People the key to our expanding global economy
My father used to say the reason we have more of the world's bounty is because we get more out of our people than any other country. Our citizens are responsible for our nation's innovation and productivity -- major sources of American economic success.
In recent years, however, the gap between the United States and the rest of the world has quickly closed. America is facing some of the fiercest competition I've seen in my lifetime. Maintaining our competitive edge in this global environment will take a reinvestment in our number one resource: our people.
We must begin to produce highly-educated workers who have the skills and knowledge to address the challenges we face. We must also focus on developing the technology needed to become energy independent and less reliant on foreign sources of oil.
When I recently completed my annual tour of Appalachian Ohio and witnessed first-hand some of the tremendous successes in the region, discussing these pressing issues were at the top of my agenda.
The Appalachian Regional Commission (ARC) shares my priorities and believes that the most valuable investment that can be made in a region is in its people. ARC plays a key role in fostering economic development and improving the quality of life for the 23 million people who live and work in Appalachia. That is why I am committed to passing my legislation to reauthorize ARC at $510.9 million over five years as soon as possible.
My reauthorization legislation creates the designation of economically "at risk" counties and provides an appropriate federal matching rate for ARC-funded projects in those counties. It also creates an Economic and Energy Development Initiative for the region.
Much of my recent tour focused on helping the region reach its full economic potential in the area of energy-related and high-tech jobs. I was very excited to host a roundtable discussion with energy stakeholders in Meigs County to discuss how the region can take advantage of economic development opportunities in today's changing energy landscape. Public and private sector leaders focused on the role ARC can play in helping Appalachian Ohio realize successful energy-related economic development in relation to the new Energy & Economic Development Initiative.
Bottom line: we focused on how to bring jobs and progress to the region.
I also had the opportunity to attend an Energy Institute Briefing at Hocking College and officially present the college with a $192,000 grant check from ARC to help prepare workers for the alternative energy field. I strongly supported this grant and wrote a letter to ARC asking that it be approved. Hocking College is Ohio's only technical college with a complete alternative energy associates degree program. They are leading an effort to create an "Energy Institute" that will enable the expansion of fuel cell and alternative energy programs and provide a mechanism to synergize local energy-related economic development efforts.
Finally, I was extremely excited to participate in a "graduation ceremony" at Ohio University (OU) highlighting the tremendous success of the OU Innovation Center. The Innovation Center has helped transform the region's economic landscape, allowing new knowledge-based and high-tech businesses to take root in southeastern Ohio. With the help of a $1 million ARC investment, the Innovation Center had the resources necessary to incubate the bio-medical research company Diagnostic Hybrids, which has quickly become one of the nation's fastest-growing companies.
By putting its resources where they are most needed, ARC has made impressive progress in the region and provided incredible opportunities for the people of Appalachian Ohio.
The poverty rate in the region has dropped from 31 percent to 13 percent and the infant mortality rate has been reduced by two-thirds. The percentage of adults in the region with a high school diploma has increased to over 70 percent and the number of severely distressed counties has decreased by more than 65 percent. In the last five years, the Commission has funded infrastructure projects creating or retaining 136,000 jobs and over 183,000 households have the benefits of clean water and sanitation facilities.
Despite all the impressive accomplishments of the ARC, there is still much work to be done. The region faces many economic and social challenges that will not be overcome without serious commitment and support from the federal government.
After witnessing all the wonderful strides being made in the region, I promise to continue to dedicate the time and energy necessary for the region to fully realize its economic potential.
I hope that my colleagues will join me in this pursuit to keep the region and our nation competitive in the 21st century global marketplace.