Support our local leaders, who are assuming larger roles
The COVID-19 pandemic, according to National Public Radio, is likely to trigger the sharpest recession in the United States since the Great Depression. The Commerce Department released first-quarter numbers recently, and the gross domestic product fell at a 4.8% annual rate, the first quarterly drop since 2014 and the worst quarterly decline since 2008.
That means our local and county governments will be on the front lines of Pennsylvania’s response to the public health and economic crises created by COVID-19. We all are being forced to adapt to new realities, and local governments must now assume larger leadership roles.
Perceptions aside, local government is not the lowest form of government in Pennsylvania. It is the most powerful tool for communication and advocacy for our communities. We are in a time of transition, the process of defining a new normal. The way things used to be will surely not work moving forward. It is time for local elected officials to be the leaders their communities need.
This is a time to be assertive. Local elected officials, working in collaboration with their county commissioners, state representatives and senators, are better positioned than ever to have their voices heard in Harrisburg and Washington.
The NPR article called the recession “the worst in our lifetime,” and “the worst in the post-World War II era” and “the sharpest in the U.S. since the Great Depression.” Before we can discuss recovery, we need to stabilize our communities. Right now, it is unclear how the overall economy will respond. There is much at stake for local communities.
Communities that will emerge strongest are those that take decisive action now. You cannot wait for others to show the way. Remember, things were going pretty well eight weeks ago until stay-at-home orders pulled the rug out from under us. What will the next quarter bring? We cannot expect to snap our fingers, and everything will return to normal.
We all have a role to play is assisting local government. The time has come to be more assertive in supporting small businesses. Changes happening to local economies right now are unpredictable. While we must take care of our own limited resources, we need to be there for our local businesses to help them recover as quickly and vigorously as possible. Stop the destructive rhetoric on social media. Support your local government.
As of 2019, there were 2,101,245 of us living in Allegheny, Beaver, Fayette, Greene, Washington and Westmoreland counties – the southwest corner of Pennsylvania. We have unprecedented natural resources. And that combination gives us the ability to communicate powerfully, not only in Harrisburg but nationally.
Supporting our local, county, state and federal elected officials will make a profound impact on the recovery of our region and nation.
Jamie Protin is founder and principal of The Protin Group in Belle Vernon.
To submit business-related columns, email Rick Shrum at rshrum@observer-reporter.com.