ROANOKE TIMES
Copyright (c) 1996, Roanoke Times
DATE: Sunday, June 23, 1996 TAG: 9606240130
SECTION: EDITORIAL PAGE: 2 EDITION: METRO
THE EMERGENCE of a new "new South," confidently linked to a global economy, is described on the opposite page in a commentary by a senior fellow at the Council on Foreign Relations.
We commend the article, not so much because the Olympics are about to give center stage to the American South's would-be capital, Atlanta, but because the piece carries implications for our little region of the new South, here in Western Virginia.
Underlying the article's argument are several lessons that we would do well to heed - lessons more talked about, unfortunately, than acted on.
One is that the economy everywhere is becoming global and regional - a global competition, that is, among regional economic clusters.
This interconnectedness suggests, among other things, that trying to remain isolated from globalization is a losing proposition. Also: If a city and suburb share the same region, their fates are linked. Also: Lack of regional coordination, planning and leadership is a drag on economic prospects.
This is why a lot may be riding on efforts to promote regional strategies - for example, by the citizen-based New Century Council.
Another, more implicit lesson in the "New South" article is that social justice and diversity may be pluses in the new economy. Just as the South had to undergo a civil-rights revolution to shed its old, debilitating sectionalism and advance economically, so must regions in general recognize that they can't keep moving forward in the future if they're leaving behind sizable portions of their populations.
Meanwhile, diversity in culture, ethnicity, ideas and other respects - along with a respect for diversity - turn out to be a competitive advantage if you're selling not just in the local or national economy, but in a global marketplace.
A third lesson: The original "new South" strategy has itself become outdated. In South Carolina, writes Michael Clough, "the strategy of using tax incentives and a pool of mostly white, low-wage, nonunionized workers to lure foreign manufacturers to set up shop has now evolved into a broader effort to develop the state's global connections."
No longer will it do to advertise cheap production costs, then wait for footloose manufacturers to call. Sorry, but they can find cheaper labor in the Third World.
Not only does a region like ours need to expend greater effort looking to expand export opportunities and cultural vistas. We need to invest in the assets, infrastructure and education that will attract more sustainable jobs promising higher incomes.
Finally, there is the challenge facing every region "to discover its own comparative advantages and build on them." The Roanoke and New River valleys shouldn't try to become an Olympics host or a Little Germany. Somebody else is doing that.
We need to work with what we have - the region's natural beauty and livability, for instance, and its underutilized educational and research assets - to find our niche in the next century.
Other regions are on the move. Are we up to the challenge?
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