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minnow fan 
Group: Members
Posts: 198
Joined: Nov. 2003
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Posted on: Feb. 26 2004,10:31 am |
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Is it just me or is every other week a story ran in the Trib reminding it's readers how depressed the local economy is and how much the citizens are struggling? Today it is an article about car repairs & how people can not afford to keep their cars in repair. Last month it was a story about the new auto parts store not having very good business, yesterday it was Sparky saying he isn't concerned about filling up a 70,000 sq foot building in one of the cities retail areas.
I ran across a study the U of M did recently which profiled growth trends in outstate Minnesota. It focuses on the 5 slowest growing regions and the 5 fastest growing regions. guess who made the top 5 slowest? Albert Lea is the second slowest growing region posting a -4% from 1990-2000. Mankato, Waseca and Rochester made the list for fastest growing.
Breakdown of region/metro population:
Albert Lea 33,954 (1990) to 32,584 (2000)
Waseca 18,102 (1990) to 19,526 (2000)
Mankato 124,687 (1990) to 130,664 (2000)
Rochester 248,142 (1990) to 267,470 (2000)
It just amazes me that in 50 miles you go from prosperity to depression.
Keep up the good work Sparky. 
Outstate trends
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Even if you think the ALEDC is a good idea, do you really want to put Sparks and Bishop in charge of all the economic development in Albert Lea?
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| Post Number: 2
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MrTarzan
Group: Members
Posts: 564
Joined: Feb. 2004
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Posted on: Feb. 26 2004,10:15 pm |
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Can't blame it all on Sparky and be fair minnowfan, there are a lot of oars in the water rowing at the same time. Problem is they are mostly on the same side of the boat which just keeps it circling round and round creating a whirlpool which is just sucking all our opportunities down the drain. 
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Be not simply good, be good for something-Henry David Thoreau
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