Here is what will happen, according to an attorney for a development company, as a result of Famous-Barr - along with a whole flock of other retail establishments slated for Columbia Commons - coming to town:

● Sales tax revenue will increase, allowing city services to be enhanced.

● All current retail sales outlets will benefit because of the trickle-down effect.

● Growth, which is necessary to economic life, will continue.

The flip side is that none of these will occur if the development of Columbia Commons is not allowed, and life as we know it will end. Malls will close, strip malls will wither and die and the downtown will be vacated. Barstools in the campus dives will be empty. Booches will be filled with only the memories of clacking pool balls and stale belches. Tumbleweeds will blow down Broadway. The concrete awning in front of Cool Stuff will crack, crumble and fall.

We’ve heard it all before, and we’re likely to hear it all again. Developers come into town, spin their tales of a chicken in every pot, riches for all, jobs, economic benefits, yada, yada, etc. and depending upon when, where and how much, either get approval from one of the planning and zoning commissions or are sent packing.

Unfortunately, the city and county planning and zoning commissions, the Boone County Commission and the Columbia City Council are focused almost entirely on zoning and don’t do much in the way of planning. Oh, sure, the county has its Sorta Long Range Plan and the city has its Blurred Vision Plan, but these are destined to follow other plans and act as voluminous dust sponges on government office shelves.

What it all comes down to is getting to "yes." If a developer does the homework with the neighborhood and submits a plan for a development that more or less concurs with current thinking, chances are good the development will get the official stamp of approval. If the initial answer is "no," then it is back to the drawing board - addressing areas of concern that led to the "no." Eventually, unless the developer has a severe case of cranial-rectal inversion and fails to appease the neighbors or to submit something vaguely addressing P&Z members’ concerns, there will be a "yes."

Without downplaying the real and valid concerns of the residents north of Interstate 70 and west of Route E and the likely impact to the local environment, someone needs to take a look at what unfettered growth and development activities are doing to our city. The big picture is not pretty.

But that is precisely what developers and their spokes-lackeys don’t want to happen. They would much prefer to fight the battles on a neighborhood-by-neighborhood level. They don’t really want the planning portion of planning and zoning to be disturbed. Leave that sleeping dog alone.

It is time that the city council, the Boone County Commission and the city and county planning and zoning commissions back up from the local battles and take a hard look at what all of these developments mean for our area.

The facts are growth is occurring at an unprecedented rate. Boone County is one of the fastest-growing regions of the state.

While city and county officials tout "planned growth" or "smart growth," what is occurring is pretty much unplanned and relatively stupid. And such growth is not beneficial from any perspective except that of rich folks from somewhere else. It is a mystery to me why our Chamber of Commerce supports out-of-town retail establishments that will likely run some of its members out of business or at least cut into their profits.

Our tax rates have gone up. Bond issues for schools, parks, recreation centers, roads, bridges, all kinds of infrastructure are on every ballot. We don’t need more employment opportunities - we have the lowest rate of unemployment in the state. Our quality of life has suffered, our educational system has suffered and our crime rate has increased.

That is the cost of growth. Any reasonable cost-benefit analysis would document that the costs are enormous and the benefits minuscule. That is the big picture - the one developers and their ilk don’t want to discuss.

How about promoting a stable but dynamic economy, one based on quality, not quantity, of goods sold?

This can be done; it is being done. Some communities have rejected the come-hither promises of unlimited growth. These communities are not stagnant; they are vibrant and alive. Why not here?

It comes down to this: money and greed. No matter what kind of fine words are used to describe unlimited growth, I can’t help but think Edward Abbey phrased it best: Perpetual growth is the credo of the cancer cell - and you know what cancer does to its host.