‘Ben Stein optimistic about High Desert’

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Ben Stein, a pop culture icon who is an economist, sees opportunity in the High Desert.

The region’s economy has been devastated by the recession but “the long-term trend is overwhelming … with the growth of future imports,” Stein said Thursday at a news conference at the San Bernardino County Fairgrounds in Victorville. “If you extrapolate that over time, the future is bright for this area.” … (Continued below) …

Ben Stein (left) talks with Supervisor Brad Mitzelfelt and a guest Oct. 15 prior to the Supervisor introducing Stein as Keynote Speaker for the 28th Annual High Desert Opportunity event at the Victorville Fairgrounds.

… From The Sun, Oct. 17, 2009 … ‘A bright future; Ben Stein optimistic about High Desert’ … By Matt Wrye, Staff Writer … (Continued below) …

… Stein spoke again later that day at an annual event hosted by High Desert Opportunity, a public-private partnership that promotes the region to outside companies.

The Yale law school and economics graduate said he drives through the High Desert “a lot” when traveling across the country from his homes in Malibu and Beverly Hills, and he’s taken note of the region’s warehouse distribution growth over the past decade.

The High Desert isn’t necessarily known as the nation’s “inland port” as some groups are marketing it, but it’s probably only a matter of time, Stein said. Right now, “Ontario is certainly known as the inland port,” he said.

Even though the Panama Canal is expanding its port capabilities to handle more cargo, and several East Coast ports don’t have nearly as many air-quality regulatory issues as California, Stein believes the ports of Los Angeles and Long Beach will still be the main conduit for future foreign imports.

“Nowhere else has this (logistics hub) concentration,” Stein said about the High Desert.

The region’s second bright spot: renewable energy production. Stein foresees major wind and solar projects moving into the region over the next 30 years.

“Once you have people working in alternative energy… you’ll have the dentists, doctors, grocers and businesses that follow along,” Stein said.

Besides having been a speech writer for presidents Richard Nixon and Gerald Ford, Stein is known for his columns in the Wall Street Journal, New York Times and Washington Post.

His career includes a famous scene in the movie “Ferris Bueller’s Day Off,” a stint on Comedy Central with the show, “Win Ben Stein’s Money,” and sitting as a judge on reality talent TV shows.

He offered some insight into the nation’s economic woes.

President Barack Obama’s federal stimulus isn’t being released fast enough into the economy, stifling the recovery, Stein said.

Stein is worried that health-care bills being crafted in Congress might hinder the small business owner’s ability to hire employees because of possible new taxes on those employers.

As for the national health care proposal’s cost, “it’s a fantasy that … they’re going to get the cost savings they think they’re going to get,” Stein said.

The national housing market’s recovery could stretch into 2015, Stein added.

And as the job market slowly recovers, the national unemployment rate will probably hover between 8 percent and 10 percent over the next couple of years before dropping, he said.

As for the High Desert, “growth is slow, but we’re still growing, and the slowness is only temporary,” county Supervisor Brad Mitzelfelt, who represents much of the High Desert, said before introducing Stein to the audience.

Stein echoed the supervisor’s comments.

“You’ll become the most important gateway for the planet,” he said. “I see a gigantic future for this area.”

matthew.wrye@inlandnewspapers.com

Link to online article: http://www.sbsun.com/business/ci_13580460

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