Grow the pot
Whether confronting local tax challenges or national spending desires, the debate tends to boil down to two perspectives – either there is a need to raise taxes or a need to reduce spending.
It’s a fake choice, easy way out. It’s grade school math on a grad school math issue.
The real solution to all that ails an economy is not increased taxes or slashing budgets. The real solution is growing the pot; that is, growing the economy, which in turn creates the revenue to keep taxes down and keep funding in place for the services taxpayers want.
It’s fairly common knowledge but some try to ignore or minimize growth’s importance as an argument to limit the options to tax-or-slash simplicity.
Here in Minot, plenty has been invested in economic development. Perceptions of the return on that investment range considerably depending upon whom is queried.
There are a few less costly ways to encourage growing the benefits of an improving economy, even while outside influences play the strongest role.
The City of Minot can continue to improve on its once warranted perception as being unfriendly to new businesses and too conflicted and poor at communicating to encourage investment. There is still plenty to improve toward being business-friendly.
There are ample ways the simple principle can manifest situationally.
Just as long as it does.