The Curmudgeon knows it is unusual for him to overstate and oversimplify (burp), but maybe just once–to make a point. He is not sure that the profession, as a whole, has much of an idea of what it is trying to accomplish. Every other article or report he reads claims that this city, or that region has been, or is being revitalized–and this very special economic development program-strategy-official is responsible. Is there anyplace left in the USA that has not already been revitalized? What a great profession we are. We never fail and every strategy (except tax abatement, of course) succeeds. Innovation works the best, of course!
The only exception to the reports cited in the first paragraph is the other 50% of reports that scream nothing an economic developer does actually works. The only way an economic developer creates any job at all is if he hires himself. There isn’t a cost-benefit study that actually, indisputably, proves economic development actually can create jobs. Nothing, no where has been revitalized and economic developers are just a bunch of nondescript drones who feed zombie firms and capitalist fat cats. Economic development programs, positive business climates, incentive-deals cited in these reports are nothing but a race to the bottom–a perversion of everything decent in humanity.
To read the original article: Do Economic Developers know what they are doing? The Curmudgeon in Wonderland! | Journal of Applied Research in Economic Development
