If only the business community were able to spend more time on Smith Hill doing what it did for the cover story of this week’s edition.
A half-dozen leaders from the for-profit and nonprofit world sat down and talked about their business, government’s role in the economy, workforce issues and economic equity. In an hourlong roundtable discussion, the participants did not solve all the state’s problems, but they did identify some areas that would be a good place to start.
• Workforce: Participants from nearly all sectors noted that between changing demands (many technology-based), and compensation, Rhode Island’s dearth of job candidates is holding the state back.
• Regulation: An independent history, with 39 nearly sovereign communities, is often an impediment to growth in the state. While much has been done, more simplification and rationalization of regulations needs to happen.
• Incentives: Again, nearly universal agreement that Gov. Gina M. Raimondo’s approach to business attraction strikes the right balance between trying to lure big names here and supporting existing businesses, although there has not been enough talk about the latter, while the former has the potential to tip the state in the wrong direction. As one participant said, using a baseball analogy, singles, walks and stolen bases are just as important as the occasional home run for success.
And while 2018 was generally seen as a strong year for the Ocean State, challenges loom in the coming year, locally based as well as the ones beyond the uncertainty that emanates from Washington, D.C.