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Gross pays for rural economic study Tuesday, December 23, 2003
DES MOINES (AP) -- A study by Iowa State University says Iowa's rural economy could get a boost by exploring new types of agriculture and by increasing recreational amenities such as bicycle trails and lakes.
The yearlong study, "Improving Economic Vitality in Rural Iowa," looked at what fuels growth and what puts the break on progress in rural areas of the state.
It was paid for by Des Moines attorney Doug Gross, the Republican candidate for governor in 2002. He contributed leftover campaign funds and collaborated with several ISU economists, as well as Iowa leaders in agriculture and business on the project.
Gross, who wouldn't say whether he'll run for governor again, said the study was based on his desire for a more informed public debate on the state's future.
He said Iowa's 82 largely rural counties still are a driving force in the state, "yet they don't have an agenda."
"Everybody talks about rural economic development ... but nobody has a comprehensive agenda around it," he said.
The study he funded used an index to measure economic viability county by county across Iowa and in seven surrounding states. Using factors such as growth in population, employment and per-capita retail sales, researchers assessed economic growth in the past decade.
According to their analysis, counties closest to urban areas had the greatest economic vitality. Largely agricultural counties, especially those heavily reliant on federal farm payments, fared the poorest.
Gross said commodity agriculture -- or raising low-priced corn and soybeans that are used to make livestock feed and food products -- alone cannot sustain rural areas.
"Those counties with the greatest dependency on farm-program payments are the slowest or the most negatively growing counties in the Midwest," he said. "Rural Iowa has got to deal with this."
The study also focused on how outdoor recreational areas -- such as bike trails and lakes -- similar to those in southern Missouri and northern Minnesota can contribute to growth rural areas.
The study's findings, Gross said, can help communities target future growth.
Several of those findings coincided with Gross's campaign platform last year, when Gov. Tom Vilsack, a Democrat, was elected to his second four-year term.
With the unused campaign money, Gross created two nonprofit organizations: one to conduct research on crucial public policy issues and another to implement the findings of that research.
He hopes to develop his project into a "think-tank" for Iowa policy-makers and economic development officials.
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On the Net:
Iowa State University: http://www.iastate.edu/
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