Quite a challenge for small towns

Smaller communities across the country have been facing survivability issues in recent years and those in Northeast Arkansas are no exception.

Speakers at an economic forum in Jonesboro noted that growth numbers for the booming northwest corridor somewhat skewer the statistics for the state -- making it appear Arkansas (one of the most rural of states) is doing a bit better than is the reality.

In that same vein, one could argue that the Jonesboro-Paragould corridor has the same effect on the rest of this region, as more and more residents and dollars flow to those communities.

On more than one occasion it has been pointed out by Jonesboro business leaders that a local sales tax greatly benefits that community because so many shoppers from neighboring small towns contribute.

Rural Arkansas is struggling for a variety of reasons, among them the fact that industrial jobs that once came our way from the north are now skipping over us and going on to offshore locations. The likelihood of a small community landing such a manufacturing concern grows slimmer each day. The goods say "Made In China" not "Made In Rural Arkansas."

And this state certainly is not alone in that regard -- in fact, Arkansas is better off than some.

Consider this startling fact -- one can drive all the way from North Dakota to Texas and not pass through a single county with a positive growth rate.

It is becoming more apparent day by day that the only recourse for the small community is to develop from within -- no benevolent outside force will come in and make life materially better.

Mark Drabenstott of the Federal Reserve Bank of Kansas City said it is necessary to "reinvent the rural economy."

He notes that globalization has affected the rules of development because "all the world has cheap labor, cheap land and cheap taxes."

"Rural areas are going to have to grow businesses in their areas, not recruit them," he is quoted as saying in a column by Ray Laakaniemi.

"You will need to sell what you grow, not grow what you sell," Drabenstott said.

Venture capital and local entrepreneurs are the keys to such growth, as well as smaller communities working together in regional efforts.

Another major component in this effort is education. Local schools must continue to improve and the role of such institutions as Arkansas State University cannot be over-emphasized in terms of resources and guidance.

"The time is short, the stakes are high and the alternative is a third-world economy," Drabenstott said.

Smaller communities throughout Northeast Arkansas really must adjust thinking patterns and begin focusing on developing from within, using local resources and leadership.

The presence or absence of progressive and imaginative leadership will be the deciding factor in the success of one community and the failure of another.

There are resources out there to assist, but the impetus must come from within. It is a difficult challenge, particularly in light of societal and global changes, but the rewards will be great to those who follow the proper course.

--REK