Its easy to find 'small town n America', take any road, in any direction,
drive thirty to fifty miles from a thriving city and you've arrived!
What will we see? A slower pace, with people strolling along with
smiling faces that you can see, as most will not be texting! You will
see smaller stores, not mega malls (not enough profit margin for them
to succeed), fewer traffic lights, older and smaller schools in need or
repair, often no cable service.
M
any
Americans would give pause when they arrived in 'small townAmerica'. They would be surprised to see such places, rarely in the
news unless they are the center of a calamity reported by the media!
The only people who usually travel there are visiting family members,
traveling salesmen, local politicians, and this year presidential candidates
campaigning for votes.
There is no need to report on 'small town America', what can possibly
be learned from "yesterday's news" hardly comparable to what we can
learned on nightly broadcasts from the capitals of politics and entertainment.
'Small town America' may not have died, but it certainly has not thrived.
It has been forgotten, as
ha
s Norman Rockwell who saw and appreciatedthe grit of the people who lived there. However, we must remember, if
not for 'small town America', it is likely there would be no America today.
There is no doubt, it is 'big city America' where headlines are made and
the media ensures we get a daily dose with nightly broadcasts from the
capitals of politics and entertainment.
Every night we learn how the country is doing, its failings and successes,
all measured without the pulse of 'small town America' being taken.
We learn how our economy is doing, either good or bad, confirmed with
statistics to make either point, such as people hired, people fired,
business booms or busts, and more.
business booms or busts, and more.
But, these reports do not come with 'small town America' as the backdrop.
Even thought it is within fifty miles, it may as well be a thousand miles away!
Even the economic health of a state is reported as either best performing
or worst, without factoring how sparsely populated counties and towns of
'small town America' are doing. To the media, they do not even register!
Look at New York; perceived as an economic powerhouse thanks to the
backdrop of multi-million dollar condos in the Manhattan skyline, casting
a the shadow on Wall St. But, travel to Schenectady, Rochester or the Mid
Hudson Valley, once economic powers when GE, Kodak and IBM thrived
in their respective industries and you will see a totally different picture, no
backdrop required! All three areas are ghosts of what they were, yet rarely
is reported.
But, a snapshot of New York is not unique, it is seen in most states. My own
state North Carolina recently was listed as having the second best economy,
right behind Utah and just ahead of North Dakota. On the surface this may
sound great, but travel across the state, visit some of our one hundred
counties and judge for yourselves. You would never believe NC is the
"second best economy" as you travel the four hundred miles from ocean
to the Tennessee border.
Why is this? Why within the same borders, governed by the same laws,
where people with similar upbringing and beliefs do we find this disparity?
The reason is the same today as it always was, "areas of gold" can always
be found and exploited without the realization the burden for their success
is the heaviest on 'small town America', forgotten aside from needing vital
govt. assistance.
Great as the wealth of states with the best economies is, they still have the
burden of providing aid to their own struggling towns, aid that rarely leads
to them being able to self-sustain, only remain on government assistance!
What has yet to be discovered is how prosperity and economic growth
occur beyond the fifty miles from 'areas of gold'.
Going back to sparsely populated states that have been successful, Utah
and North Dakota, the success has been attributed to 'areas of gold',
natural resources that was allowed to be mined using fracking.
This is rare and most states have no such good fortune. But, all across our
country we do have talented people, with untapped potential, who can see
what most others do not. They are the salvation of 'small town America'!
All they need is a stimulus from government.
Essential services must be committed, equal opportunities and access to
the same services as we find in the "areas of gold", Not charity, only
eliminating unneeded hurdles.
Across our country are thousands of 'small town America' cities that are
one, two or five years removed from being ghost towns, joining the ones
already here.
Forward thinking states need to address the problem, the cost is worth the
reward. It can begin with a state agency created, a "Rural Development
Dept." which would convene with 'small town America' local officials and
businesses. Learn what they need, infrastructure, services, education to
become "acres of gold" of their own.
Its time 'small town America' which made our country a twentieth century
power be saved from becoming the twenty-first century ghost towns.
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