In this weekend's Wall Street Journal (subscriber only), Jonathan Cohen and John Giardino of the New York Policy Forum have a great column on how to revive the economy of upstate New York, from Buffalo to Syracuse. What they write on the subject of economic (re)development is music to my ears. Some excerpts,
"Can the region revive? Not as long as it follows the failed top-down strategy its leaders have long pursued."
Referencing real estate deals disguised as economic development strategies,
"If there is one lesson to be learned from New York State's history, it's that people and ideas must precede bricks and mortar."
Their recommendations,
"First, everyone needs to stop running recklessly at mirage-like projects. Instead, resources should be invested in making communities work for the people who live in them now."
They also recommend developing the state's natural gas resources, reforming Albany to give cities more control over their employee costs, and pursuing "policies that encourage local entrepreneurship--not dependence on Albany and Washington."
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