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I am flying back from Washington DC and the International Development Council’s Federal Forum conference. I have attended this conference for 6 straight years. the first four years was usually disappointing due to the Bush administration’s wholesale, take-no-prisoners, scorched earth policy when it came to economic development. The Bush administration just didn’t care about what it took to get communities moving in a positive direction. I know there was a political philosophy being pushed, which was to reduce or eliminate just about any government program unless it was related to the wars. But the result of eight years of doing nothing is that the United States is behind among many countries when it comes to economic development policy. And I’m not talking about planning, just simply a policy.

There is some proof to the last sentence above, however I will not try to prove it in this blog entry. That will come later. Let me tell you what the landscape looks like today and why I feel better. I feel better but I am not pounding the drum yet. We still have a lot of work to do in this country if we plan to compete in the global market over the next generation. It is suffice to say that the current administration has some very smart and dedicated people working on a variety of issues that will move in the right direction. I say this because I met them, talked to them, shook their hand and all of them came with to our conference willing to listen.

As a member of a professional organization like IEDC I expect to come to conferences and learn a little something. Something I can take back to my home community and implement. I usually do. The spring Federal Forum is a conference that many professionals want to skip. They perhaps think that all the activity in Congress doesn’t not pertain to them or maybe they cannot be influential. I used to think that as well.

A break-out session at an IEDC Federal Forum was my inspiration for starting our One Voice program at the EDC. Our One Voice has managed to bring back over $24 million in appropriation and ARRA dollars to our community. Without understanding what is available from the federal government, how can one take advantage of what is rightfully yours to acquire…federal finds that is. Last year’s IEDC Federal Forum was great in that ARRA had just passed and everyone wanted to know how to get some money. This year was better, because now the federal agencies knew how the money was going to be distributed and were there to let us know.

The IEDC Federal Forum is the only place I know where you can hear what the Secretary of Commerce, the Undersecretary for the Economic Development Administration, the Secretary of the Treasury, Senators (one live and via video tape), A Federal Reserve Board Member and Senior staffers from Senate and House committees, Managers of major programs from USDA, SBA, EDA and others all talk to us. More importantly, each one also said that they want “to hear from us”.

The beauty of this event is that we (the IEDC) is in a better position to tell our elected leaders and appointed officials what we think due to this event. I really did see all of these people standing in the hallway after their respective presentations talking to ED professionals,gaining input and learning. The first four years of going to this event, that did not happen.

This blog post is really intended for economic development professionals who have dismissed this conference and the importance of impacting our federal government policies. This year proved it can be done. I believe it will be done and the IEDC and the economic development profession is in a unique advantage to be heard and be influential.

The whole green sustainability thing is numbing my mind. I understand the simple things like walking to work and recycling. That makes perfect sense to me. But what about everything else? Is paper better than plastic? I understand those plastic bags won’t go away, but does take more energy to make a plastic bag or paper bag? I know the answers are out there, and I am hoping one day it is really simple.

Catherine Mohr, in this TED video captures the issue brilliantly. Then she goes further and shows how she built her house measuring the embodied energy factor of materials. Watch here and be impressed:

My sustainable friends say it isn’t necessary for you to do everything. Doing something helps. So go do something about the environment you live in. Build a house but do it right and save the world for your grandchildren and the generations behind them.