The Alliance for Regional Development’s President and CEO Kelly O’Brien recently submitted a Voice of the People to the Chicago Tribune in response to an editorial the paper ran encouraging more economic development to be done at the regional level. The paper ran her submission and below is a copy.
Benefits of a Regional Economy
Monday’s editorial encouraging more cooperation and less competition throughout the Chicagoland region for economic development is an important reminder that the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development provided this region a road map for growth. Working together can benefit Illinois, Wisconsin and Indiana.
The whole is greater than the sum of the parts, and our three states, scaling assets, will make the region truly competitive both nationally and internationally. Other regions around the world are seeing great successes and we have a chance to lead the U.S. by example. The OECD Review called the luring of employers across jurisdictional lines “petty, harmful competition.” In spite of this, the exercise of traditional economic development” — business location and relocation — does not preclude decision-makers from collaborating and seizing cutting-edge economic development initiatives.
Businesses and customers don’t care about political boundaries, so our economic development activities should not be limited by them. We completely agree with your findings that political infighting and jurisdictional concerns hold us back, but change is happening. The Alliance for Regional Development continues to engage stakeholders, building valuable networks and identifying opportunities to grow the regional economy.
A platform now exists for articulating and implementing regionwide plans.
We hope that the Marquette Law and Public Policy June poll of tri-state residents, which shows 61 to 72 percent of respondents say they prefer political leaders who consider regional interests rather than only look out for their own state, is a wake-up call for elected officials to think bigger, knowing that the public will support such efforts.
We can keep the rivalry among sports teams, but let’s put it aside when it comes to 21st-century global competitiveness.
— Kelly O’Brien, President and CEO, Alliance for Regional Development, Chicago