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Resource Materials
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Reasons
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1. TO SAVE MONEY
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Take advantage of economics of scale, especially where fixed costs are high
(e.g., infrastructure and equipment) or strong expertise is required.
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2. TO DELIVER QUALITY SERVICES
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Specialized areas often require professions beyond the means of small units of
government unless they join others to spread the cost (e.g. planners and 24-hour
emergency dispatch) and assure high quality.
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3. TO ACHIEVE GREATER POLITICAL CLOUT
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Regional marketing for tourism and/or economic development permits better media buys
and more comprehensive, sophisticated clout in the marketplace.
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4. TO ACHIEVE ECONOMIC CLOUT
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Regional marketing for tourism and/or economic development permits better media buys
and more comprehensive, sophisticated clout in the marketplace.
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5. TO SOLVE A SPECIFIC PROBLEM
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Two heads are better than one, and sharing ideas and resources often permits better
problem-solving, often at a reduced cost.
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6. TO SHARE SCARCE FEDERAL AND STATE RESOURCES
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Often, state and federal agencies in an era of budget austerity can fund a joint facility
or a joint staff position for a new program and thereby serve more people.
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7. TO PLAN MORE REALISTICALLY
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In a global economy, any community is dependent upon other communities in its multi-county region
for labor and other resources. Indeed, its economy and other aspects of its life are dependent on
its state or multi-state region.
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8. TO WORK ON ENVIRONMENTAL AND OTHER CONCERNS
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Among the "boundary-spillover" effects of modem life are environmental impacts on water, air,
and other natural resources. Purely local approaches to most environmental problems do not work.
An economic example might be that in an area of solid waste tipping fees, failure to coordinate
fees can result in over or under-use of a community's facilities by residents and/or non-residents.
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9. TO CREATE A SENSE OF LOCAL AND REGIONAL HARMONY
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Officials become acquainted through cooperative efforts, develop communication and trust,
and reduce inter-jurisdictional conflict.
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10. TO COMPLEMENT STRENGTHS AND WEAKNESSES
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By drawing on unique strengths and weaknesses of each community, nearby communities can develop
a combined strategic package or position which is more balanced; they may complement one another
without duplicating.
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We live in a time of social and economic transition when three different type of economies are mixed
together (in churn). The following chart reflects how rural area economies will need to adapt and
transform as a result of the shift from an Industrial Economy to a Creative Knowledge Economy (from now to 2025)
to a Web/Networked Economy (early signs already emerging).
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In the old industrial economy, people believed:
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In the new creative knowledge economy, people believe:
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Being a cheap place to do business was the key
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Being rich in ideas and talent is the key
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Attracting industrial companies was the key
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Attracting educated people is the key
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A high-quality physical environment was a luxury that stood in the way of attracting cost-conscious businesses
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Physical and cultural amenities are needed to attract knowledge workers
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Regions won because they held fixed competitive advantage in some resource or skill
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Regions prosper if organizations and individuals have the ability to learn, adapt and create new ways
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Economic development was government-led
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Only bold partnerships among business, government, and nonprofit sectors can bring about transformation
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