The Cost of Words

Albuquerque Journal covers an Albuquerque City Council candidate forum at which candidates, who work in the real estate business, gave statements about impact fees. 

Incumbent Tina Cummins, who works in real-estate sales and development, described the fees as arbitrary, illegal and said they make "no sense." She said the city needs to stop its "anti-business climate."...
Candidate Betty Valdez said she supports the idea of impact fees but the current system "is a no-growth policy" that should be re-written. She said later that "we need to be open for business, and we are not."

Neither Tina or Betty can truly believe the words they speak.  The real estate industry isn't suffering economic losses.  On the contrary.  But both candidates probably believe that speaking these words will eventually have a positive impact, for them, by fueling support for changing impact fee laws at the State Legislature.

But this anti-business-speak has a cost. 

Since when has an anti-business message ever helped a city's fragile business climate?  Since when has telling everyone how awful we are over and over, ever fueled investor confidence?  Or improved much of anything for that matter? 

What you fear most, becomes you.

And that doesn't mean you look pretty.  Coco

Comments

[karlos]

so true.

great post, coco.