Lauding an economic 'miracle'

COEUR d’ALENE — When Idaho Gov. Brad Little arrived in a giant banquet room of the Coeur d’Alene Resort on Thursday for an address to the area’s business community, he said he couldn’t help but gush at North Idaho’s strategies for diversifying its economy.

“When you look at the old Coeur d’Alene versus what it is today,” he told The Hagadone News Network just before the luncheon began, “it’s a miracle. It’s nothing short of a miracle. When you look back at what the town was — you had, what, nine mills here? — and now there’s tourism, there’s industrial jobs, there’s marine, there’s tech.

“The economic diversification in this area is nothing short of a miracle.”

Little spent the morning in Kootenai County exploring local job creators and economic drivers like StanCraft in Hayden. He said seeing what he saw in North Idaho only confirmed the long-held rule of economic growth.

“The job creation that businesses and the chambers of commerce here have helped drive is something every city and town in Idaho should look to as a model,” he said. “And that’s what I think is important: It’s entrepreneurship that drove these jobs. It’s private businesses and organizations like the chambers — and not the government — that made it happen.”

The first-year governor cited other businesses as both economic successes and warning signs for what could go right or wrong for communities in Idaho.

“When you think about the Magic Valley Miracle [a term coined in 2014 by then-Gov. Butch Otter to describe Twin Falls attracting food processing companies like] Chobani, where an area ends up slowing its economic growth because it relies on one industry over everything else, it can be a real challenge to get that growth moving again. But Coeur d’Alene? Coeur d’Alene has done nothing but diversify, and you can see the benefits of that here. You see it everywhere you look.”

During the governor’s speech, Little continued to commend the business community on its work, championing the different mechanisms to power Coeur d’Alene’s economic diversity, none more so than education. He lauded his “Our Kids, Idaho’s Future” task force, which created a five-year blueprint for improving and investing in education.

“We went from funding this $2 million project to $6 million, to $13 million, to $26 million,” he said. “Give the elementary schools the funding and the resources necessary at the local level. I go back to an old ranch term we had. BHAG: ‘Big, hairly, audacious goal.’ But that’s what we have in front of us. When we channel that money to the duly-appointed school trustees, it really makes all the difference.”

The Emmett rancher added that keeping the money local has always been and will always be one of his top priorities.

“Your best duty,” he told the audience, “is to select school board trustees, who select superintendents, who select principals who can oversee how your children’s education is best served.”

The ritual luncheon brought out community leaders and businesspeople alike, something locals said they have always appreciated.

“The governor’s visits here are important,” Coeur d’Alene Councilmember Kiki Miller said before lunch was served. “It’s usually a big turnout. It’s very important we hear the news directly from the governor’s mouth, just to know where he stands with us.”

The Coeur d’Alene Chamber of Commerce reported a sellout crowd of 273 at the event.