07.23.07
CSUSB And The High Desert: Let’s Make It Happen
In CSUSB Needs To Lead Us, I proposed a regional economic development effort.
Ever since the late 1980s and early 1990s, there have been mild efforts to bring a genuine branch campus of California State University, San Bernardino (CSUSB) to the area. While we continue to discuss this, the Coachella Valley has not only proposed such a thing, but has gotten together and paid for it, and as a result of strong local interest, succeeded in reaching its goal: The former Coachella Valley Center of CSUSB is now officially the Palm Desert Campus of CSUSB. Meanwhile, residents of the Victor Valley and Barstow areas continue to drive thirty miles or more to get to the nearest state university campus.
I propose that the Town of Apple Valley make available some land in the vicinity of the Apple Valley Airport, preferably along Dale Evans Parkway, for such a campus. Closer to the I-15 freeway is better in this case, and the location is fairly central once the Barstow area enters consideration. Since this will definitely increase traffic, DEPkwy should be widened to a four-lane road (two in each direction), with turning lanes added for sites such as the Wal-Mart distribution center where a relatively large number of commuters need to turn. In fact, a traffic light may even be justified at the High Desert Campus.
The CSUSB College of Business and Public Administration is accredited by the NASPAA. Public administration is not unlike administration of non-profits, so how about a practicum, a hands-on component in which students help manage and raise funding for non-profits that are assisting in the effort to build up the community the university’s High Desert Campus?
One major add-on. In keeping with the grand vision in the earlier article, I propose that the State of California admits that the present petroleum-based economy cannot continue indefinitely and therefore slap a twenty percent tax on the retail price of petroleum products to be spent designing, developing, constructing, and operating alternative energy generation facilities and high-speed rail lines between residential areas and employment, commerce, and entertainment centers. On top of that, add another 5% tax for CSU and community college research, education, and training programs related to this development.
These taxes will hurt–a lot–but continued inaction will bring even more intense pain in the near future. If we act now, our pain will be diminishing when other areas first start to recognize that a forced change is at hand.
