Before people complain about how we need to stop bringing in new things, incentives, or the General Assembly again, I want to deflect your annoyance to something productive. See this thinkpiece from the N&O:
https://www.newsobserver.com/news/business/article223039920.html
Like @Spero said, perception is reality -or at least, it becomes reality. If the Triangle remains a good place to work but doesn’t have the cultural capital to go above and beyond, there’s no incentive for it to do that -and society runs on autopilot. It’s a self-fulfilling destiny, a positive feedback loop of not moving radically upwards.
Sure, the article lists tons of good things that this state has accomplished. And that’s definitely a testament to how Wake County does a fairly good job; it makes a livable place with plenty of work, cheap(er) housing (than some places), good food, and even new development every once in a while. It’s a good place to be, to feel content, satisfied, and stable; it gets the job done.
That’s all you need if you want to survive, AND if everyone is equally fine with mediocrity. That’s fine, except that the United States likes diversity, freedom, and ass-kicking (none of which play nice with being “meh”). As a part of that kind of culture, we owe our neighbors the opportunity to do that, no matter where you stand personally.
And I think that’s where we dropped the ball. We, the people and stakeholders of Raleigh and the Triangle, failed to make the best opportunities that could be offered in our area possible.
I agree, John; we need a culture and heritage that we can be proud of. I’ve talked about this before several times (e.g. here and here), but if you care about Raleigh being the best it can be, this matters.
It’s not just a marketing ploy or an ego boost, but it (and the infrastructure like transit or education that directly contribute to it) shapes what opportunities are available. It shapes how people see you when you go outside of NC. It shapes what residents are capable of doing, which shapes what the city, county, and state can do.
Frequent public art contests can give more life to vibrant social/non-academic intellectual communities in Raleigh. Using Dix Park to solidify the Triangle’s food options can give Flavortown a run for its money. Chapel Hill is piloting a civic engagement program that could be a model of 21st-century democracy. There’s so many things we could do…
From the article:
“North Carolina is going to have its day,” [a business site selection consultant] said. “For states that have good assets, [the Army, Amazon, and Apple] losses, if they are used properly, you can make a pretty sharp spear point with it."
…so I have a question for everyone: how do we make that spear point? and can we do something as a community/website to get started?