Don't try this at home Monday, July 25, 2005 Corruption and economic development do not mix. Last week, newspapers in Cleveland revealed a federal probe into the city's activities under the former mayor. The administration of former Mayor Mike White allegedly engaged in a widespread extortion scheme. Read more. After an effective turnaround starting in the early 1980's under Mayor Voinovich, the city began to stall in the 1990's under Mayor White. Now we can see why. Bureaucratic corruption undercuts economic growth. This issues has been explored in far more detail in international economic development. See, for example, a recent commentary on the impact of corruption on sub-Saharan Africa. Read more. Transparaency International represents one organization focused on addressing issues of corruption. Corruption is generally understood by civic leaders operating in a regional economy infected by these practices. People know what is going on. While the facts may not rise to the level of a newspaper report, suspicions about shady business practices circulate just below the surface. That is certainly true in Cleveland, where rumors concerning Mayor White's administration have been circulating for years. In my experience, corruption generally appears when the civic leadership of the business community is weak, apathetic or compromised. Unethical political leaders can then operate their schemes with little regard for the long term consequences. posted by Ed Morrison |		This work is licensed under a Creative Commons License. links Some Background on EDPro Weblog The purpose of this weblog is to help economic development professionals -- EDPros -- keep up with the changes sweeping our profession. Strap on your goggles. It's a whole new game. There are no experts any more. The only place to learn about economic development is from other EDPros who are doing it. One other point: the prevaling approach (paradigm, if you like) in economic development is shifting from competition to collaboration. There are a lot of reaasons underlying this shift, but here's the important insight: You, your community, and your region will do better by collaborating and sharing information. So, spread the word...Share the knowledge. Tell a friend about EDPro Weblog. If you are using a news reader, here is the link to syndicate this site: Here's the link if you are a bloglines subscriber: Speaking and workshops on Open Source Economic Development As the idea of Open Source Economic Development starts spreading, more people are asking about it. Visit the I-Open web site to learn more. My colleagues and I are happy to explain the basic concepts in a talk or a workshop. E-mail Susan Alshuler if you'd like to learn more about workshops and speaking. Background on Ed Morrison Download some background information on me here.

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