What Happened at the Third Annual Forum on Economic Development: A Report by Paula Johnson

“Uniting to Improve Our Quality of Life” was
the title of the Third Annual Community Forum on Economic Development held
April 26, 2008 at Indiana University South Bend.

The keynote speaker
was State Representative Ryan Dvorak, Chairman of the Environmental Affairs
Committee.

Representative Dvorak
spoke about urban sprawl. As a result of development in new areas, farmlands
are being chewed up and urban areas are suffering. This is a national problem,
not just a problem locally. He explained
that there are better ways to do things. For example, we can build communities
so you can walk to a store just five minutes away instead of driving the car.
Accessibility is the key. In order to move ahead we need to make good
development decisions.

After his presentation,
Representative Dvorak received a certificate of achievement from the Michiana
Group of the Sierra Club Hoosier Chapter, honoring and thanking him for his
leadership on environmental issues in the Indiana State Legislature.

Marty Wolfson,
Director of the Higgins Labor Studies Program at the University of Notre Dame,
represented the Community Forum on Economic Development.

Marty presented the
differences between two competing views: the “old view,” that equates economic
development only with attracting and retaining businesses; and the “new view,”
that sees economic development as the process of increasing living standards
and opportunities for people.  He noted that the “free market"
global economy leads some people to keep wages low and pollution controls
lenient in order to try to attract business.  But the "free
market" global economy has been disastrous.  It has led to a “race to
the bottom,” with stagnant wages and more severe poverty. New policies need to
be in place. We need to stop the “race to the bottom” by thinking globally and
acting locally.

After lunch Breakout
sessions addressed seven different topics. One session, "Transparency in Local Government: the Key to
Effective Democracy," explored the role of transparency in government and
its direct relationship to democratic participation, government
decision-making, and policy development.

A second session
focused on "Cool Cities: Local Action to Solve Global Warming One City at
a Time." Another, "Blue-Green
Jobs: Creating Good Jobs with New Technologies," examined the relationship
between labor and environmental issues.

"Transforming
Neighborhoods: Building on Our Strengths" brought together members of
neighborhood groups throughout the city. "The Poor Need Not Always Be with You: Poverty Solutions"
examined one aspect of the complex issue of poverty – transportation
access.

"Minority
Business Development/Employment Issues" featured a panel of experts who
discussed the challenges for minority entrepreneurs and some solutions for
these problems. Examples that were
explored included Chicago Urban League entrepreneurial projects and a proposed
retail incubator for the West Side of South Bend.

The seventh session
provided a basic introduction to tax abatements and TIF (tax increment
financing) areas. It included a
discussion of ways in which tax abatements and TIFs could be reformed so as to
better improve the living standards and opportunities of area residents.

Proposals from these
breakout sessions will be discussed at the next monthly meeting of the
Community Forum for Economic Development, scheduled for Tuesday, May 20, from
7-9 pm at the office of the Minority Health Coalition, located in LaSalle
Square.