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Lamar County — Paris Economic Development Plan <br />The overall business climate is a reflection of how cooperative local government is with its <br />primary employers. In some communities, there is an adversarial relationship between <br />government employees and the business sector. Some of this is caused by the "political <br />philosophy" of the government worker, perhaps at the direction of elected officials. In today's <br />political arena, it is not uncommon for a government worker to carry the position that "business <br />is evil." In fact, along the eastern and western seaboards of this county, this attitude is pervasive. <br />As a result, many communities have not only levied excessive fees and taxes upon the business <br />sector as previously mentioned, but have manifested a regulatory climate so restrictive primary <br />employers must literally move from the area. <br />There will always be business people who will complain about local government, even in <br />communities which are the most cooperative. However, research has shown the most frequent <br />reason (aside from market conditions) a primary business will move from one community to <br />another is how it has been treated over the years by the community. The community, in this <br />case, is usually local government. <br />Recommendation: The community should insist the city government be as cooperative as <br />possible, within the limits of the law, with primary employers, including expediting their needs <br />when necessary. <br />The Task: Within one year of employment, the PEDC Executive Director will prepare a report <br />detailing issues created by the county and city governments which have a positive or negative <br />influence upon the primary employers in the county. <br />Quality of Life: <br />Quality of life in essence refers to the "livability" of an area. In this regard, beauty is in the eye <br />of the beholder. The residents of virtually every community in the United States believe where <br />they live is the best place to be. There is nothing wrong with this as community pride is very <br />important. <br />However, some communities indeed have more "amenities" than others. These might include <br />more parks, better schools, walking paths, abundant recreation programs, museums, and other <br />cultural facilities. In communities which do not have such amenities, if you asked the residents <br />"would you like them" most would say yes. Then ask if they are willing to pay for them. The <br />answer is usually no. <br />Communities with the greatest amount of quality of life amenities are usually those with the <br />strongest economies. They have the parks and museums because there is more wealth in the area <br />to pay for such things. <br />The importance of "quality of life" issues relative to economic development has been overstated <br />in recent years. Some economic development consultants have advocated that the "livability" of <br />an area is the most important site selection criteria. It is not. A company must first consider all <br />of the economic issues stated above prior to examining "quality of life" issues. If an area does <br />Paris Economic Development Corporation Page 32 <br />