[Vision2020] Moscow Looks So Much Nicer . . .

[Donovan Arnold]

Ken,
 
By your logic you forgot to mention how much cheaper it was to buy a soda in 1970 too. You only have mentioned numbers and the University. Moscow is so much more than UI. It has a character of its own. There are things that make Moscow . . . well Moscow that have not changed. The families have the same last names, sure grandma moved on, but her children, grandchildren, and great-grandchildren are doing the same things are grandparents were doing together in the community. The kids I played with were the children of the kids my parents played with. 
 
And yes, we are not using horses, we use cars. But we still gladly walk, the streets are in bad condition, and the winters often make the roads impassable, just like then.   The heart of the town is downtown, same buildings, different names on them. 
 
Yes, the population has increased, just as prices increased. But the population of the world has also doubled as did Idaho. So Latah is the same in that sense. A greater concentration of the population has moved into the city, but that is also the case with the rest of the world. Those things don't change the character of Moscow. Moscow may be more crowded and current with modern technology, but at its heart, its core, it is the same town as it has always been for me. 
 
Donovan Arnold
________________________________

From: Kenneth Marcy <kmmos1 at frontier.com>
To: vision2020 at moscow.com; Donovan Arnold <donovanjarnold2005 at yahoo.com> 
Cc: Tom Hansen <thansen at moscow.com>; Lois Blackburn <LoisB at q.com>; B J Swanson <bjswanson at gmail.com>; Jeanne McHale <jeannemchale at hotmail.com>; Donna Woolston <appearances at mail.moscow.com>; Kathleen Burns <kburns at ci.moscow.id.us>; Dinah Zeiger <dzeiger at uidaho.edu> 
Sent: Friday, November 18, 2011 1:22 AM
Subject: Re: [Vision2020] Moscow Looks So Much Nicer . . .


On Thursday, November 17, 2011 09:02:56 PM Donovan Arnold wrote:
> I don't think Moscow has changed that much. Its character has always been
> what it is now. Same buildings, same family names, same roads, same
> university, same quiet little liberal leaning town. 
> Donovan Arnold

Wouldn't it be amazing if it were the same? Well, it's not amazing, because 
it's not the same. Let's look at the numbers in just a couple of demographics.

First, general population. In 1970 the Moscow City census was 14,146, and in 
2010 it was 23,800, a difference of 9,654, and a growth percentage of 68.25%

In 1970 the Latah County population was 24,891, and in 2010 it was 37,244, a 
difference of 12,353, and a growth percentage of 49.63%

In 2000 the Moscow City population was 21,291, and in 2010 it was 23,800, a 
difference of 2,509, and a growth percentage of 11.8%

In 2000 the Latah County population was 34,395, and in 2010 it was 37,244, a 
difference of 2,309, and a growth percentage of 6.6%

Second, the University of Idaho faculty population in 2001 was 916, and in 
2010 it was 702, a reduction percentage of 23.4%

University of Idaho student population was 13,336 in Fall, 2002, semester, 
peaked at 14,016 in Fall, 2003, and is at 12,302 for 2010.

So, a less than 8 percent enrollment drop over nearly a decade is juxtaposed 
against an over 23 percent faculty roster decrease, while the city adjacent to 
the university grew nearly 12 percent.

Why all these changes occurred is beyond the scope here, but, economically, 
student fees increased steadily, and politically, support for education was 
more polite than productive. Lower student interest and enrollment in a 
nationally-noticed education college is an example illustrating the results of 
statewide education leadership attitudes toward educators.

The same quiet little town is only the same on the surface. Personal computers 
have reduced the need for a lot of busy-work involving paper, and, actually, a 
lot more work gets done with the electronics working properly. Not only are 
businesses more efficient, but students have to study more effectively because 
there is less busy-work for them, too. The library card catalog with 3" x 5" 
paper cards impaled on a metal rod in the bottom of a drawer is just a museum 
piece, not a student research tool, as it was back in the day.

Nevertheless, I do think it's fine to consider Moscow to be a pale blue oasis 
in a desert of deep red iniquity . . .


Ken
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