tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12509286.post2783279578604077967..comments2024-03-01T07:43:16.529-06:00Comments on Smart City Memphis: Limping Memphis Economy Must Leap Into FutureUnknownnoreply@blogger.comBlogger5125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12509286.post-8864259471226544912008-04-23T08:59:00.000-05:002008-04-23T08:59:00.000-05:00Eef I stay in dis country as landscaper, mebbe I w...Eef I stay in dis country as landscaper, mebbe I work up to assistant greens keeper in 10 or mebbe 12 year.<BR/><BR/>sound good to my wife and 17 chicos.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12509286.post-85505580242721276342008-04-22T10:55:00.000-05:002008-04-22T10:55:00.000-05:00This'll be a nice Earth Day-ish post.Part of the i...This'll be a nice Earth Day-ish post.<BR/><BR/>Part of the issue facing Memphis' Economic Development is that there exists a mismatch between the labor pool and the well-paying jobs that can be filled presently. I have heard grumblings that we can't fill 1/4 of jobs because they require people who are a part of the much-discussed "knowledge economy" - those with higher and professional degrees. <BR/><BR/>Moreover, we have more than 100,000 people in Shelby County between the ages of 18-35 with less than or equal to a high school diploma (that's fully half the cohort in that age group) who are eligible essentially for unskilled, expendable workers - jobs with no career ladder, jobs in the service sector, jobs that do not pay a living wage.<BR/><BR/>These are jobs that rely on the same strategies of cheap products and cheap labor, jobs which perpetuate a subsistent, permanent underclass - which is part and parcel of this region's legacy and history. <BR/><BR/>There is good news, though. "Green collar jobs" - i.e. green jobs in the blue collar sector - pay a living wage, have benefits, and are good for the environment. And who knew that Memphis already has a strong foothold in the green economy? (Agriculture, landscaping, bicycling, energy efficient retrofitting, recycling...) What's more: green jobs deal with the problem of transportation because they are community-based, localized and easily accessible. <BR/><BR/>If we begin with the end in mind - thinking long-term about the future of our city - it is clear that we have to utilize the talents and skills of these 100,000+ people by investing in green jobs. Talking about the green economy changes the tone of the conversation about Memphis. No longer is this a city with high unemployment, high crime, high rates of concentrated poverty, low-wage jobs and dead-end policies. This is a city that invests in its viable workforce. We expend a lot of energy making Memphis "sellable" to the Knowledge Economy workers that exist in other cities - workers that we want to import and retain here in the Mid-South. Why not invest some energy in the workforce already here?<BR/><BR/>More good news: the green economy already has traction and political will - Sustainable Shelby is one great example. It's a realistic idea that will have immediate and long-term benefits for our community.<BR/><BR/>That's it. I'm done. Happy Earth Day :)Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12509286.post-18638007426332547972008-04-21T21:07:00.000-05:002008-04-21T21:07:00.000-05:00Although this plan have biotechnolgoy dropped into...Although this plan have biotechnolgoy dropped into it, it looks like more of the same poor jobs paying poor wages like logistics and tourism. Please not again. Or there's music and film. Of course, we've already thrown away tons of money trying to make music in the mold of the great chips moman failure, and if we want to be a movie center, we need to build the assets needed for it. It's just a typical dime a dozen plan that doesn't do anything for Memphis.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12509286.post-26291060807861501692008-04-21T13:32:00.000-05:002008-04-21T13:32:00.000-05:00"difference between a job and a local resident cap..."difference between a job and a local resident capable of filling that job." That's one huge reason we all know it's difficult to recruit more than low pay distribution jobs here. Many of memphis' best and brightest,black and white, leave to go to college and never come back, heck many of their parents TELL them not to come back. They're our most important export.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12509286.post-29622042082071060352008-04-20T21:38:00.000-05:002008-04-20T21:38:00.000-05:00You make a good point about job creation. I don't ...You make a good point about job creation. I don't believe in measuring the success of economic development programs in terms of jobs. However, it's worth noting that 27 percent of net job growth in Memphis between 2002 and 2007 was in positions paying, on average, below a living wage. There are some bright spots as well. For example, more than 1,000 jobs in science, technology, engineering, and math (STEM) were added during 2002-07, paying nearly $28 per hour on average. Of course, to your point about education, it's important to understand the difference between a job and a local resident capable of filling that job. But at least it's a start.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.com