The Florida Rural Economic Development Summit kicked off Thursday in St. Augustine with leaders grappling with how to prepare the Sunshine States 32 struggling rural counties for the new economy.
Most of the states 32 rural counties -- those with less than 125,000 population and with an economic base resting on agriculture -- are in the Panhandle and northern part of the state, though there are a handful in the southern region. The following counties fall under that designation: Baker, Bradford, Calhoun, Columbia, De Soto, Dixie, Flagler, Franklin, Gadsden, Gilchrist, Glades, Gulf, Hamilton, Hardee, Hendry, Highlands, Holmes, Jackson, Jefferson, Lafayette, Levy, Liberty, Madison, Nassau, Okeechobee, Putnam, Suwanee, Taylor, Union, Wakulla, Walton and Washington.
The 250-or-so attendees worry about the ongoing sputtering economy because the rural counties lag behind the rest of the state in curbing high unemployment --an issue also on the minds of elected officials.
Severe economic issues have dominated news headlines for the last few years as the global recession has caused a hailstorm of bankruptcies and bailouts, noted Agriculture Commissioner Adam Putnam in a letter to attendees. With corporate America cutting costs, rural communities have more opportunities than ever before to become beneficiaries of the new economy by offering cost-saving advantages and incentives to struggling businesses.
I am confident our economy will recover with the assistance of rural communities, the commissioner added.
This is an important time, insisted Putnam County Commissioner Brad Purcell, chairman of the Small County Coalition. Floridas rural communities have the highest unemployment and have been losing ground on the economic front. Floridas rural officials would gladly fast-track, provide exemptions, help with incentives and, most importantly, provide a welcome community for businesses that provide jobs.
Patrick Lien, director of broadband services for the North Florida Broadband Authority (NFBA), said he hopes to solve that problem by pushing increased high-speed Internet in rural areas. Lien offered the keynote address to the summit Thursday morning, focusing on the need for increased communication technologies in rural Florida -- and reminding listeners about global competition.
We are operating on a global stage, insisted Lien, who noted that China will soon have more English speakers than any other nation.
Looking at the portions of the state and nation that are underserved, Lien said that it is expensive for private companies to provide high-speed Internet to these areas.
Its not anybodys fault, said Lien. Its simply a matter of economics.
The North Florida Broadband Authority, funded by federal stimulus dollars, is a government agency looking to expand high-speed Internet in the following rural counties: Baker, Bradford, Columbia, Dixie, Gilchrist, Hamilton, Jefferson, Lafayette, Levy, Madison, Putnam, Suwannee, Taylor, Union and Wakulla.
Lien offered an overview of the challenges and the opportunity for public and private organizations looking to deliver Internet services in rural areas.
What we have here is a pivotal opportunity, said Lien, who believes that increased communications technology will lead to greater economic development and job creation with remoter workers in the technology industries. He also maintains that expanded communications technology will offer a boost for education and health care in the rural counties.
Lien said that the increased communication technology would reshape the rural counties in the Sunshine State dramatically, comparing it to the railroad development that changed Florida at the end of the 19th and start of the 20th centuries and the expansion of air conditioning.
Gov. Rick Scott, who will be speaking to the summit Friday morning, welcomed the attendees with a letter. The Florida Rural Economic Development Summit continues to be an exceptional event that allows attendees the opportunity to experience a diverse range of high-quality, interactive educational sessions, wrote Scott.
Scotts reforms in Tallahassee had the backing of some of the conference attendees.
Governor Scott is dramatically and appropriately increasing Floridas focus on job creation and economic development, insisted Purcell. Governor Scotts comments and actions in this area are welcomed by officials in Floridas small rural counties.
Purcell praised Scott for looking to create a state department of commerce. He called on the governor to streamline state development efforts, enact a strategy to lure jobs and businesses to rural counties while protecting the current positions, and establish a position in the administration to push for rural economic development.
Reach Kevin Derby at kderby@sunshinestatenews.com or at (850) 727-0859.
