European Stars and Stripes (Newspaper) - December 08, 1985, Darmstadt, Hesse                                Page 18 the stars and stripes sunday december 8. 1985 the Wortham theater Center under construction As Houston polishes up itt image. New York time photo Houston s vision shifts from Oil toward arts sculpture at Jones Hall. New York time photo by Robert Reinhold new York times r ushing to greatness in the ire vied Oil Boom of the 70s and Early 80s. Houston neglected to broaden its Economy so that i would be insulated against an eventual downturn in its dominant Industry. Now after a somewhat altering Start but with a can to Lall attitude that is thoroughly texan. Houston has begun to do what it never had to do before sell itself and compete. And the pennsylvanian it has hired to Lead the Effort is advising the City to Stop talking and Start doing. He is Donald d Moyer a specialist in picking up sagging local economies. His arrival in the summer As president of the Houston economic development Council brought a profound change in philosophy among Houston s business leaders. They have largely dropped a Public relations Campaign to improve the City s National image in favor of making the City More attractive and Fertile for new jobs what Moyer Calls product fixing image Over time rises with realism he says. We Are saying we Are not As Good As we should be. But we Are doing something about it. The really promising thing about Houston is the underlying Structure is  he has also dampened Hopes of a Quick fix from wholesale relocation of Industry from other parts of the country. Rather he says Houston must go about the hard work of incubating Home grown Industry building on its established base in Energy As Well As on newer industries like space commercialization and medical technology. For a town that has for so Long operated on a Gusher mentality this is a sobering message. The psychology of the Gusher is still predominant in Texas but the economic development game unfortunately does not work that Way it tends to be Long term Moyer told business leaders at a luncheon organized by the Center for Public policy of he University of Houston. The state of Houston s Economy emerged As a Central Issue of the mayoral contest Between Kathy Whit nire who won a third term and Louie Welch he former live term mayor. In Reverol of Rol Welch who spent 10 years As Houston s Ochtel Booster As president of the chamber of Commerce until this year has emerged a pessimistic critic calling attention to Houston s half empty buildings and to joblessness in the Oil Industry. It is time for us to acknowledge our warts and build a City he said what More who won office by charging poor management by previous mayors is now the City s leading advocate and she asserts that a thousand new jobs a month have been created under her administration. So far Moyer has impressed Houston. He was previously the executive director of Maryland economic growth associates a statewide non profit development body and had held similar duties in West Virginia Pennsylvania and Michigan. To has a Strong sense of realism about what needs to be done " said City councilman George Greanias. This is not just a two or three year commitment but a permanent part of the  one of the biggest tears for Moyer and his backers is that another Oil Boom however unlikely will cover up ingrained problems and convince Houston ions that diversification is unneeded alter All. The worst thing that could happen to us is a temporary Oil Boom said Barton a. Smith director of the Center for Public policy. Moyer s Lisl strategy is marketing. For example. Houston Hopes to position itself by virtue of the nearby Johnson space Center As the National locus Lor the commercialization of space. Similarly it Hopes the Texas medical Center a concentration of 31 hospitals and schools will lorm the nucleus of a medical manufacturing and service Industry a Slick prospectus for space opportunities lists these among Houston s advantages a plethora of Low Cost office Industrial and residential real estate because of overbuilding. Low state and local taxes. Location astride major air sea and rail links. These and other traits. Moyer believes make Houston attractive to foreign investors. Moreover Houston Hopes to draw conventions and tourists by underscoring its architecture the Astrodome and the space Center and its proximity to major Wildi Ile refuges he Lovely Texas Hill country and the Gull beaches. The other strategy product fixing involves helping resolve such problems As water and sewer permits tax matters and other possible impediments to business. Moyer says 70 to 80 percent of Houston s growth will come from within. He notes that 13,000 new businesses Are formed every year in the area. Therefore the Council is helping establish four business  organizations to try to reduce the rate of failure by offering advice and services. He argues that native ventures hold much More Promise than attracting branches of established companies headquartered elsewhere. The development Council was formed last year because Many business leaders Felt the Houston chamber of Commerce had done Little to diversify the Economy and promote the City. Much Effort was expended in its first year in unsuccessful attempts to attract the general motors Saturn Plant and the Home port for the battleship Wisconsin. But the Council which has since become an Arm of the chamber of Commerce did build a professional staff of 30 and raised $6.6 million for the first two years operations. The goal now is to build a diversity of manufacturing and service industries not Overly tied to any one sector from 1974 to 1981, the Boom years the Houston area added 216.000 Energy related jobs but it lost nearly half of hem in the bust that began in mid-1982. Since last year according to c. A. Kasdorf Iii research manager at the chamber 75.000 new jobs have been created signalling some recovery. In the Boom years Houston s economic output was growing by an astonishing 7 percent a year. Many Here eel a lower More sustainable rate would be healthier by most indicators according to Smith of the policy Center Houston s Economy has been hat or he last two years but he said substantial growth could be expected by the end of next year