Bald men fighting over a comb

Our city council has been dominated by a cadre of three members for two years. These gentlemen have been, in a word, "struggling" with their professions and economic development. All of them are dependent on a construction industry that has for all intents and purposes disappeared.

This same cadre is working on behalf of another cadre, this one comprised of real estate investors and brokers. The investors, in turn, own properties that at one time were valued in the tens of millions of dollars. Today, those same properties are worth perhaps millions, if a buyer could be found. They are also behind the development of a number of existing projects in Sisters, most can only be described at this time as having stalled or failed.

The councilmen gather in an office building located in one of those developments, commiserating about how to restore the industry from which they derived their livelihood. This building is substantially vacant and is for sale or lease. Despite the efforts of all of these people, the construction industry continues to stall.

The larger group has spent the past two years working on development projects that have produced zero results.

Trying to bring a manufacturing company to Sisters is like trying to grow corn in Manhattan. The costs, logistics, employee base and other factors are simply too attractive in cities like Redmond. Why locate here when you can locate elsewhere for 1/3 less cost? Why make employees drive the 22 miles to work here? It's not about loyalty or commitment to community; it's about economic common sense.

The irony is brutal. Lots of seemingly bright people, speaking "off the record," behind closed doors about lots of possibilities, being paid nothing, using private spaces owned by people that are gaining nothing, elected by campaigns funded by people, all of whom are gaining and accomplishing nothing. Add to this the "super-secret" hiring of the economic development director and this whole dysfunctional situation starts to sound laughable.

Where are we? A tourist town, that for a period of time benefitted from a historically aberrant, huge real estate boom, that now has declining retail sales and declining event counts (things that draw visitors to town). That same city council has done little or nothing to increase our visitor counts. Have they established a community calendar of events for Sisters? Are they spending 90 percent of their time working to fill that very same community calendar?

Sisters needs real economic development, not "field of dreams" developments ("...if we build it, they will come..."). How many vacant spaces, vacant lots and unfinished developments do we need to see before someone speaks up and declares that perhaps it is time to do things differently?

Stores close, revenues decline along with taxes and the city budget... Despite all of this, developments still get priority at City Hall and lately most don't get built. Now, a new multi-million-dollar community center, swimming pool and senior facility are being planned (using more borrowed money).

We have enough constructed spaces, we should use them for needed purposes. Look at the empty lots and foundations near the athletic club, Desert Sun, Saddlestone, Pine Meadow and W. McKinney Butte Road. Look at vacancies downtown and the old and new Ray's shopping centers. Don't we have enough to clean up before new developments come?

Most of the current vacancies are retail, and in order to support the businesses that could locate in these spaces, we need three basic things: Visitors, visitors and more visitors.

Doesn't anyone else see irony in all of this? There's an analogy for this kind of behavior. It's like a fight between two bald men over a comb. It passes the time, accomplishing nothing. Isn't it time for the City of Sisters to take responsibility for improving retail sales, encouraging visitors and promoting the completion of all of the stalled and busted developments in town?

Well, now we have a new city council; maybe things can change.