Pullman has so much going for it. We have the research, the science, the engineering, the long‑term business know‑how, and the kind of stubborn optimism that makes hard things possible. This is not a pitch deck. It’s a clear read on the moment and a reminder that we can choose to move together.

The moment (let’s call it what it is)

Property taxes are up. Insurance is up. Inputs whiplash. Some sectors are still getting tossed around by tariffs and supply chains. Labor is mobile. Attention is fickle. Seasonality is real. That’s the backdrop. Not an excuse, a brief.

In times like this, towns do one of two things: they either retreat into silos, or they treat trust like infrastructure. I’m arguing for the second.

First principle: if it isn’t inclusive, it breaks

We’ve all watched good ideas die because someone felt shut out. That’s waste we can’t afford. Everyone in. Students, long‑time operators, educators, public servants, industry, trades, neighbors. No gates. No cliques. No secret handshakes. Inclusion isn’t nice‑to‑have, it’s how you avoid brittle plans that snap under pressure.

Bright spots (the things we’d miss if we left)

• R&D that actually ships. Ideas and talent, daily, not just at ribbon‑cuttings.
• Serious engineering. We design, build, and send real products into the world from the Palouse. That answers “can we do it here?” with a quiet yes.
• Owners who stay. People who’ve ridden the cycles, reinvested, taught others. Experience compounds.
• Small‑city pace, big‑city tools. Less noise, more work. Neighbors you know. That’s an asset, not a compromise.

Strategy, not a shopping list

No ten point‑solutions that invite “we tried that before.” This is posture, a way to steer through uncertainty without pretending we can predict the next headline.

1. Resilience beats clever. Choose moves that survive multiple futures: strong or soft enrollment, tariff pressure or relief, tight labor or surplus. If it only works in one scenario, it’s a party trick.
2. Whole‑town value. Public, academic, and private partners aim at outcomes families feel: steadier hours, safer streets, better first jobs. When real life improves, momentum holds.
3. Radical plain‑speak. Share what’s working and what isn’t in simple language. Credibility is cheaper than spin and travels faster.
4. Small bets, steady drum. The cadence is the strategy. Visible wins, weekly or monthly, beat the once‑a‑year miracle that slips a budget cycle.

Five anchors for the next few years

Not prescriptions. North stars you can apply to whatever opportunity shows up.

• Talent stays when it’s needed. Keep students and skilled workers attached to local problems year‑round. If they can see themselves here, they’ll stay here.
• Mix the economy. Engineering, ag/food systems, health, creative services, a spread that keeps one shock from defining our year.
• Predictability is gold. Clear timelines, zoning, permitting, and expectations. When insurance and taxes climb, reliability is the incentive.
• Keep dollars circulating. Local suppliers when practical, shared services where it helps, financing that doesn’t trap people in paperwork.
• Own the story. A steady identity, ingenuity with neighborliness, so we attract partners who fit and keep the ones we have.

How we’ll know it’s working (signal, not slogans)

• Fewer closures, steadier hours.
• More local first jobs and apprenticeships.
• Higher graduate and family retention.
• Projects that outlive a single champion or budget year.
• Fewer surprise‑cost stories because rules are clear.

Start fresh together

We don’t need a new building to act like a functioning community. We need to agree that coordination is our competitive edge. When costs rise and the horizon wobbles, acting like a team is the difference between a place that endures and a place people leave.

Pullman can do the long work, inclusive by design, transparent on progress, steady on cadence. That’s not flashy. It’s how you win seasons in a row.

read Invisible on Google? The Zero‑Presence Tax Draining Downtown Pullman