Venango County Blog April Archive

Venango County Blog Roundup 4/29/07

By Blog Happenings at 04/30/07 08:43

The Highest average Wage for an industry job in Venango County received a wage of $78,403 in 2nd quarter of 2006

Freedom Falls info wanted. (Ghost stories that is!) Mill er Farm Ghosts? or even the Philadelphia Expirement

Venango County Landlord issues draw debate.

Two Mile Run Law Suits What will they prove?

Why the New Landlord Requirements are Bad

The new Oil City law that requires landlords provide the city information on their tenants is bad for a number of reasons.

First and foremost it puts the City's responsibilities on the backs of the landlords. The result will not benefit the City as they intend, but will instead direct good capital out of the area.

The privacy issues aside, this law requires landlords to report to the City more information they collect in the normal course of their business. It might be one thing (though still not good) if they simply required the landlord to report the lease holders name.

The absurity of the law is that rather than annoying landlords with more paperwork, more penalties and hassles, the City could simply send a letter to every household asking for the information they desire. Infact the City might have more power to compel answers. Not to mention that it is the City's responsiblity not landlords.

What family would be comfortable to giving their landlord unnecessary family information?

Now, what the City should do rather than making the landlords nitpick their tenants is something productive for the community. I would start with offering investors (that is landlords) tax breaks or other incentives in exchange for fixing up their properties better.

What would do better for the than more properties being fixed up? What would do better for real estate values?

What would you prefer the City figuring out incentives for landlords to fix up their properties, or driving the good landlords away where there is less hassle?

Economic Development in Rural America

It seems that non metropolitan areas in the United States have two basic options for promoting economic development.

First they can seek out large companies in hopes of gaining the motherload in one shot. That is to have a large business move into town and resolve all economic and employment issues in one fell swoop.

There are just two basic problems with this line of attack, and they are simply that the problem arose because that kind of business packed their bags and moved out. Why would a similar business want to move to town? And of course where will you be left when they pack their bags in 5, 10 or 15 years?

The second choice is to seek out small businesses. Not just small businesses, but tiny businesses. Business so small that when they learn of the advantages they'll be inspired to pack their bags immediately and move to town.

A marketing effort along those lines might produce a small trickle of activity, and could snowball into something significant.

Compare a single business that would employee 500 people and 500 small (ie: one person) businesses. With the single business the local economy would always rest on what that one business did.

I also believe one could get 500 small businesses to relocate in the area before you could get one employer of 500 to.

The 500 small businesses might have little impact individually, some would fail while others would grow into some something significant. I believe, however, as a whole the 500 small businesses would have a much larger postitive impact on the area than a single large business.

A large business will focus on what is best for business. Not what is best for the community, environment or anything beyond the board room.

The small businesses are really just people and they will inherently do what is best for the place they live, the economy, the evironment and everything beyond their "board room".

Pick up a copy of Computer Shopper magazine and see how many small, high tech businesses are just down the street in Cleveland. How many have you told the advantages of Venango County?

An International Visit

An international vistor goes to the United States for the first time, not long ago.

She visits the big name places like Miami, New York City and Detroit. Some smaller but well known places like Niagara Falls, Buffalo and Erie Pennsylvania too.

The trip even included a visit to Franklin PA, and an overnight stay in Oil City

At a downtown Oil City Hotel they ask about places to eat dinner and the only choice within walking distance given...

McDonalds!