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OPINION

Editorial: Right road, slow lane

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Comments (4)

Friday, January 29, 2010

(Updated 3:00 am)

Greensboro is on the right road but stuck in the slow lane.

The state of the city “remains less than robust,” the authors of an annual report produced for the Greensboro Partnership say. The assessment is based on population growth, wage rates, educational levels, tax-base changes and other measures.

The study’s co-author, UNCG professor of urban development Keith Debbage, still sees encouraging signs. Greensboro “has made significant gains during tough times,” he said in an interview this week. In particular, efforts to develop important industry clusters are paying off, Debbage said.

Those include advanced manufacturing and transportation/logistics. After declining for many years, the proportion of the work force employed in manufacturing increased in 2008 while the average wage climbed to $50,035 — second-highest among local industry segments measured, behind only financial. Transportation also claimed a larger share of employment and rose in average wage to $42,033.

The study does not cover 2009, which likely saw declines, but the trend throughout the 2000s shows solid income gains in fields where workers utilize special job skills or higher education, including professional and health/education. These are areas where leaders must make the greatest push to attract more employers.

Much lower on the wage scale are retail ($26,582 average wage in 2008) and leisure/hospitality ($14,658).

Debbage raised a concern that the strongest job growth in Greensboro occurred in retail, which pays wages well below average. That ought to alarm city planners and elected officials, who should focus economic development efforts less on shopping centers and more on businesses and industries that require a skilled work force.

A bright spot in Debbage’s findings, he said, is the rising high school graduation rate. But the proportion of Greensboro’s population with a college degree still lags behind a group of “peer cities” he identifies in his report.

Even in high-wage categories, Greensboro incomes trail the peer-city average. It will take a combination of more workers with post-secondary education and more good jobs to catch up. One positive, according to Debbage: Greensboro has stopped its population slide in the 20-34 age group. A more vibrant cultural scene may account for that. Better employment opportunities will help even more.

Good things are happening that, when fully realized, will boost Greensboro’s standing. Those include development of the Gateway University Research Park, N.C. A&T-UNCG Joint School of Nanoscience and Nanoengineering, GTCC Center for Global Logistics and, it is hoped, a UNCG pharmacy school.

Greensboro’s higher-education assets are integral to the city’s economic progress, as are its transportation networks and quality-of-life advantages. The city is moving in the right direction; it just has to push harder to get into the fast lane.

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jstevenh1952

January 29, 2010 - 10:31 am EST

All too true. Greensboro continues to decline. My family has lived here for five generations, and most continue to live here today. In this time we have seen our city rise to a gleeming, thriving center of development and pride to what it is today. A rudderless ship of sorts; that allows the winds of self interest and politics to set the course.

We need leaders that seek to build our community abovetheir own self interests. Leaders that work for a common ground with businesses to build a thriving community. Leaders that are ambassadors of our citizens as they work for the interests of the community they have been elected to serve.

This week has been a clear example of one of the problems we face. A respected individual in our community and an elected official threatens the city leadership to gain a personal advantage. Our Mayor has no comment or courage to take this selfish leader on. Where is the drive to serve with integrity? Later, the threatening individual delivers a weak apology when confronted with his own foolish comments. Never once making mention his desire is to serve our community above his own self interests.

All great cities are marked by their leadership and sadly so is ours. Greensboro needs a change both politically and internally. The management by comittee at the city level needs to be reconsidered. The Mayor's position, should be a full time position, one that is accountable to the city at large.

Also, Mr. Alston should be called before the County Commissioners and City Council and be repremanded for his tasteless and selfish actions. It is clear to all, this individual who will do most anything for his own self interests, including accusing our city leadership of racism. This is deplorable.

Finally our new Mayor needs to re-muster the courage he used to get himself elected. Issue a challenge to Mr. Alston and the rest our leadership that it is time to lead and lead with the interests of our community in mind. To set aside petty personal differences and work to serve not to be served. A challenge to each member to understand that our community faces challenges each day and they have been elected to handle these challenges setting aside their egos and self interests.

Many of our elected officials will say "I am doing that". Good stay the course, but hold those who serve with you accountable as well. Show courage to call those out who lack the desire to serve all the citizens of the community. And those that know their own interests in power and self are what motivates them, step aside.

Until we see a desire from our leadership to represent all the citizens of our community, not just those we have a consensus with, our road will contintue to be one of difficulty.

Sometimes courage is a rare commodity among those that seek public service.

Unaffiliated

January 29, 2010 - 7:07 pm EST

At least two elected officials in Guilford County's smaller towns did not win re-election in the November election. Why? They did not compromise their ethics and integrity and stood up to special interest groups. They did their homework and made informed decisions and votes. Now their replacements are paying back their campaign workers and contributors with favors. (It's been only two months!). Bet the two (who did not win) have and will continue to sleep well. What about the two newly elected officials?

igliigli

January 29, 2010 - 10:37 am EST

The economy is not going to change without an educated work-force. But until NC high schools and universities focus on academics and not sports, the NC work-force's education level will continue to decay.

Interested

January 29, 2010 - 1:11 pm EST

I only read your comment because I thought I would finally see you say something that had nothing to do with athletics. Your comments will have to join those of a few others who routinely make comments that have little to do with the original letter - they will remain unread unless someone posts a response to you that makes me think you are worth reading.