Economic Development in Santa Cruz

By Mike Rotkin

Santa Cruz has many opportunties for economic develpment, but we need to build a community consensus about the kind of development we can actively support in our community.

We need to play to our strengths as a community and welcome employers who will appreciate our highly educated community and our wonderful natural environment. Our initiative to create a high-tech and industrial area on the Westside of Santa Cruz is a start in this direction, but we still have a long way to go with that initiative. Green industries, based on our local green building ordinance, are also an important part of this mix. We also need to help establish an eco-tourist industry based on our National Marine Sanctuary, our greenbelt, our thriving arts community, and our attractive local environment in general. Developing these possibilities depends upon creating a community consensus about the kind of development we want, because the City Council cannot impose its views upon the community. I intend to work closely with neighborhood groups and local residents to develop such a consensus. My experience of doing grassroots organizing in Santa Cruz combined with my extensive knowledge of governmental processes and requirements will help me be effective in carrying out this important work.