The New Economy
A report by a Washington think tank on how well states are adapting to the New Economy has pointed out quite dramatically where Rhode Island is failing to transition from a manufacturing-based to a knowledge-based economy.
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Education, funding for entrepreneurial efforts, Internet connections for government and schools, are among areas in which the report by the Progressive Policy Institute’s Technology & New Economy Project said Rhode Island is trailing much of the nation.
“In the new economy,” the report suggests, “states’ economic success will increasingly be determined by how effectively they can spur technological innovation, entrepreneurship, education, specialized skills, and the transition of all organizations – public and private – from bureaucratic hierarchies to learning networks.”
Gone are the days of “state-level economic tricks,” such as “giveaways, tax holidays, and other business incentive,” the report said. The rules have changed and what states need to do is invest in the skills of the workforce, in an infrastructure for innovation; promote innovation and customer-oriented government; and foster the growth of a digital economy, and civic collaboration.
The formula for this New Economy is exciting, offering major possibilities, if the political leadership of Rhode Island is willing to shed some old-line perspectives for new values. And if the leadership, administratively and legislatively, are willing to take the political risks that will foster the kind of educational- and knowledge-based growth that can help reshape the Rhode Island economy so it can prosper in the decades to come.
The Economic Policy Council and particularly through the creation of the Slater Fund and Centers of Excellence, has begun the process, but clearly we need to accelerate the pace if we are to prosper in a New Economy.
New focus for airport
Our much acclaimed T.F. Green Airport must not rest on its well-deserved laurels. T.F. Green has enjoyed record breaking passenger numbers in recent years and is no doubt a major reason that Rhode Island’s tourism industry has provided such a boost to the local economy.
The airport is clean, convenient and well run.
But the airport is not breaking records when it comes to on-time arrivals or departures. Nor has it distanced itself from the competition in terms of reports of lost luggage. In those areas of service, T.F. Green comes up decidedly average.
According to the U.S. Department of Transportation’s “Air Travel Consumer Report,” nearly 75 percent of all flights arriving at T.F. Green are on time. As are 82 percent of all departures. That’s a slightly better record than Manchester, N.H. and Boston’s Logan Airport. But it’s not as impressive as the numbers turned in at Hartford, Atlanta, Charlotte or Washington, D.C.
Our point is this: T.F. Green has been on an enviable roll and has emerged as a major player in the airlines industry. It deserves all the credit it gets – and then some. But we want to make sure it stays that way.
The challenge for T.F. Green is to work with the carriers to improve arrival and departure times and to emerge with a reputation not only for accessibility, cleanliness and order, but for record breaking arrival and departure numbers.
There is no time to wait. In the coming months, Southwest, the airline that helped turn T.F. Green around, will be flying out of nearby Hartford. Competition will only increase.
We’re confident that T.F. Green has what it takes to succeed. But we also see room for improvement.
