A new Brookings Institute report paints a less than attractive image of the Hampton Roads area of Virginia. Actually, I am not surprised because the things that attract innovation and the so-called "creative class" - tolerance and diversity - are largely lacking. Christian fundamentalism and progressive politics and cultural progressiveness are more or less mutually exclusive. While Norfolk's Old Dominion University is striving to be an engine for modernity and progress, the presence of Pat Robertson and Regent University in Virginia Beach does nothing to invite progressives and the creative class to the region. What's really scary is the fact that despite its negatives, this region is progressive compared to the southwest area of Virginia which in many areas is still "Deliverance country." Of course, the efforts of Taliban Bob McDonnell and Ken Kookinelli to take Virginia back to Confederate days is a negative for Virginia as a whole. *
How can this state of affairs be turned around? First, Norfolk needs to take down the leering image of Pat Robertson out of the concourse at Norfolk International Airport. Second, city leaders need to realize that kissing the asses of Christian conservatives does nothing to further the economic interests of the region. Third, LGBT Virginians need to be made full, first class citizens. Virginia treatment of gays sends a loud "not welcome" message to many other segments of the population. Fourth, the city leaders need to work to make the area more progressive so fewer talented youth and progressive residents leave the area for Washington, D.C., New York City, Atlanta and other areas that do not shun modernity. Here are some highlights from the Virginian Pilot:
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A report released today by the Brookings Institution lumps our region into a group of "the most demographically disadvantaged" of the nation's 100 largest metro areas, and it warns that an aging population and low education levels could hamper the region's growth. The report, based on numbers from U.S. Census Bureau's American Community Survey, came as a shock to some regional leaders.
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The report suggests that Hampton Roads will need to address issues of brain drain and economic diversification to keep up with other regions in coming years. "Maybe this is the wake-up call the area needs in becoming a lot more aggressive in thinking at a regional level," said Associate Professor Larry Filer, an economist at Old Dominion University in Norfolk.
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"What this study is doing is being very forward-looking and saying who has the best potential for high economic growth going forward, and I don't think we have the best potential for that," Filer said. "That's the cautionary tale here - it's not where we are now. It's where we're going. The good thing is we have a chance to make some changes."
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The study from Brookings, a Washington-based think tank, looked at immigration, education, aging and transportation. It then ranked the 100 largest metro areas on each issue and lumped together those regions facing similar problems. The "success stories" of the decade - cities with the most growth, highest educational attainment and most diversifying populations - were deemed "Next Frontier" regions. Those included Seattle; Washington, D.C.; San Antonio; and Denver.
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At the other end of the seven-category spectrum - cities with low rates of growth, educational attainment and diversity - were clustered under the "Industrial Cores" designation. Those include Wichita, Kan.; Grand Rapids, Mich.; Memphis; and Hampton Roads.
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[W]ith 27.4 percent of Hampton Roads' adults holding four-year degrees - less than the national average - the area isn't well-equipped to diversify its economy, Berube warned. "That sort of sets the boundaries for your long-run growth," Berube said. "There are limits to the sorts of jobs and industries that a region can attract and grow if it doesn't get more educated over time."
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With teabaggers, conservatives and far right religious elements (e.g., creationists) increasingly rejecting knowledge and objective fact, I am not optimistic about the areas' prospects unless city leaders grow some balls and push for more tolerance and diversity. That includes localities doing more to attract and keep their LGBT populations rather than have them leave the area for more tolerant and accepting areas. As I have said before, but for the boyfriend's successful business, we'd be out of here in a heartbeat.
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A report released today by the Brookings Institution lumps our region into a group of "the most demographically disadvantaged" of the nation's 100 largest metro areas, and it warns that an aging population and low education levels could hamper the region's growth. The report, based on numbers from U.S. Census Bureau's American Community Survey, came as a shock to some regional leaders.
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The report suggests that Hampton Roads will need to address issues of brain drain and economic diversification to keep up with other regions in coming years. "Maybe this is the wake-up call the area needs in becoming a lot more aggressive in thinking at a regional level," said Associate Professor Larry Filer, an economist at Old Dominion University in Norfolk.
*
"What this study is doing is being very forward-looking and saying who has the best potential for high economic growth going forward, and I don't think we have the best potential for that," Filer said. "That's the cautionary tale here - it's not where we are now. It's where we're going. The good thing is we have a chance to make some changes."
*
The study from Brookings, a Washington-based think tank, looked at immigration, education, aging and transportation. It then ranked the 100 largest metro areas on each issue and lumped together those regions facing similar problems. The "success stories" of the decade - cities with the most growth, highest educational attainment and most diversifying populations - were deemed "Next Frontier" regions. Those included Seattle; Washington, D.C.; San Antonio; and Denver.
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At the other end of the seven-category spectrum - cities with low rates of growth, educational attainment and diversity - were clustered under the "Industrial Cores" designation. Those include Wichita, Kan.; Grand Rapids, Mich.; Memphis; and Hampton Roads.
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[W]ith 27.4 percent of Hampton Roads' adults holding four-year degrees - less than the national average - the area isn't well-equipped to diversify its economy, Berube warned. "That sort of sets the boundaries for your long-run growth," Berube said. "There are limits to the sorts of jobs and industries that a region can attract and grow if it doesn't get more educated over time."
*
With teabaggers, conservatives and far right religious elements (e.g., creationists) increasingly rejecting knowledge and objective fact, I am not optimistic about the areas' prospects unless city leaders grow some balls and push for more tolerance and diversity. That includes localities doing more to attract and keep their LGBT populations rather than have them leave the area for more tolerant and accepting areas. As I have said before, but for the boyfriend's successful business, we'd be out of here in a heartbeat.
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