U.S. Rep. Mike Rogers, among others, showed a lack of vision with his comment, “Before government starts trying to figure out how to make cities and towns cool and hip (places to live), they’ve got to make them work.”

Moving to Oskaloosa from a larger city can be more than a trifle in the course of one’s life. It can be a life-changing experience ... and we Oskaloosan’s can make it a good one or a poor one for others. This starts a dialogue about the importance of the Creative Class.

Major metropolitan areas, such as Memphis, Chicago and Houston, have always been in the center of things — three of the crossroads of the largest economy on earth. All three cities are a place grown rich on location and transportation — drawing the railroads, then communications, then interstates and airplanes. And through it all these cities have drawn people from around the world to make money, to build a life, to raise a family; and to live and work together. Memphis has continually reinvented itself to “go with the flow,” always taking leadership in appropriate sectors, resulting in North America’s largest distribution hub, though the city also suffers from its own woes: racism, extremes of wealth and poverty and the ill-conceived concept that the “Have’s” are better than the “Have-Not’s.” We all contribute equally, so long as we contribute and don’t stand on the sidelines.

Despite it all, combinations of marketability, access and diversity offer all of the resources a city needs to build a successful, world-class environment — stability, support, opportunities for growth and the good life.

Oskaloosa is an ideally-situated town where middle-class values and neighborhood-focused, family living are our highest ideals. And as it should be ... yet we have a ways to go if we mean to procure a Creative Class ... a group of people of a certain age and knowledge-base who mean to enhance the growth, well-being and opportunities in Osky. We can, and have seen with other towns of our size, achieve America’s best “big-city” quality-of-life, a place where everyone can personalize their pursuit of happiness through mixes of culture, education and just plain fun. Oskaloosa is not exempt from becoming one of America’s great towns to compete in a global economy. We won’t name names, but we have three world-class companies created by the “Have’s” from which we all benefit ... like it or not.

Oskaloosa can have everything we need, no matter what your interest, industry or profession may be. Oskaloosa seems to want this — on varying levels — but can’t quite agree on the momentum and finer details of attracting the Creative Class — those citizens of varying backgrounds, ages, experience, education and interests who complete a town, and who are drawn to a town not just on the basis of salary alone but the other “asides” that make a good town great.

Ask yourself: What is there to do in Oskaloosa? What would you like to see in Oskaloosa? What does “Z-Town” have that we don’t? And why not?

Not that we don’t already have the requisite movie theatre, fast-food operations and Wal-Mart; but there is so much more to be had. And we can have it so long as we do it with open arms. And not in regards to any particular religion, race, creed or other factor that separates the “Have’s” from the “Have-Not’s,” because — frankly — the Creative Class doesn’t care. Just so long as they have something to do in town and have an attractive town that they are proud to show off for their friends and family who visit with ease due to our accessibility to Des Moines International Airport and I-80.

A “hip and happening” atmosphere is a crucial element in a city that “works” and is a key to prosperity. More residents and new businesses are needed to provide the tax revenue to make a town work. If the elements needed to draw new residents — in particular professionals and most notably high-tech and specialized industrial workers — are not in place, Oskaloosa and other rural towns will lag behind and fall away. Not tomorrow, but in the near future.

A recent development in the creative-class movement happened when the author of the “Rise of the Creative Class,” Richard Florida, hosted a summit in Memphis called the Memphis Manifesto. The summit brought together 105 creative people from across the country and several from Canada, to brainstorm on creating a document and guidelines on how cities and towns can embrace creativity and prosper from the efforts. For one, Osky is moving in the right direction with the new Streetscape and Recreation Trail ... taking a “has-been” town square to a showplace. A town that we can all be proud to walk along and appreciate for its intrinsic beauty and happenings, and one which others will find attractive and drawn to recognize on a statewide scope. This is what keeps a town alive.

A group of business leaders formed a civic group called Michigan Future and presented a report entitled “Revitalizing Michigan’s Central Cities: A vision and framework for action.” This report mentions Florida’s work and that attracting the creative class is a key to a successful centralized town. Take a good look at A Avenue — the main drag through town. Are you proud of it? What do you foresee to improve the aesthetics and views along our drive into town? Would you move to Iowa based upon A Avenue alone? Many would not. How do we attract a strong, knowledge-based work force to Oskaloosa? And how do we keep them here?

Let’s open a dialogue and spread the word about the Creative Class — especially if you are an arts/theatre advocate (and we have a great one in George Daily and in conjunction with William Penn University). Oskaloosa should have a goal of trying to unite the creative community to further our economic endeavors. What is needed is more communication and the opportunity for discussion between established creative groups and other interested individuals, along with our local government and city council, which a specially designated Web site could assist in better defining Oskaloosa and a Creative Class. Start a dialogue as to what you foresee for the future of Oskaloosa.

The state of New York is looking to create “culture zones,” which include tax incentives to qualifying arts businesses and tax credits for property owners who provide below market rents for artists, galleries, eclectic cafes and restaurants and other “out-of-the-box” businesses.

In Canada, a civic committee in Calgary drafted a 103-page policy document that calls for a city that empowers and involves people, builds a sense of heritage and identity, develops social capital and sustains a creative environment where people want to live.

Salon.com online, has posted: “Be creative — or die. Several studies say cities and towns must attract the Creative Class with interesting, appealing and eclectic neighborhoods, an arts and food scene that is varied, and a tolerant, productive atmosphere to attract the right workforce and social atmosphere to appeal to the growth and benefit of the town.”