Life on the Outside

Under the guise of working as a newspaper reporter, I have been covering the economic issues smaller towns along the Colorado Front Range have been experiencing. The Berthoud community in particular has seen several businesses, some that have been around for years and were well known and well liked, go by the wayside.

At first I felt for the business owners and residents of the community. Many of those I’ve spoken with are hard-working, honest people whose families have lived in the community for generations and they have a sincere interest in protecting the future of their hometown.  But after attending numerous economic development meetings, the organization tasked with advising the town’s board of trustees, I’ve had a change of heart.

Unfortunately, I have found that many of those involved under the auspices of economic development are truly there not for the benefit of the community as a whole, but to promulgate their own agendas as contractors, developers and realtors. Sadly, many of the small “mom-and-pop” business owners involved with the group believe they all share the same mission and vision, and can’t see the truth behind all of the lies.

Nor is the town’s board of trustees faring any better. Elected only a year ago, they seem ensorceled by their advisory group and have begun handing off decision-making capabilities while losing power faster than my mid-90s Suzuki going up a sharp incline on a hot summer day.

Corrupt politicians hoping into a “financial bed” with business owners and developers is hardly new or even news worthy. That’s true, but usually these kinds of stories leave me feeling angry on behalf of all those honest business owners who really want the best for their community. Usually.

Now I’ve come to realize this community is getting back exactly the same energy they have put out there and this past weekend was a prime example. For months, town staff have been working to have an official grand re-opening ceremony for the town’s main thruway with various visiting dignitaries invited and tied in to other events planned for the day. Also tied into the event was a free breakfast for existing business owners hosted by the economic development team but paid for out of the town’s extremely limited budget.

The turnout for the free breakfast was amazing. The turnout for the dedication ceremony? Appalling. While I realize the weather was dreary and cold, that still doesn’t excuse having less than two dozen people, including town staff and those visiting dignitaries, show up.  If the town’s business owners can drag themselves out of bed for a free breakfast, they can stick around a little longer and support the town that just paid for that breakfast.

I guess I’m just curious as to why the town, which has already spent more than $25,000 on economic development, should spend another $45,000 (already in the 2009 budget) to help out all those business owners who couldn’t support their town in return. Maybe the town should show them the same kind of support the next time they come complaining about how main street construction projects are driving their profits into the ground. Like they say, what comes around goes around.