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I wrote this last year. I thought I should just re-post it as it clearly indicates how I feel. Last year the name of the Turkey was Boris. This year it is Cecil. I am working my way through the alphabet. I edited the second paragraph  to reflect this year’s name. My edits are in bold. Enjoy:

Dignity. That is what I say when people ask me why I named my turkey. My Thanksgiving Turkey that is. OK, I sound a little possessive. But it’s true that once you place a down payment on a turkey at a farmer’s market I feel as though the turkey is mine. I wonder if they put a little name tag on the turkey that says, “Marty’s Turkey” just in case I wanted to go out and visit with him. I think it’s a him.

Anyway, my turkey is a good turkey, or at least I imagine him to be. Oh, and forgot to tell you that my turkey’s name is Cecil  That’s right, Cecil. Last year my Turkey’s name was Boris, and the year before, Anton. Anton  and Boris were very big specimens. Anton was a huge bird, 27 pounds of all-American poultry. I like to imagine that Anton, Boris and now Cecil lived a pretty good life. They probably ran around the turkey pen, gobbling and eating little grubs and worms and seeds on the ground. The good farmers that raised Cecil probably gave him plenty of other things to eat that made him big, fat and juicy.

I’m thinking Cecil had some friends in the the turkey pen. Maybe some other turkey’s that were spoken for by other people from Bloomington-Normal.  There was one that had a name tag that said “Mike’s Turkey” or “John’s Turkey”. There was probably a “Molly”s Turkey and “Julie’s Turkey”. Maybe since they all knew they were turkey’s the tags just said “Molly’s” or “Marty’s”. The turkeys probably had a name tag similar to the type one wears at a Chamber of Commerce mixer. Do turkey’s network? Do the ask each other, “So how’s everything down at your place. You folks feeling the pinch of this downturn?” Or, “Did you see the market today, the Dow gained 400 points after loosing 450 yesterday!” Do turkey’s really care?

I must admit that imagining what a turkey might say to each other is a little bit of fun, but probably they are merely wondering how long they have before they are snatched up by farmer Jones and whisked away for a throat slitting and hot steamy bath to get rid of those pesky feathers. Do turkey’s go to heaven?

I am glad that Cecil gave his life so that on Thanksgiving (don’t ever call it “turkey day” in my presence) we could stuff ourselves with a ton of him, stuffing, corn casserole, mashed potatoes, and all types of other goodies. I really do love Thanksgiving the best. There is only one goal in mind at Thanksgiving. That is to eat, take a nap, watch football, and maybe take a walk in the brisk air. There are no pressures to make sure the gifts are right for everyone, there are no problems if guests or friends are invited, and everyone is the most relaxed they will be the entire year. Right after the Thanksgiving holiday is when the pressure of Christmas starts. Gift buying, malls, and the worry if you have given enough.

Cecil is in my fridge right now. Occasionally, I stick my head in there and see how he is doing. Farmer Jones shoved him in the freezer right after he eviscerated him, so I have a feeling Cecil didn’t appreciate being treated this way. For what? Being a good turkey, not running away? Is this the kind of respect he gets? Well, now I have to defrost him and like I said, I stick my head in the fridge give a little pat on the back and try to build up his self esteem.

Cecil, we will raise a glass to you, and thank you for the ultimate sacrifice you have made for us. You were a good turkey when you were alive, and you will be better still, roasted to a safe temperature of 170 degrees internally in the thickest part of your thigh! Hail thee Cecil, your dignity is intact, you have served thee well!!

Happy Thanksgiving!

Economic Development is all about jobs and capital investment, right? I have written in this blog in the past about how we need to change the definition. “Economic Development is whatever the client says it is”, says one consultant that we work with. Is the pursuit of Art economic development?

I am fascinated by those who have taken the time and have the courage to pursue the arts. I think I have artistic streak in me, but I don’t take the time or make the effort to pursue it. Others do. Others turn it into a business. I have written about my friends the Eaton’s (Eaton Gallery) who I don’t spend enough time with talking about art or going to their parlor events. I always regret it. The husband and wife team of  Pam (business maven) and Herb (artist) work really hard at selling and promoting their art here in BloNo.I have another friend who is an awesome artist and is shy about it. He has has great success as a commercial artist, but most people have not seen his fine art. It is truly awesome and monumental work. He even promised me an art piece (you know who you are and what I am talking about).

Over in our Warehouse District, a couple of guys have taken over an old warehouse and turned it into a bit of an arts incubator. One of them, Jason Mack, of Mack Glass has turned his work  of blowing ans spinning glass into an annual Christmas event, and this year promises to be even bigger. Jason takes old bottles, clear and green and cooks them down into a molten lava and proceeds to spin the hot glass into a metal frame that has the shape of a Christmas Tree. This year they will be doing it over at the Bloomington Center for the Performing Arts on the weekends of December 4-6 and 11-13, starting at 9:00 each day to 5:00 pm. It should be a fun sight to see. Hopefully this can turn into an arts oriented Christmas tradition each year.

People like Jason have a passion for doing things that make our lives a little more manageable each day. I like what Jason is giving us. It is a gift. It gives us something to look forward to. Looking at art and merely giving it wonder should manage to settle your mind. The world today throws so much  at us by the numerous media outlets, politics, war, the economy, you name it. Art, whether it is hanging on a wall, poised on a pedestal, being performed through song , word, or instrument has a way to keep us fresh, happy and at peace. It helps settle your mind.

If economic development can be measured by the quality of the community and the quality of place, then the presence of art, public or private, the ability of artists to pursue their passion, the opportunity for people to view art and enjoy it, means art is economic development. I’ll see you at Jason’s Mack’s glass Christmas Tree.

Yesterday I attended a luncheon sponsored by Commerce Bank Illinois here in Normal. At the luncheon we heard from Scott Colbert, Director of Fixed Income Management at Commerce Trust Company. This was a great event with over 200 in attendance, and we are lucky to have a bank like Commerce in our community. We get to tap into great minds and resources like Colbert and the people at Commerce.

Overall Colbert was optimistic about the economy, although the next twelve months will be nothing to write home about and a couple sectors are still yet to be hit hard, particularly commercial real estate.  But he did offer some optimistic notes about looking forward. Here are a few of the ideas he offered:

1. There is an unlikely chance that there will be a “double dip” recession like many of the more somber economists have predicted.
2. Companies are slowing down their rate of layoffs, and near the end of next year we will see companies hiring again.
3. The unemployment rate will probably peak late summer to early fall of 2010.
4. The inflation rate is non-existent and manufacturing capacity exists in abundance, prepping us for solid growth in the future.
5. Banks are currently charging off 2.65% of bad loans. A normal year they would charge off 1%. A bad year is 3%. The charge-off rate has not yet peaked but is getting close. There will still be some additional bank failures, but it looks as though the worst is over.
6. Banks and the Federal Reserve are holding “hot” money and the potential for inflation is there, but the Fed will have to work hard moving forward to control it through its policies.
7. Lending standards will loosen up at the end of the 2010.
8. China may very well be the next bubble. Lending in China is growing at 30% a year.
9. TARP worked to slow if not stop the recession and avert major bank collapses. In fact of the 1.2 trillion committed to the program it looks like a lot of it will be paid back on time if not early. There is a likelihood we (the taxpayers) will have to write off about $300 to $500 billion and those losses will likely come from GM, perhaps Chrysler and AIG. However there is a better than good chance that AIG will survive.

Colbert used an example of a Marriott in St. Louis that is practically worthless in value due to the devaluation of real estate. I thought that was ironic in that we were in a brand new Marriott that opened with a flurry and has booked a ton of business through the end of the year.

So the economy is a mixed bag, but things are looking up. What is it like for your company or your part of the country?

Last year the International Economic Development Council’s Executive Director Jeff Finkle published an article regarding tight budgets and economic development. I am taking a few ideas from that article and publishing them here. I am modifying some of his points to shorten the post, and adding a few of my own thoughts.

Someone recently asked me what the “pros”and “cons” of economic development were, and quite frankly I either didn’t understand the question, or I was flabbergasted, or both. You have to be a time traveler coming from primitive culture, perhaps  a caveman to not understand the advantages of economic development. I won’t comment further on the “pro” side as it should be fairly evident.

As far as the “cons”, I can’t imagine there are any. But perhaps I didn’t fully understand the question. Maybe my questioner was asking what the “cons” or disadvantages of “not having” an economic development program was. Ohhhhh, ok. Well that is different. Here is the answer: If you are not moving forward, you are either standing still or losing ground. Plain and simple.

So if a community wants to make a conscious policy choice to be at a standstill, this is the choice they would make: Cut off economic development funding. Turn off the faucet. Wait until things get better and then turn the faucet back on. If a community does that then the flower will have already withered and died. One will have to start over again.

As an Economic development organization (EDO) there are things one needs to be doing in these tough times. Here they are (from the article):

1. Review your strategic plan for opportunities and challenges given current economic circumstances.
2. Work to solidify the value proposition for economic development in your community.
3. Meet with key supporters to secure your funding base.

The message is (and is the title of the article), you cannot cut your way to prosperity. Now is the time to help existing companies grow, and new ideas get hatched. What is your community cutting? Is your community giving up on economic development? I know we aren’t. We are working harder than ever. The Bloomington-Normal EDC is doing all three above. In fact we do it all the time, and do it often.

We have turned on the faucet and it looks like a fire hose.