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Regional leaders discuss economics with Patrick's
transition team
 Patrick's
economic development team hears from SouthCoast
By Brian Fraga, Standard-Times staff writer
NEW BEDFORD — Seeing a rare opportunity to influence
economic development policy, dozens of SouthCoast
business leaders, planning officials, educators and
politicians packed a UMass Dartmouth Star Store campus
classroom yesterday for a public forum with Gov.-elect
Deval Patrick's transition team.
They pushed for the incoming Democratic governor to
address a variety of local initiatives familiar to
SouthCoast officials and residents long frustrated with
the indifference of previous occupants of the corner
office.
"There is a perception that down here, until now, this
region has been an afterthought," said Margaret "Mardee"
Xifaras, the local Democratic activist with past
experience in national campaigns.
"It's an absolutely lost opportunity. This is a
beautiful region, an incredibly resourceful region," she
said. "We just want a fair shake."
Among the several economic development initiatives
advocated yesterday were the establishment of local
commuter rail service, revamping adult basic education,
promoting local tourism, protecting the fishing industry
from burdensome regulations and safeguarding
manufacturers and small businesses.
William H. Davis, chairman of a Boston energy company,
and Susan Whitehead, vice chairwoman of a Cambridge
biomedical research institute, listened attentively and
jotted down notes. They represented the governor-elect's
economic development task force, one of 15 "issues
working groups" convening similar public forums across
Massachusetts.
The other working groups are eliciting public opinion
and feedback on issues like education, energy,
environment, housing, transportation and public safety.
Mrs. Xifaras is a member of the civic engagement work
group, which is holding a 5:30 p.m. public forum
tomorrow at UMass Dartmouth.
Mr. Davis highlighted the principles guiding the
economic development working group: promoting an
innovation economy, retaining core businesses,
streamlining the permitting and approval processes,
investing in infrastructure, increasing access to
capital and "better selling" Massachusetts.
He said any ideas along those principles "were good
ideas."
"Our objective is not to come here with ideas to show
you, but to come here with pens and pieces of paper and
listen to you," he said.
Kenneth Fiola, executive director of the Fall River
Office of Economic Development, provided Mr. Davis with
a written report of the Route 24 interchange project,
which will create new ramps between Exits 8 and 9 on
Route 24. The $25 million project includes the creation
of a 14,000-acre Bioreserve.
Noting that the ramps would spur development of the Fall
River Executive Park and Freetown's Riverfront Business
Park — creating an estimated 11,000 jobs — Mr. Fiola
called for Mr. Patrick to make the project's completion
a top priority.
"In our opinion, this represents one of the few projects
that could be considered smart growth in terms of
protection of the environment as well as the creation of
economic development opportunities," Mr. Fiola said.
Jim Kendall, owner of New Bedford Seafood Consulting,
pushed for the governor to not forget New Bedford's
fishing industry, one of the nation's most lucrative.
"Fishing is the economic engine for the city, and I
think if you look closely underneath the hood, you might
find it is for the whole state," Mr. Kendall said.
Peter Kortright, president of the Fall River Chamber of
Commerce, said a "radical, new approach" is required in
terms of spurring local economic development and
improving education.
"The state, working with the cities and towns, needs to
radically rethink education," Mr. Kortright said. "The
administration needs to be organized in a way so
important decisions are made quickly."
The economic development task force comprises 23
individuals from a wide cross-section of regional
economic development councils, chambers of commerce,
banks, law firms and nonprofit agencies. It is charged
with submitting its preliminary report to Mr. Patrick by
Dec. 15.
Contact Brian Fraga at
bfraga@s-t.com
Date of Publication: December 06, 2006 on Page A09 |
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