 0.4%, and with such limited County growth, Grass Valley could not have grown more than the County. And, we have a group of folks trying to stop growth in Grass Valley, wanting to limit it to the General Plan. How can Grass Valley ever live up to their vision of being the Economic Hub of Western Nevada County, with such a miserable two year growth rate. The Grass Valley General Plan calls for 2% growth rate. The City Council had better get their act together. If they are not careful, Truckee who seems to have their act together with a vision and a plan will someday become the economic center for the whole County.
Posted by: russ | 01 April 2008 at 09:05 PM