Tuesday, February 10, 2004
Despite an uncertan funding mechanism, the Iowa Values Fund is gaining some momentum. The Fund is financed by sales tax receipts, and the economy has slowed the financing.
So, a group of legislators are proposing that the Fund be financed with tax exempt bonds. Read more.
Hidden in the middle of this story is a red flag, though. Iowa (like other states) will be facing a shortage of skilled workers as the Baby Boom generation retires. According to the story, Iowa will be short 567,000 skilled workers by the year 2010.
Sooner or later, we'll start to figure this out. The major constraint we all face in building a high income economy is skilled labor.
posted by Ed Morrison |
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Some Background on EDPro Weblog
The purpose of this weblog is to help economic development professionals -- EDPros -- keep up with the changes sweeping our profession. Strap on your goggles. It's a whole new game. There are no experts any more. The only place to learn about economic development is from other EDPros who are doing it.
One other point: the prevaling approach (paradigm, if you like) in economic development is shifting from competition to collaboration. There are a lot of reaasons underlying this shift, but here's the important insight: You, your community, and your region will do better by collaborating and sharing information.
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Speaking and workshops on Open Source Economic Development
As the idea of Open Source Economic Development starts spreading, more people are asking about it. Visit the I-Open web site to learn more. My colleagues and I are happy to explain the basic concepts in a talk or a workshop. E-mail Susan Alshuler if you'd like to learn more about workshops and speaking.
Background on Ed Morrison
Download some background information on me here.