Ed Morrison · Kasich: Taking the easy way out

June 5th, 2011

Brent Larkin has an interesting piece in yesterday’s paper: ‘Tough luck’ attitude hurts Kasich’s cause

It brought to mind a recent publication of the National Governors Association on the fiscal plight facing the states. Rather than simply taking the easy way out and cut budgets for schools and local government, the state government might do better to rethink some of its core functions.

This NGA brief provides a good start in thinking along those lines.

Surely, the structure of state and local government appropriate for the 1920’s will not meet the challenges of today. What ninety year old organizational design could withstand the remarkable shifts underway in the global economy?

Just as certain: the simple-minded strategy of whacking away at old structures with draconian budget cuts will create long term, unintended consequences.

We need innovation in government, just as we need to rethink the role of universities, foundations and business in rebuilding our civic economy. This type of open innovation requires a different type of civic leadership. The gun-slinger tough guy talk that we see from governors Kasich and Walker might play well on Fox News, but it is not the type of leadership that will stimulate civic innovation.

For that, we need a more mature leadership that will encourage and reward experimentation, deep collaboration, and continuous learning about what works. Above all, we need more pragmatism, less ideology.

State Government After the Great Recession

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