lockdown economy & consideration for sharing municipal assets

IMG_0735the dynamic act of ‘lockdown’ as it relates to a crisis situation has significant longer term impacts than the immediate safety of the citizens.  The reports on the ‘economic’ cost of the shutdown clarified the impact of the boston economy–as reported in the article below–is significant.  Boston is the ninth largest economy in the country–even larger than Greece and Singapore! As discussed, it certainly was not completely shut down, as many people could work from home, mitigating some of the ‘costs’ of the shut down.  This article reports that even though Boston is a ‘1B/day’ economy, it is likely that the shutdown will only ‘cost’ the city 333 million. Add on top of that the costs of the additional law enforcement activity, overtime, and technology resources needed for the search, it’s of course quite a bit more.

However, Boston’s economy is not a compact with neat boundaries–it is completely tied to other economies in other cities as well. WHere were the greatest impacts? People not able to come into the city?  Weekend plans cancelled?  People spending money in other places that they would spend in Boston?  Will companies choose to be in another place rather than move to Boston?  Of course, this is conjecture, but certainly there is a shadow impact of the economic impact in other places, just as the positive economic impact of things in Boston has a benefit in other places on a regular basis.

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http://www.businessweek.com/articles/2013-04-19/it-costs-333-million-to-shut-down-boston-for-a-day#r=read