Wednesday, September 17, 2008

Letter to the Editor -- Northwest Missouri Regional Council of Governments

On July 25th of this year, my family celebrated the arrival of our second daughter. True to form, the new baby brought out some "big picture" thoughts; and amid the beaming grandparents, camera flashes, and sleepless nights, I began to wonder about her future – our future – in northwest Missouri.

Let’s jump forward 18 years - past all the dirty diapers, skinned knees, spelling tests and piano recitals - when Ellie will graduate from high school. After receiving a firm educational foundation from one of northwest Missouri’s outstanding school systems, she will have the option of attending the college of her choice (mom and dad bleed Bearcat green, but no pressure there). What happens next, however, is one of the fundamental questions facing northwest Missouri today. What does northwest Missouri offer that encourages young people to settle here, raise a family here, and call this region "home"? Put another way, how do we keep my two daughters, and thousands of their classmates around northwest Missouri, from graduating high school or college and then moving away to a distant city or state, taking their enthusiasm, energy and tax dollars with them?

The unfortunate reality is that northwest Missouri is losing population. In 1900, the northwest Missouri region of Atchison, Gentry, Holt, Nodaway and Worth counties had a combined population of 96,898. In 2000, the U.S. Census Bureau reports that same region had a population of 42,936; a loss of over 55%! Making that statistic even more striking is that, for the same time period, the State of Missouri gained over two million people, an 80% increase from the 1900 population. This loss, at least in part, can justifiably be attributed to historical or economic events beyond local control, including the collapse of regional rail lines in northwest Missouri, the Farm Crisis of the early 1980’s, the dramatic transformation of the agrarian economy away from the small family farm, and the ongoing trend towards urbanization in the United States and throughout the world.

The question, then, is how do we, collectively, slow and eventually reverse the decline of northwest Missouri? In 2008, the Northwest Missouri Regional Council of Governments is celebrating its 40th anniversary. Since 1968, we have been working to support our local governments to help slow the decline of the region. Grant writing and administration, transportation planning, environmental stewardship, economic development support, and workforce development are the tools that we use to bolster the efforts of our local governments. But like the proverbial boy with his finger in a dyke, we plug one hole only to have three more open up. Maybe what we need, what northwest Missouri needs, are more fingers.

The only real way that northwest Missouri is going to compete with the likes of Omaha, San Francisco, or Beijing, is by working together to maximize all available resources, while at the same time looking beyond traditional economic development goals to establish an environment of innovation and excitement. That is to say, we must find that "special something" that keeps our people, young and old alike, rooted in northwest Missouri. Admittedly, this is no simple task, and will require an "outside the box" development and marketing approach to northwest Missouri’s natural, cultural, and human resources. As such, it will not be accomplished by any one person or organization; rather, a regional collaborative must work together to solve these issues and promote northwest Missouri. The alternative, the continued decline of population and living standards in of our corner of the state, is simply unacceptable.

The board members and staff of the Northwest Missouri Regional Council of Governments have spent the last 40 years passionately working for the future of northwest Missouri. It is our sincere hope that the next 40 years not only bring continued organizational good fortune, but also represent the rebirth of the northwest Missouri ideal and a renewed sense of entrepreneurship and growth for all of our member cities and counties. In fact, my kids – all northwest Missouri’s kids – are depending on it.

Tye Parsons
Executive Director
Northwest Missouri Regional Council of Governments

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