Food For Thought

The recent conversation on Exit 133’s blog post about the solvency of Ruston has been very interesting (read it all here). One commenter in particular has shared some intriguing thoughts and ideas. These are important enough that I wanted to bring them to the forefront for the readers here (with permission from T’ OT). Read on and respond with your input. The conversation can be as valuable as the outcome…

I’ve often said (and I know a LOT of people will agree with me) that Tacoma is the biggest little town you’ll ever find. Everyone somehow runs into people they know all the time, all over town. I almost weekly seem to run into folks I haven’t seen in years.… and don’t get me started on my sister. She works at an in-store bank branch and I swear she really does know everyone in this city.

But Ruston is the real deal, it is a small town. It’s not like Fircrest or Fife that are little cities, it’s a for-real slice of Americana small town. As much as I am froth with Tacoma Pride, I cannot help but feel that annexing Ruston will not be their salvation. Even if the town goes completely insolvent or whatever and Annexation is the only hope, I still don’t think it is the best.

These days, especially with high mobilization and media, retail & cultural homogenization, we’re losing our identity. Tacoma? Nope, South Sound. Bellevue? Nope, Eastside. Olympia, Tacoma, Seattle Everett? Nope, Puget Sound. You get my point. In our modern rush-rush, all-the-same, no-tolerance-for-different society, it is a breath of fresh air from the past to see small towns.

I hope Ruston can figure out it’s path and place, but remember this lesson that Iceland just learned: Don’t try to run with the big dogs if you aren’t one. Ruston should not try to be UP or Fircrest or Tacoma. Ruston needs to be Ruston.
13 Posted by Thorax O'Tool Jan 4, 05:24 PM
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Salvation cannot come alone from for-profit and commercial interests; they are but a part of the equation. Unless Ruston can solve the equation for X, they’re gonna fade into the background of the larger city like every other small town seems to be doing. Rustonians have to really sit down and figure this out.

Joining T-town will bring many benefits… but what will the cost be? Even the closest, tightest-knit urban neighborhood isn’t as tight as small community can be. The loss will be the identity, and the community. There is nothing wrong with being a part of a city neighborhood. Hell, I’m proud of the 98403; I wouldn’t have moved into my place if I didn’t like the area.
But Ruston will find that as the years go by, and the assimilation becomes complete, they’re just going to be a part of North Tacoma. and not the most unique one by any metric. Is that a price worth paying? I can’t answer that, I’m a Tacoma Boy, not a Ruston Boy.
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Some may ask: “T’OT, if you’re not a Rustonian, why do you care so much?” It’s not because of some super-special feature of the town, or whatever. It’s because I see a mirror of Tacoma in Ruston. Granted, T-town has a much more established personality, but like Ruston, Tacoma is still in the throws of an identity crisis. Tacoma is finally, I think, starting to realize that we’re not Seattle, we are Tacoma. We have our own unique identity and need to be true to it or else be stuck as a wannabe forever.

The same goes for Ruston. Trying to be something else will only destroy your identity. Like it or not, eventually the Point Ruston mess will be resolved and a whole buncha new buildings and people will call the town home. They may live in the town, but where will they work and shop? Where will they go to the park? That’s right, Tacoma. I’m not complaining, that’s good for my city.

But if Ruston wants to remain viable and able to live off of it’s own resources, taxing the $h*t out of the few businesses it has is not smart. Taxing property into the stratosphere is not the solution. My suggestions? Keep the property tax about par with T-Town’s. Take on some inexpensive projects to visually identify Ruston as a different municipality. For example, get new street signage that looks radically different from Tacoma’s. Paint your fire hydrants some bizarre color (yes, some of us notice those things). Drop the tax on businesses to a level that makes being in Ruston financially beneficial compared to other local cities. Maybe have all new small businesses pay like no tax their first year (the toughest year) and gradually scale the taxes on from year 2 thru 5, or whatnot.
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Sorry for the rambling, it is late and I get this way when I’m tired. The long and the short of it is: Ruston, get your act in gear or be a Tibet.

19 Posted by Thorax O'Tool Jan 7, 12:52 AM