Atomic City Talk

Seems to me, the perfect solution is to recruit a Indian Tribe to our reservation. I am sure the Chamber would offer them an IDB approved tax break, to go along with tax exempt status

Ellen is correct -- there is a small stipend to the schools from the federal government for children of people who work on federal property. That isn't just the DOE reservation (although that is by far the largest), but also places like the local armed services offices, etc.

But for the sake of more than economics, just pure livability and harmony, who would we like to attract? We already know that families increase the velocity of the economy, simply by virtue of the fact that they must buy more things more often. Shoes and clothes, for example, which are quickly outgrown by children but not so much so by retirees.

Netmom, I don't know you personally, so I don't know if your or your husband's parents are still alive. But if they are still alive, let me ask you a few questions:

1. Let's suppose your or your husband's parents live outside of Oak Ridge and decide they'd like to move here when they retire. Are you going to tell them "No, we don't want you living here because you won't increase the velocity of the economy" ? Would you tell someone you love that they're not the kind of people you want living here in Oak Ridge?

2. Let's suppose your or your husband's parents already live here Oak Ridge. Are you going to tell them they have to move out of the city when they retire because they won't be increasing the velocity of the economy? Or, if they're already retired, are you going to tell them that you'll be helping them pack next week for their (surprise!) move to Florida?

3. Let's suppose your or your husbands parents have already retired, moved away from Oak Ridge, and would like to move back. Again, are you going to tell them they're not wanted here because they can't increase the velocity of the economy?

4. Let's say that when your children become adults they move away from Oak Ridge. Then someday you and your husband retire and think that it'd be nice to follow your children to their new town (as Cracker Nations seems to suggest retirees must do). How are you going to feel when your children tell you, "Sorry Mom and Dad. You can't move here. If there's one thing I remember learning from you, it's that retirees can't pull their weight in tax revenues, can't increase the velocity of the economy, and therefore they aren't worth having around." ? Well, according to your requirements as to who should be living in Oak Ridge, you can't stay here in Oak Ridge either. Call me and I'll help you pack for your move to Florida.

Why do you think this is even possible. There is a big difference between where you place your emphasis and what is allowed. Since we have twice the state average for seniors, and we do not want to become just a retirement community, the solution is to actively and inactively recruit younger folks.

Now you are being silly. However if we make this community welcoming to those who will increase the velocity of the economy. We will be the better for it.

Clearly you are very sensitive to factual knowledge. You seem to be offended by economic facts, and the path that this economic knowledge indicates would solve some of our problems. Then you make up scenarios that do not reflect anyones contention and challenge them with your fiction.

Let me ask you a couple of questions to try to get this back on track.

1. Do you think that having only 10-20% of the jobs at our major federal facilities held by local residents is a problem?
2. Since we have so many seniors, we are obviously a very attractive place for them to live. What do you think could be done to make us as attractive to younger families with children?
3. Since we have way more seniors here than average, what do you think could be done to boost the economy of this community?
   

If we don't find something to offer new residents besides our schools we will continue to attract gangs and drug dealers. We seem to close our eyes to what is actually coming into the area. Talk to people in law enforcement and see what is moving in.

Good luck with all that. The very group that is raising a fuss about a new clubhouse feels no sense of responsibility for what you might think is importatant to attract new residents. I'm not talking about all seniors in Oak Ridge. I'm talking about the most verbal members of the group. The whiny bitter few who think that because they luckily have survived a few years longer than the rest of us, they are owed something. The Leeroy Gilliams of the bunch, couldn't care less about the level of education in this town. Well except to look for opportunities to run down the school system.
This is the group of people that will meet in their publically supported clubhouse, organize against those that pay for their meeting place and go to the polls to vote against spending that doesn't directly enrich them.

You hit the nail on the head.

My parents are retired, do live here, and have never once even considered visiting the senior center. They do, however, spend a lot of time on the golf courses scoffed at by the most vocal advocates for a new city-funded senior center.

To repeat my response to your snark in the other thread, I never suggested that anyone should be kept out or encouraged to leave. [Okay, I have been known to suggest that one or two people leave, but not on this forum, and it was because of sour attitudes rather than their ages.] The point of this topic is "who should we be recruiting?"

"The point of this topic is "who should we be recruiting?""

Who do you think OR should be recruiting, netmom? What about the folks who work in OR but live elsewhere and the folks who work in Knoxpatch and live there? Those seem like the ones to start with.

I still think the easiest, most lucrative target are DOE employees. I'd like to know what efforts have been made to do this in recent years - or to at least understand what it would take to draw them here. Since Mason (ORNL director) is also the chairman of ORPSEF, surely this has been explored. Any ORPSEF folks out there?