In June, President Obama created the White House Rural Council, saying it would help his administration better address issues in rural America. Last month, the council released a report, "Jobs and Economic Security for Rural America," essentially a talking paper for a wide range of administration initatives. Most rural advocates might be disappointed in the report, which is "basically a campaign document, not a blueprint for laying out problems and calling people to action," writes Rick Cohen, national correspondent for the Nonprofit Quarterly.
The report doesn't mention non-profits or foundations, and Obama didn't mention them or public-private partnerships in a speech in Peosta, Iowa, at what was billed as the White House Rural Economic Forum. Cohen writes that the speech was more of a hackneyed attempt to garner votes than an effort to enlighten people about rural America's problems and how to fix them. (2009 photo)
"A forum plus 'commitments' that involve no new laws and no new resources, just repositioned or retargeted dollars, as he said in his speech, don’t do much, and the words feel like American exceptionalism cheerleading, not a solid response to the poverty of rural America," Cohen writes. He adds that of America's 200 poorest counties, 192 are rural. (Read more)
"A forum plus 'commitments' that involve no new laws and no new resources, just repositioned or retargeted dollars, as he said in his speech, don’t do much, and the words feel like American exceptionalism cheerleading, not a solid response to the poverty of rural America," Cohen writes. He adds that of America's 200 poorest counties, 192 are rural. (Read more)
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