A major focus of the report is the positive impact that Bass Pro will have on creation of retail jobs within downtown Buffalo. Although job creation arguably is one of the most important issues in urban economic development, retail job creation is of lesser importance. Simply stated, you can�t build an economy solely on retail business development. Even if Bass Pro regenerates downtown retail development to the unrealistic extent stated in the WNY Coalition for Progress Report, this will not spur solid economic development with career-oriented jobs. Along similar lines, this report does not have real numbers in terms of wages and benefits for the new jobs the project would create. It simply guesses how well �Bass-Pro enthusiasts� are paid. Why hasn�t anyone gone to Auburn, New York and found out how much these jobs pay?

A second major focus of the report is the positive impact that Bass Pro will have on the tourism industry in Western New York. The impact of Bass Pro on local tourism was not addressed by the report in real numbers. The simple question of where the hotel/motel vacancy rates before and after the location of Bass Pro in Auburn New York was not asked. The report focuses on the on Springfield, Missouri where the Bass Pro flagship store is located and how Bass Pro claims it made Springfield the number one tourist attraction in the state.

Becoming the number tourist destination in Missouri is very different than being the number one tourist destination in New York. In addition, building an economy on tourism and services is a failed economic model. Students do not attend Universities to work as retail clerks, wait and bar staff. Until, Buffalo-Niagara can develop a professional high skill job market the �brain drain� will continue.

This report also makes a number of invalid assumptions, including the hope that Bass Pro �potentially� will build a restaurant and hotel. The report assumes they will by stating, �When up and running in 2007, the store, restaurant and hotel be expected to generate $16.6 million in tax revenue.� There is also the assumption that Bass Pro will have a solely positive impact on existing businesses in Western New York. There is a possibility through competition with existing retail businesses Bass Pro like Wal Mart could spur job loss.

We can�t focus our limited resources for regenerating Western New York via mall jobs. Although, we are against all forms of corporate welfare, other areas of the country have spent tax revenue on attracting investment from firms like Mercedes Benz and Toyota that will provide high wage positions to the community. Spending much needed tax revenue on any type of retail establishment is a crucial mistake.

One final element that the WNY Coalition for Report indirectly addresses is the impact of a hunting and fishing store on the growing downtown �Urban Village.� Is the culture of the NASCAR hunting & fishing a natural fit with the growing metro-urban culture of an urban village? It is hard to imagine young professionals and relocated empty nesters living downtown and being excited about going to the theater and dinner then stopping by the Bass Pro gun shop to try out the latest shotguns.

The focus for the Pataki-planners seems to be more downtown as mall/park/tourist attraction versus a center of urban cultural living. It is hard to imagine a Bass Pro, in downtown Boston, Washington, or Cleveland. The report in closing suggests that the new Bass Pro might lead to the demolition of the Skyway. If that is the ultimate goal, why not use the Bass Pro money towards that end in the first place?

Overall this report points to many assumptions and lacks real solid and objective research on what impact Bass Pro will have on the Western New York economy.

Gabriel Schmidbauer has a masters degree in GIS and Geography of International Business from SUNY Buffalo. Mr. Schmidbauer runs his own GIS consulting company, Blue Planet GIS (www.blueplanet.com). By Gabriel Schmidbauer

The Western New York Coalition for Progress is new group in Town. For more info. On them and their work, go to http://www.wnyprogress.org/ This report is decidedly biased toward the Bass Pro Project. It does not ask the hard questions. Much of the report is anecdotal. In the introduction to this report, WNY Coalition for Progress argues that it is against �silver bullet� solutions, but this report is very silver bullet! For a research report of its kind, it lacks the real economic statistics to justify such an endeavor. There are no real numbers in the report on the impact of the profits taken out of the Western New York community by national retailers. Case in point is the Buffalo News, which over time has extracted between $800-900 million from the WNY community. The report simply cites the fact that Bass Pro is a good cooperate citizen that provides charity support to host communities. It also relies unquestioningly on the good faith arguments of Bass Pro PR people.

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