Columbia: From Good To Great
The Greater Columbia Chamber of Commerce recently has promoted the concept of taking Columbia from a "good" city to a "great" city. Jim Collins's best selling book, Good to Great, explains how most companies and organizations settle for achieving a level of success that is good but not exceptional. Only a select few put forth the required effort and persistence to reach the highest level. The chamber has identified seven issues needing improvement in order for Columbia to become a great city: economic development, transportation, homelessness, riverfront development, environment/quality of life, hydrogen fuel cell research/development and intergovernmental cooperation. Each issue has a task force that meets regularly to measure progress.
Let's accept the premise from the chamber that Columbia already is a good city. After watching Columbia grow for the past 18 years as part of its city magazine, I believe that many areas are already great. Columbia is a great place to live and raise a family. It is a great place to start a business. Believe it or not, Columbia has great weather, and there are a multitude of great things to do here for a city this size.
But, like the chamber, I feel there are areas upon which Columbia can improve. Over the past several years, the chamber has hosted trips to Nashville, Chattanooga, Austin, Raleigh and Columbus, Ohio, as examples of cities Columbia should emulate. These cities have one consistent element that Columbia lacks – competitiveness. They compete better in the global marketplace. In most respects, they and Columbia share many of the same attributes. Raleigh, Austin and Nashville are all capital cities with large universities and a high quality of life that is attractive for new companies and their work forces. The other cities have just used these resources in a more effective manner to attract quality growth than Columbia.
Along with the seven issues highlighted by the chamber, I believe Columbia is being held back by a weak local government and a poor education system. Without a strong mayor who is held accountable, leadership is diffused and fragmented. It takes a strong mayor with the power to make decisions and sell the city, just like the CEO of a major corporation, to take Columbia to a higher level. And as long as South Carolina brings up the rear in national scholastic achievement, Columbia will find it hard to compete in the global marketplace. Allowing school choice and unshackling charter schools from government interference would go a long way toward improving the situation.
Columbia is on the cusp of great things. An example of this is the development of Innovista and the greater collaboration between USC and the city. When we have an effective city government with a strong mayor, a highly educated work force as well as improvement upon the issues illustrated by the chamber, Columbia will achieve unstoppable momentum, taking it from good to great.
Sincerely,
Henry Clay
Publisher
About The Cover:
Amanda wears an Augusta Jones 'V' neck tank gown with a paisley band, an exclusive from Bella Vista Bridal in Columbia.
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