January 5, 2009
The global economic shakeup is coming to a town near you. The Wall Street Ponzi schemes, the enormous mismanagement of our industrial base, the blindfolds that government has worn while politicians and bureaucrats hold out tin cups to the thieves all have serious local consequences. The foxes guarding the henhouses, you should have no doubt, have put us in the crosshairs.
The recession, and probably an onrushing depression, is here. Despite the fact that WNY has witnessed tremendous job losses for almost a generation, it is going to get worse. Government and the private sector are scrambling to keep from drowning in a sea of red ink. Whether or not NYS gets a federal bailout as Governor Paterson has requested will not stop the fact that things are going to be much different for quite a while. We don’t want to be overly pessimistic, but it doesn’t look good. Today, as we try to celebrate the New Year, we are witnessing many of our local important businesses struggling to stay alive. Some are loosing that battle.
But there is hope. As we have said frequently on these pages, the single most important way to guarantee a sustainable future is to understand, plan for, and invest in local economy. Money that stays local, instead of being extracted and sent into the vast black hole of global instability that has little need or concern for local quality of life, will make us stronger. Local economic strength is the backbone of our security as a region and a nation. A local economy will improve our quality of life. A strong local economy is the underpinning of planning for and investing in a future that works.
You can contribute by spending when you can on local business. These are important investments in our areas future. Spend your dollars wisely at local merchants, restaurants, shops, and farm markets. Seek out locally produced and delivered goods and services. This year, as we all struggle economically, it may be a smart choice to vacation locally. We have some of the best outdoor opportunities in the nation. Even as we seek to market these venues to the outside world, we can help to sustain ourselves by taking advantage of these terrific resources. Our economic choices are actions that have consequences. A dollar spent on a local business has a much better chance of continuing to circulate in the local economy. That dollar will support local jobs, help to pay local taxes, help pay local mortgages, help support local schools and hospitals, help contribute to local infrastructure improvements. Simply put, local dollars help improve quality of life. Our choices affect our security and future.
