It's an odd title for a test. Yet this simple two-word qualifier should be a required mantra for all urban renewal officials. "But for" should be embroidered on their shirts, emblazoned on their letterheads and engraved on their office walls -- and officials should have to stand and repeat the "but for" test aloud at the beginning of every meeting. "But for" is a quick way to evaluate whether the public dollars used by urban renewal agencies are being approved correctly. Here's the short and simple test: "But for urban renewal, would this project happen?" The correct answer is no. If an area will develop on its own, in a reasonable amount of time, urban renewal should not be used. So the "but for" test is downright basic but surprisingly powerful/Mary Souza, Coeur d'Alene Press guest editorial. More here.

DFO: Looks like Duane Hagadone is pulling out all the stops as he fights to block the expansion of higher education opportunities on the waterfront. Mary Souza has appeared on the op-ed pages of his newspaper two weeks in a row, with the same-o rants about community progress. I'll predict that this may be the nastiest election year in CDA city history. Hagadone already has Reps. Bob Nonini and Frank Henderson dancing to his tune. Mary's back in the fold. Now, he needs to find a coupla ultraconservative wannabes to take out Mic Armon and Judy Meyer on the NIC trustee board. Fasten your seatbelts.

---

---