The ‘What Next’ Challenge

Will Growing Disparities Continue to Diminish America’s Global Competitiveness?

It took 19 days and laying off over 20,000 state workers before Governor Mark Dayton signed a $35.7 billion budget on Wednesday, July 20th. This feat was accomplished as a result of an agreement to delay payments, borrow funds, and apply the use of ‘creative’ accounting maneuvers. Sadly, in the end, neither Democrats or Republicans were pleased. Disparities in taxation remain firmly in place. Further budgets cuts were made to already underfunded programs, and now it is back to business as usual.

That leads me to ponder “What Next?” a question I’m sure is also on the minds of educators, workforce and economic development specialists, social workers, older worker program managers, health and wellness clinicians, and countless others working to provide service.

The What Next Question
In the state of Minnesota, and across this nation, deriving a sustainable solution to the “What Next?” question is becoming our greatest challenge as we navigate and prepare for the globalization of the present and into the future. In the 2010-11, Global Competitiveness Index Report (World Economic Forum), the United States is ranked fourth, trailing Switzerland, Sweden and Singapore respectively. The report commented that “a lack of macroeconomic stability” and a lack of a “clear exit strategy” from significant stimulus spending and repeated fiscal deficits severely weakens the U.S. position going into the future.

What is it going to take for the realization to become crystal clear that until we adequately invest in the human development of all segments of a community, of this nation, that no aspect within that community – even those flowing with great wealth – can be assured of ongoing vibrancy. This nation, and now the global community, is an intricate ecological system that is highly interdependent.

What Next and The Talent Gap
The World Economic Forum warns of a “talent crisis” and believes that the United States will need to add 26 million workers to the employment marketplace over the next 20 years to maintain its current levels of economic growth. Additionally, the highly regarded, Washington-based think tank, the Brookings Institute, notes that in 2011, 80% of American workers are now in service jobs, up from 65% in 1960; jobs that can be performed anywhere in the world due to technological advancement. Skillbuilding is the answer to these forecasts of shortfalls in human assets, and equipping workers with 21st century work readiness tools can minimize mounting fears of massive offshoring of jobs.

With the projected talent gap and skyrocketing cost of postsecondary education, the competitive edge of every community across this nation is certain to be tested. The Brookings Competitiveness Initiative offers four strategies that it views as “musts” on the local and national levels if as a nation we hope to compete globally or to ever regain our competitive edge. These are: Investment in the Infrastructure, Investment in People, Investing in Ideas, and Investing in Green Transformation. Brookings researchers comment, “Our nation’s policies have failed to keep pace with the rapidly changing global economy, and today American workers and students are inadequately prepared to compete effectively.”

What Next and The Least of These
Dr. George McKenna, one of the pre-eminent educators of our time, transformed the George Washington Preparatory High School in Los Angeles from its notorious reputation for gang affinity, access to drugs and gun violence, to a school where 80% of graduates are enrolled in college. McKenna often shared his philosophy that until adequate investment is made in people, especially addressing the least of these – the most challenged, we are all in peril.

By 2020, demographic trends indicate that 30% of the working-age population will be African-American and Latino. Locally and nationally, are we fully investing in equipping these future employees to meet employer needs in a global world? Wealth, both personal and corporate, will erode over time if there is inadequate investment in human assets. Worker capacity will continue to decrease in light of the requirements of a global stage, and in the absence of education and training, the slightest competitive edge will eventually fade.

The Brookings Competitive Initiative report comments, “The United States has long underinvested in its people. Its workers—of today and tomorrow—are the bedrock of its economy and the best tool to rebuild its competitiveness. America must reinvest in its workers, at every phase of their lives, in three basic ways: by providing affordable health care, lifelong learning opportunities, and economic security. Healthy workers are productive workers. Like health care, failure to provide good-quality education not only puts the individual student or worker at a major disadvantage but also impairs the long-term competitiveness of the U.S. economy. The U.S. job-sector safety net remains one of the weakest among advanced economies. Today, only about 40 percent of jobless workers receive benefits under federally mandated unemployment insurance.”

We now have a state budget, and after months of filibustering, efforts are being made to craft a federal budget; but in the end how do these budgetary instruments align with strategic vision, and how do we truly move forward as a nation?

Five percent of a country flourishing and amassing all of the wealth, while 90% teeter between extreme poverty and glimpses of the middle class lifestyle is not a healthy mix and is certainly not a cornerstone for sustainable nation-building, because in the final analysis, the question “What Next” remains.

The Eye of the Storm: Moving our Community from Crisis to Stability

  In a split second, on what began as a normal Sunday in Minneapolis, the harsh winds of change wrought the most shattering tornado to hit our community in some 30 years. In its wake is devastation projected to exceed $166 million as damage assessments continue to reveal ruined homes, compromised non-profit and government facilities, wrecked businesses, and destroyed infrastructures.

  Our loss has been tremendous, and while it is difficult to think positive and even acknowledge the extent of our loss, we all know that considering the intensity of this storm, we are lucky overall that the loss of life and damages are not more severe. This of course offers little consolation as we all watch our community struggling to find its way back to normalcy.

  Thousands of North Minneapolis residents, the majority uninsured renters, are faced with the prospects of rebuilding their lives. With the place they once called home in a state of disrepair, uncertainty looms large. Relocation is not easy in this situation – leaving the future unclear. Sure – there’s support out there, but how much support does the future hold? How long will that support continue? In the face of such disruptive change, it’s only human to at first be numbed by what has happened, then become tremendously upset, searching for a way to cope. Ideally folks will tap into their resiliency, ultimately finding a way to thrive.

  Our community is to be applauded for swiftly rallying to lend a helping hand. Gov. Mark Dayton, Minneapolis Mayor R.T. Rybak, and members of the Minneapolis City Council have demonstrated genuine compassion, responsive leadership, and have marshaled all of the resources at their disposal to support a rebound from all the upheaval caused by this natural disaster. United States (U.S.) Senator Amy Klobuchar, U.S. Rep. Keith Ellison, House Speaker Kurt Zellers, and state Senator Linda Higgins toured the area to see firsthand the extent of the destruction, and surely gained a keen understanding of just how tragically the storm has shattered the lives of this community’s residents.

  Noted as well, are the thousands of volunteers who have given their time and energy to distribute food and water, offer various kinds of comfort and assistance to those impacted, and are helping to clean up our city. Non-profit and faith-based organizations have united to identify, plan and collaboratively deliver wrap-around social and human development services to our neighbors who have without question been emotionally and physically sideswiped by the eye of this tornado.

  Before the tornado, this was a community already in the midst of a storm; some 270 homes were foreclosed last year in the area described as the hardest hit; boarded vacant homes were plentiful; unemployment hovered at rates three times the national average; educational and personal underachievement and nagging underemployment were commonplace. The challenges that confronted this community before the storm will continue to impact its vibrancy in the absence of sustained efforts to stabilize the people and the families that live here.

  It is clear that the journey to stabilizing and revitalizing this community will be long and arduous – change won’t be evident in the short term; in fact the rebirth of this community may take two to three years. However, the optimistic outlook is that this journey will be equally laden with opportunities to begin anew. What is needed is an actionable strategy to achieve this end, and more important, the financial support to make it happen. It is essential at this juncture that those controlling the purse strings invest enough resources to fully regenerate and redevelop this community, refusing to employ a “band-aid” strategy that can only serve to leave this already bruised community more crippled post-tornado.

  One cannot help but notice that people are always just a little kinder, just a bit more considerate, a tad more appreciative just after a storm ends. This outpouring is tremendously moving to see. However, this “afterglow” is for the most part short lived. Once people get their conveniences back, and revert back to former life routines, strategic action dwindles, and compassion, concern and kindness for others can swiftly cease. We cannot let that be the case in this instance. We must earnestly work as a united city, state and community to provide the tools, resources and support necessary to reinvent North Minneapolis. Additionally, we must continue to usher forth solutions that can foster sustainable stabilization of families.

  Currently, the Minneapolis Urban League, in partnership with numerous other organizations and volunteers is working to support short term needs such as emergency housing repair, transitional housing, food, clothing, health and wellness support. The exciting thing is that we’ve all agreed that we must also, just as importantly, find solutions for supporting the long term needs of this community.

  Critical to elevating the community is constructive action around re-housing, job development opportunities, continuous volunteer mobilization, youth engagement, economic development and contracting opportunities. Those of us in community service must also maintain a focus on communication, which is critical in this rebuilding period.

  While our community may be facing one of its greatest challenges, we have an opportunity to transform North Minneapolis from a place of crisis to a showcase of the power of outcome-focused, strategic execution, fueled by collective effort. By harnessing our inventive thinking, varied talents, and shared vision, North Minneapolis can become a replicable model for other locales that, like this community, are already in the eye of the storm before the actual storm makes its full presence known.

Governor Mark Dayton unveils administration’s focus on jobs