The Best of Times, the Worst of Times: An Unconventional Conclusion

• Author: Parris N. Glendening
• DOI: 10.1177/0160323X20933660
• Published date: 01 December 2019
• Date: 01 December 2019
• Subject Matter: Articles

Article
State and Local Government Review
2019, Vol. 51(4) 310-317
The Best of Times, the Worst
ª The Author(s) 2020
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of Times: An Unconventional
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DOI: 10.1177/0160323X20933660
Conclusion
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Parris N. Glendening1
Keywords
equity, infrastructure, federalism
The contributing authors in this Special Issue
As with the distribution of aggregate income, the
either directly or by reference note the impact
share of U.S. aggregate wealth held by upper-
of many of these challenges. Mosley, for exam-
income families is on the rise. From 1983 to
ple, talks about the persistent rural poverty of the
2016, the share of aggregate wealth going
past fifty years. Looking both at the causes and
to upper-income families increased from 60%
impacts of poverty, Gallardo writes that digital
to 79%. Meanwhile, the share held by middle-
exclusion “is perhaps the gravest threat to com-
income families has been cut nearly in half, fall-
munity and economic development today with
ing from 32% to 17%. Lower-income families
significant social equity implications” (emphasis
had only 4% of aggregate wealth in 2016, down
from 7% in 1983.
added). Several authors note impacts are felt on
the most basic services (e.g., Giloth on education
and workforce development).
This is not just about tax structure or the top
Because of the very real threats to our nation
5 percent of the families owning 80 percent
from the three aforementioned systemic fail-
of the country’s wealth. It is about health care,
ures, I forgo the traditional conclusion and ask
affordability, and access to college and afford-
that each of the chapters be viewed through the
able housing. It is about workforce training,
prism or lens of equity, the infrastructure crisis,
access to broadband, and the inability to build
and the collapse of a functioning federalism/
equity through home ownership. And, yes, it
intergovernmental system. Accordingly, the
is about race and linguistic minorities. As Pew
overview of this conclusion is a focus on the
and many other researchers report, these dispa-
extent of the equity crisis, illustrated by its
rities are more pronounced in differences
impact on the extraordinary infrastructure chal-
between rural and urban areas.
lenges the nation faces and concluding with
The many studies cited by John Accordino
real concern about the ability of the federal sys-
in his introduction to this issue of State and
tem to respond as needed.
Local Government Review make clear the
1
Equity
Leadership Council, Smart Growth America, Washington,
DC, USA
Alarm bells should be ringing. We will face
continuing economic and humanitarian crises
Corresponding Author:
Parris N. Glendening, Leadership Council, Smart Growth
if we do not address the growing inequity in
America, 1152 15th Street NW, Suite 450, Washington,
America. The Pew Research Center (2020)
DC 20005, USA.
writes:
Email: pglendening@smartgrowthamerica.org

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Glendening
311
inequalities are often reflected in the political
toxic stress and ultimately sustain health and
divide in American politics today. It is not just
health care disparities” (CDC 2020).
the issue of rural inequities, but also it is
The overlap of growing inequities and polit-
increasingly about the extraordinary concentra-
ical ideologies has led to a repeated paralysis at
tion of growth, income, and opportunity based
the national level. The states and their local
on the expanding knowledge-based economy
governments increasingly are the front line in
in the mega metropolitan areas leaving the
the battle against coronavirus and economic
smaller metros, suburbs, and rural areas far
collapse (Balz 2020). The stories of innovation,
behind with growing political bitterness.
cooperation, and coordination among local
In a speech to the Democratic National Con-
governments covered by most of the contribu-
vention in 2004, Senator John Edwards used
tors to this volume suggest strongly that coun-
the phrase “two Americas” to describe the great
ties and municipalities, not the national
wealth divisions between what he called the
government, will be at the forefront of reducing
“privileged and the wealthy” versus “those who
inequalities in their communities. The same
live pay check to pay check.” Today, the “two
conclusion seems clear in the close coordina-
Americas” is much more likely to include a
tion and cooperation by the states. Witness the
major difference based on where you live. The
collaborative work of Maryland, Virginia, and
difference is not only about social economic
Washington, District of Columbia, or of Cali-
statistics and the pain felt by entire families,
fornia, Oregon, and Washington or of the
often for generations, but also now about loca-
Northeastern states working together under the
tion. This has led to the concentration of intense
leadership of New York Governor Cuomo.
political views. Futurist Florida (2018) writes
“ . . . growing spatial inequality has registered
A Collapsing Infrastructure
itself in a deepening political divide.”
The Brookings Institution notes the political
America’s roads, bridges, and tunnels are in
implications of “a dramatic gap between two
very poor shape and often dangerous, even
Americas—one based in large, diverse, thriving
deadly. Major bridge collapses such as I-35
metropolitan regions; the other found in more
West in Minneapolis in 2017 killing 13 and
homogeneous small towns and rural areas
injuring 145 are visible testament to the state
struggling under the weight of economic stag-
of our infrastructure. Similar examples are
nation and social decline” (Hendrickson, Muro,
found across the country (e.g., California,
and Galston 2018).
Michigan, or Washington).
The twin crises of 2020—the coronavirus
The American Society of Civil Engineers
and collapse of the economy—have placed
(ASCE) gives this country an overall rating of
these inequities and geographic differences in
Dþ for the condition of our infrastructure.
the public spotlight for all to see. As one major
Lowest rating goes to transit with a D (ASCE
illustration, the Center for Disease Control and
2019). More damming, perhaps, are the daily
Prevention (CDC 2020) reports “death rates
headlines in the ASCE Press Clips (e.g., “LA’s
among Black/African American persons (92.3
Crumbling Infrastructure: An Ounce of Good
deaths per 100,000 population) and Hispanic/
News and a Ton of Bad News”; ASCE 2020).
Latino persons (74.3) that were substantially
The big challenge facing discussion of infra-
higher than...