Chattanooga | So Close... Yet So Far... Last night, the voters of Chattanooga repealed an ordinance that had been passed in November - giving their LGBT city workers equal benefits. Last year the Chattanooga City Council voted to allow their LGBT employees in domestic partnerships to get equal benefits for their families. But the measure was forced to a public vote. Its funny, the South has a tradition of discrimination and bigotry - and a public vote for equality rarely wins (just as any African-American if a public vote for their equal treatment under the law would have made sense in the 1960s). Richard Floridas research on cities that excel in creating an entrepreneurial economy confirms they embrace the 3-Ts: Talent, Technology and Tolerance. When Chattanooga first passed this ordinance in 2013 - it certainly got all of our attention. Could it be that Chattanooga - the city that in 1969 was declared the most polluted city in America by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency - was about to become truly progressive - and actually become a community that embraced the winning recipe of Talent, Technology (yes, they have The Gig - the ultra high speed internet), AND Tolerance? Everything appeared to be lining up for Tennessees 4th largest city to actually outshine some of the larger urban markets by becoming a place were everyone was welcome and all citizens are treated equally. Last night, the voters of Chattanooga determined that they were not interested in that distinction - and the status quo was just fine with them. WHY DOES THIS MATTER? It matters because talented technology workers want to live in places with a “thick” labor market (one with many attractive employment options). Thick labor markets develop in places where talented individuals feel immediately comfortable, find other creative people in many fields, and have the opportunity to make an immediate contribution – places that welcome and value people of every kind. In short, tolerance attracts talent; and talent attracts technology-driven growth. In the knowledge economy, successful cities will insure that their people climate is especially appealing to young creative people, a group typically neglected by city boosters. These young people, willing to work long hours free of family constraints, play an important role in the knowledge economy. Plus, they are highly mobile, making them the best target of opportunity for cities and companies attempting to expand their creative pool. It is clear that in the new economy, cities that opt to rely solely on homegrown talent to be competitive are gambling with their futures, and increasingly, the game of economic growth will be played out in battles to attract the brightest young, mobile professionals. The cities that succeed will in fact be talent magnets. So, this AM Im feeling sad for my friends in Chattanooga who have worked so hard trying to build the startup entrepreneurial community there. I commend you for the progress you are making - but until your city embraces this noble concept ... We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable Rights, that among these are Life, Liberty and the pursuit of Happiness... - and until all your citizens are treated equally - theres much work to be done if you wish to actually build your creative class, attract knowledge workers, and build a smart city economy of the future. wrcbtv/story/26227355/domestic-partnership-vote-controversy
Posted on: Fri, 08 Aug 2014 09:27:52 +0000
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