Shifting from self-centered to community-centered

Northeast Ohio is a microcosm of America and a poster child for declining urban areas with a few positives. The area’s economic woes have been cultivating in the Petri dish of low educational attainment, 8 county/100+ small town politics and political self interest, marketing spin, uncoordinated and non-collaborative action, poverty, greed and incompetence. America’s present circumstances are not a direct result of the terrorist attacks of 9/11 but rather the culmination of factors over the last 30 years. 9/11 simply was the proverbial straw that was perceived as breaking the camel’s back. Americans have become so self-absorbed with wealth, fame, beauty and extravagant experiences that we have become a nation of isolationists, self-indulgent, heavily in debt (and weight) and only superficially connected to each other. We need instant gratification and are willing to pay the price for something that we alone will get – to hell with others. We are people infected with “me-ism”.

Americans define success by what they have, not by their character, and by what they have done, not by what they have done for others. We have become a people that are so self indulgent that we have accumulated billions of dollars in credit card debt but little in the way of savings. We are encouraged daily to charge more with new credit card offers in our mailboxes. When our debt becomes unbearable, we can file for bankruptcy (an increase of 43% in 2004 over a decade earlier) and get our extravagant spending excused only to start over again without having to repay debts to others. Our preoccupation with “self” and having the “good life” has made us the fattest and least healthy people in the world. Arrogance, unethical behavior and outright theft and dishonesty in government, and public and private corporations, are so rampant that it is ignored, spread and imitated by the young. Sports and entertainment figures are immune from censure and are rewarded for outrageous and immoral behaviors. Employees and pension programs have become commodities to be terminated at the will of power and greedy corporate managers. “Me-ism” surrounds us and bombards us hourly with excesses and extremism. Its “live for today and take what you want, for tomorrow you might not be here" mentality.

Is it no wonder that this is the world in which we live and are nurturing our children in today? It has driven up our divorce rate over the last 35 years because people do not want to work on “the relationship”. Our disposal mentality is diluting the environmental movement, and recycling. These things are too hard! We want “instant wealth” without the work – the lottery sells slim hope every day to many who can ill afford the price of the ticket because their families need the resources for more mundane things like rent and food – but it sells because it promises the “good life”. Ponzi and other get rich quick investment schemes lure more suckers every day, and in turn, lures more unscrupulous “financial advisors” to the sucker marketplace to offer their version of another great idea to make quick money.

With the disappointment of the Great Society programs of the 60’s and 70’s, there was another movement started by those who oppose a strong role for the Federal government. This force preaches the mantra of fewer taxes, less Federal control, more local flexibility by state and local government. Along with fewer taxes there are fewer resources to be distributed to the states and fewer still to local government. As a consequence, social programs have shrunk by the process of folding them into block grants and in turn, their purposes are redirected by local needs. Witness how many states and municipalities found themselves in financial crisis with the shifts in the amount of federal dollars but no less unfunded mandates over the last five years. Leaders at the highest levels of government promote the idea of private philanthropy as the savior of local communities ravaged by natural and economic disasters.

How do we shift from “me-ism” to “building a strong community”? First, let us recognize that change is going to take a generation of people. We must change our mode of thinking from short-term to long-term. It is going to take a long time of making incremental changes in the ways we relate to one another.

Second, we need to employ long-term, integrative strategies that are built on the principles of collaboration and coordination. These must be supported by a variety of consistent action about the value of community, cooperation and sacrifice for the greater good of all – not just a few. Americans must think more about the consequences of our actions on others – people, and places. Collaboration, cooperation, courage and care for others must occupy center stage in regional political and economic policy decisions, and action. It must also be recognized and celebrated as “the successful pathway of growth”. Third, we need to build primary and secondary educational achievement not only with the students but creatively engage all parents in supporting the process, exciting their children and demonstrating the value of education. We must aggressively address the cultural barriers to “not achieving” not only with children but also with their parents, and neighborhood influences. We cannot afford to let parents abdicate their responsibility in the education of their children and simply turn it over to schools. We have to take the rhetoric of political hacks out of school funding, student achievement and build a viable funding plan in Ohio.

We need to find creative ways to educate parents in and for a changing workforce.

Fourth, business and industry must think more about all their employees not just the ones at the top and decide on courses of action that will benefit themselves and others over the long term. If business and industry is to grow and succeed in Northeast Ohio, then we need to know what they think they need to do so in the long term, enable them to develop and provide structure for cooperative entrepreneurship.

Fifth, politicians must provide courageous leadership about what is good for many people and the community over the long term. For far too long our elected officials in Washington and other places, have spent too much time and our money insuring that they have a secure retirement while the rest of us work and worry. We need to give greater voice to moral leaders among us who will be the community’s conscience. The media should be engaged in the process of avoiding “political and marketing spin” and condemning hack theater.

Sixth, we need to begin collaborative and cooperative economic ventures among governments to improve the efficiency and effectiveness of these programs. Finally, we must all be willing to make sacrifices for awhile to make our community and the nation stronger. In a word, if we want Northeast Ohio to get better economically, we all have to sacrifice something for the common good and set our individual wants aside for awhile to get to a better future for all. We must ask – what will be good for all people – and act accordingly.

from Cool Cleveland reader Ed Balcerzak (:divend:)