I really get tired when folks claim to do something- but either never follow through- or had no desire to do anything in the first place.

Consider both political parties.  Both lament that “Middle America”, “left behind” America, and/or “Rust Belt” communities are dying.  Because the jobs aren’t there.   Yet, all they are doing is providing lip service.

Several years ago, Drs. Simon Johnson and Jonathan Gruber published a great book of ideas- Jump Starting America”.  Their premise was that instead of promoting high tech businesses in 5 or 6 regions (metropolitan Boston, NY, Atlanta, LA, Silicon Valley, and DC) in the US, we should “spread the wealth”.  Because there are hundreds of communities that have the resources (intellectual, academic, and demographic) to achieve success.

Their concept was to develop R&D centers in some 120 communities across the United States.  These smaller communities (Indianapolis and Kansas City come to mind immediately) are ready for action- good universities and strong industrial presence- that would let us build the American economy across the USA.  Eliminating the inequalities to a large degree.

This same concept is what Congressman Ro Khanna is propounding in his new book, Dignity  in  a Digital Age.   Yes, Khanna is from Silicon Valley, so he (just like Gruber and Johnson from MIT) have a profound belief in technology and the change it affords. And, just like them, he took an approach that  is shirking his home town to promote the concept across the USA.

Their goal is to build opportunities where the folks are- not forcing them to uproot their lives and move to technological centers.  And, given the “Great Resignation” where folks during the pandemic moved to where they want to live, since working from home was possible, this normalization of technology center siting will work wonders.

In essence, these folks are advocating an aspirational vision for America- you know, bringing back the American Dream.   And, we don’t have to push for the 120 centers that Simon and Gruber advocated- we can start small- with 5 or 10 centers.  Of course, this would call for that high speed internet- the technology promoted by the infrastructure bill that passed a year ago- to be converted from paper to reality.

Sounds like a perfect party platform to grow America.  OR, maybe two platforms.

Share this: