Tuesday, 5 Nov 2002

ABINGDON, Va.

This Election Day, there are two referendums on the Virginia ballot that would create public bonds if enacted. The first would provide bond funding for new construction at the state’s universities, the second for state parks. They should pass, unless people are persuaded that this is some sort of “new tax.”

In Tennessee, the political spectrum has moved so far to the right that every candidate, whether Democrat or Republican, state or federal, vies for the dual honor of most anti-tax and most patriotic. The prevailing wisdom among Tennessee politicians, and to only a slightly lesser degree, Virginia’s, is this: Of course we all want first-rate education in public schools, community colleges and universities; seniors and poor people are entitled to decent health care; and we need jobs and facilities and vibrant downtowns to attract newcomers and keep our young people here; BUT, to do this doesn’t require taxes, only more government efficiency. Less fat. More “free” markets. After all, who knows better how to spend your money — you, or some bureaucrat in Nashville/Richmond/Washington?

Of course that last question is intended as a rhetorical one. But I wonder. I’ve known a number of these state and federal “bureaucrats” in agencies ranging from economic development to housing, from forestry to conservation and environment. And most of them, like most of us, have seen declining budgets, decreased job security, and increased pressure to perform, to achieve tangible outcomes. Certainly there’s variability, but overall I’d give them and the programs they administer something like a B-. Plenty of room for improvement, but pretty solid.

Would I rather that we invest in family farms, local businesses, arts and cultural institutions, and community-based organizations? Of course, in fact that’s something we actively work towards at ASD. But is that what most of us do when the government “stops picking our pockets and gives us back our hard-earned dollars”? No. If we’re affluent, we invest in fast-growth companies with hopes of an inordinately high return, with little effort on our part. (That’s why it’s called “unearned income.”) If we’re working or middle class, we invest in Wal-Mart and McDonalds. A Big Mac is one share, a cheap shirt made in China is two. We invest — all of us — in the demise of our own communities.

So, what’s the alternative? More central authority and control? More personal freedom? How about this: More local engagement and greater personal responsibility for our actions in the marketplace.

Last night, I spoke with Ed Davis, a professor at nearby Emory & Henry College. Along with several other faculty members, and some administrative staff, Ed is trying to steer (to nudge) the college toward the policy and practice of “sustainable procurement” — in this case local, organic foods in the school’s cafeterias, and local, environmentally sourced lumber for renovation and new construction. Through our organic farmers network and some low-cost, low-tech hoop-house production techniques, ASD could enable the college to meet a significant proportion of its food needs from local sources. As the number of organic, grass-finished meat producers increases in our area, even more of the students’ and faculty’s dollars could be directed locally. And, with the expansion of our solar dry kiln, and the initiation of the Nature Conservancy’s Conservation Forestry Program, ecologically managed, private forestlands could provide the wood for trim, flooring, tables and desks on the Emory & Henry campus.

Efforts like this are already underway in some communities. Check out, for example, the work of Vermont Family Forests and its partnership with Middlebury College.

Tomorrow, we’ll begin to explore the details of ASD’s efforts to regionalize our economy and promote sustainable livelihoods. In the meantime, let’s stop buying shares in the global juggernauts.