Op-ed: Regional economic recovery needs everyone's input

By Karthick Ramakrishnan, The Press-Enterprise |
Inland Empire, California –

The Director of the Center for Social Innovation, Karthick Ramakrishnan, wrote an opinion piece in The Press-Enterprise calling for a continuation of the “significant progress over the last several years in recognizing the value of having inclusive coalitions on matters ranging from education planning (Growing Inland Achievement), to economic development (Inland Economic Growth and Opportunity) and Census outreach.” 

Talks behind how to reopen the economy in the IE during the COVID-19 pandemic appear to leave out community voices such as folks representing immigrants, low-income residents, nonprofits, elders, and the youth. 

It's not too late to welcome their thoughts: “If the region wishes to build a strong and smart economic recovery strategy that also has deep support and legitimacy, leaders should rapidly pivot to build more inclusive recovery coalitions. Otherwise, we can anticipate many more marathon public comment sessions and voter anger at the ballot box in November and beyond. And, more troubling for our region’s future, we could see ill-advised decisions that take years if not decades to correct."

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