Smart Communities

Rural Schools and Poverty

Rachel Tompkins, president of the Rural School and Community Trust, wrote a provocative article in Education Week (January 16, 2008) about the importance of rural schools in the alleviation of poverty. She shows for example that rural schools serve almost a quarter of all students; that retaining rural schools is less about football and more about community identity and well being; and that the poorest rural districts have more Title I students than Philadelphia. She starts her argument by recalling President Kennedy's campaign stops in West Virginia where he ultimately won with 75 percent of the vote. She recalls that he made stops all over the state to learn first-hand about the hardships being faced in the coalfields and in West Virginia's poor rural areas. We need that again. We need our candidates to see that the poverty that existed 50 years ago still exists...and where. We need candidates to understand that there is a clear connection between poverty and quality education as researchers at UNC-Chapel Hill have shown. With John Edward's out of the race, we have got to be sure that the other candidates on both sides of the aisle have poverty and education front and center.

And to say once again, if you want to do something about poverty today in your community--keep kids in school or at least be sure they are in school. Read Rachel's article yourself. We need strong rural schools. They are often overlooked.

Negative Ads a Good Thing?

In a new book, Campaign Advertising and American Democracy (Temple University Press) by a Pew Partnership senior associate Paul Freedman and three colleagues, they argue that negative ads turn out to have "the most measurable positive effect." Their research, based on the 2004 election, showed that these ads educate voters, differentiate between candidates' positions, and mobilize voters to actual get involved. Candidates that feel the sting of the negative ads feel the need to respond thus clarifying their positions.

I am going to have to be really convinced on this one. If I did not know the impeccable credentials of Paul Freedman I would not have gone this far. But he is a scholar of the first order and knows his stuff. If we ever wondered why candidates pay big bucks to run those negative ads--now we know. They work. Read the book to find out more.

This of course begs a question. Isn't there a way to educate voters on differing positions than these personal attack kinds of ads? Everything a person has done or thought since kindergarten is exposed and exploited. The snipping that occurred among the Democrats in South Carolina seem to have a negative effect. Granted not the same thing but I do sense that voters want candidates to be clear about why their positions will work and why others' positions won't. If we just did that, we would go a long way toward finding solutions to our problems and minimizing the negative airways. With all due respect to Paul and his colleagues, I wish we could spend some of the negative campaign money on informing voters about what it will take to solve the big issues of the day. That is what we need most.

Volunteerism for 2008

The Sunday New York Times had a damning article about the Bush Administration's results in volunteerism and civic participation. While I encourage you to read it yourself, in a nutshell that message was "more hat than cattle." The expansion of Americorps has not happened in the way it was envisioned; the Freedom Corps faltered when architect John Bridgeland left government; and even the highly touted Faith-Based Initiative fell short so says the article. In other words, the inspiration that many felt to get involved lost its glamour and its vehicles for participation. Now let's be fair.

While I was not a proponent of all that was proposed around the civic engagement agenda, I cannot put all the blame on this president or this administration. One of the things he proposed was "a new culture of responsibility." While some of the Washington, DC-initiated programs were good ideas, most of the best ideas come from and are executed by communities themselves. That is where the culture of responsibility begins and ends in the final analysis. While I certainly fault our inability to meet our target numbers on Americorps with full-time positions I think we dilute that concern by putting all of the failures on the back of the Administration.

As we enter this new year, we need clearer goals for what citizens can do, how government can help, and when government needs to get out of the way. Here are some ways that I think we should begin: 1) have all the nonprofit agencies meet and think about ways to make volunteerism easier and more effective in the community. This would be a great convening opportunity for United Ways. Ask the local banks to underwrite the day. 2) Make it clear to your representatives in Washington, DC, that we want Americorps fully funded and operated as the domestic Peace Corps. Our communities need the talents and wisdom of the young. This program has done great things and could do even more with full funding and a presidential advocate. 3) Let religious organizations be religious organizations. We need to think long and hard about the critical role that religious organizations play in our communities and what the appropriate role of government is in their operation and their funding. That discussion will allow us to think about what a 2008 version of the Office of Faith-Based and Community Initiatives should look like and focus on going forward.

If we do these three things as well as reach out to all groups in our communities, volunteerism and the responsibility that it implies will be alive and well in 2008.

Finding Inspiration

Today is my birthday. Because it is in the first month of the year I have always delayed my new year's resolution setting and reflective thinking until today. For me this is the first day of the new year (mine at least). I am working on two new books--one as a follow-on to Smart Communities and the other a memoir about my husband's illness. Both are about journeys in a sense. One of the things we all have learned from living life is that it is not a straight line. There are twist and turns and nuances. Different circumstances evoke different responses. Therefore I was somewhat dismayed to read Caroline Kennedy's op-ed in yesterday's New York Times where she wrote that Senator Obama was the first person since her father to inspire her. I like Senator Obama very much, met him a few months ago, and think he is enormously talented. Having said that, he is not the only person in politics that has inspired me in the last 48 years. Every president has had moments of inspiration--granted some more than others--and times of leadership. And I have felt great when I had those feelings. But on this day and at this time what I remember most about past presidents is where they took the country. I want to be inspired but mainly I want results. Who can deliver? is the title of my future op-ed. We need leadership in this country that can give us the good news and the bad; we need leadership that can galvanize us and our representatives to work together and get over our differences, and we need someone to play reality more than politics. Here's what I what I want to hear from all the candidates gifted speakers or not: "Here are our problems and here's how we are going to begin the process of fixing them and here's what it going to cost." That's what will inspire me.

What to do on Monday: Tax Cuts and Nonprofits

The bipartisan tax cut sounds very good on its face. I have some reservations though. First, I am not sure we are addressing the issues that brought us to a recession in the first place. Second, will these cuts or any cuts be enough to jumpstart the economy quickly? Third, what does the recession and the tax cuts mean to local nonprofits? Today I want to focus on the third reservation as we think about our Monday's agenda.

Times like these try the soul and the budgets of all organizations particularly small ones. The demands are greater, the surpluses less, and the giving unpredictable. For nonprofits that rely on tourism, they have to contend with rising gas prices. We cannot assume that the tax cuts will filter proportionately into the coffers of our local nonprofits. As families manage on less, their giving to religious organizations, nonprofit groups like the United Way or the Salvation Army, or even cans to the food bank could decline. I say "could" decline because we don't know for sure. Take it upon yourself to inquire about your county or city government's contributions, status of annual giving campaigns, and the increased demand in homeless shelters, battered women's shelters, and food banks. Let's not wait for the recession to devastate our nonprofit work. By knowing the status of things now, you and I and all our neighbors can be more proactive in assuring that the work continues. As a first stop, call your local United Way or ministerial association on Monday and find out where things are in your community.

Education and the Election

One of the pieces of advice all job candidates get is: "negotiate the salary you want on the front end. It is nearly impossible to get it increased after you have signed on." Good advice I would say for voters as well. If we feel strongly about an issue, now is the time to make our voices and our opinions heard. One of those issues for me is public education but maybe not for the candidates as Peter Schrag writes in The Nation. We have got to fix it, change it, or replace it but we must do something to improve it particularly for the children at most risk. I am not hearing much about education these days. For example, there is little or no mention of the connection between education and the economy. There is no real discussion of No Child Left Behind but rather partisan-speak. David Seeley in Education Week writes that education is one issue that needs our best thinking, the most debate, and a concerted effort. Who then will be the Education President? He or she has my vote.

Sunshine State Not So Sunny

In an Associated Press article on the decline of net migration to Florida, we begin to see a picture of what it takes to sustain population growth and prosperity over time. Florida has been the haven for snowbirds and young families alike. Drawn by the mild weather and bustling economy, Florida was a destination for all ages. According to this article, that attraction is changing a bit: "the number of people who moved to warm and sunny Florida from other states outnumbered those who left by 35, 301, down from 268,347 in 2005." Now why?

This article cites a number of things but principle among them is the economy. People on limited incomes and young families are getting squeezed by the mortgage crisis, high taxes, steep insurance rates, the hurricanes as well as personal economic challenges like unemployment and layoffs. The good weather is not enough to offset the negatives. What is the headline here?

It really isn't about Florida. It is about other communities too. What we are learning is that beauty does not replace stability and the basics. While amenities are certainly a draw when all things are equal, they don't carry much weight if things like jobs, access to health care, and affordable taxes are not in place. Just as we have said with our Thriving Communities modell, you have to have a healthy economy and good quality of life to be attractive and to thrive. Florida just learned that lesson. The good news is that communities like Cape Coral (mentioned in the article) and others have much to build from as they craft a new future. For the rest of us, don't forget the basics. Remember that advice from a financial advisor: " to make long-term gains you must do well when the market is down." We will see how Florida responds.

Recession Hits Home

While you may be thinking that the recession or globalization hasn't affected you--think again. An article in the Atlanta Constitution reporting on the effects of the declining textile industry on outlet stores hits pretty close to home to me in a couple of ways. The WestPoint Home outlet in Valley, AL (my home state) was the example given in the article but WestPoint Home is closing all 13 of their outlets coast to coast as the company goes through a restructuring. The textile industry has lost one million jobs in the last decade or so with more to come.

I really like outlets personally but more than that I think they have given small communities like Valley an economic engine on which to build. Our local version in Waynesboro, VA has fallen on hard times as well. However, times are changing says this article. Outlets in general are being challenged by the big box stores and lower cost retailers that are more conveniently located. My guess is that gas prices will figure in as people consider what they spend to save a few dollars. This is a wake-up call to hundreds of communities to start thinking about the evolution of their outlet malls. They may decide to keep them but they better be prepared to invest in making them a tourist draw.

Martin Luther King, Jr: Taught us to Dream

Today we celebrate the life and legacy of Dr. Martin Luther King. Jr. There will be celebrations and remembrances all over the world. His contributions to all of us are well documented. But for me his lasting imprint on the American soul is focusing our hearts and our intentions on making things better. He said in December 1956 on the bus boycott, " I had decided I should not sit back and watch, but should lead them back to the buses myself." While much attention is focused on his "I Have a Dream" speech, these simple remarks some years earlier defined who he was and who we are. He got in the game. His efforts went far beyond where even he thought they would when he started. He just knew he had to do something.

Fast forward to 1963 at the Lincoln Memorial with 250,000 people gathered and his speech there. Donald Phillips in his book, Martin Luther King, Jr on Leadership, recounts the story of how the dream theme got into the speech. As Dr. King was finishing his prepared remarks, Mahalia Jackson who was seated on the stage, called out "Tell them about the dream!" He think became to speak extemporaneously. It was during those remaining minutes that the famous words were spoken.

What ties these two instances together is his ability to shape what must be done with what could be done. He had dreams alright but he also had a feel for the tactical. He knew that he were ever to realize his dreams and ours that certain steps must be taken. As Phillips points out, he used language that touched people hearts and souls. He didn't talk about a mission statement or objectives, he talked about our dream for a better America. So here we are today to celebrate his birth and life in 2008. What's the message: Own the possibility of fulfilling the dream and don't sit back and watch. It is time to get off the sidelines on the issues you care about. Anything is still possible in America.

What to do on Monday: Know More

Unless you live in southern California or south Florida, you are likely to have a cold even snowy weekend and early next week. Use that time to figure out what on earth we are going to do about two big problems: the economy and the environment. I am linking those today because we are in trouble in both areas and too often the environment pays the price when the economy falters. As citizens we need to have a better idea of where we are in both areas and what it will take to fix things. On the economy, read the MSNBC assessment of the candidates positions and plans. Take a look at this New York Times editorial too. What makes the most sense to you?

On the environment, take a look at this websites. There are citizen groups across the country that are taking on the local version of climate change. We all know that environment and growth require a balancing act. We need growth and we need jobs but at what price? In Bill Moyers' will lead you through a course on God and the Environment that you may agree with or not but it will give you things to think about. Finally, some basics on the economy and the environment that will give you the background to think about your local situation. The goal for communities is to get ahead of the curve on both issues and minimize the negative impacts. Don't wait.