The Washington, D.C. region is known as a place brimming with wealth, but those of us who live and work here know it’s one of the most unequal places in America—a region with wide differences in health and life expectancy depending on race/ethnicity, socioeconomic status and where one lives.
Many of us in this region have been working tirelessly to make the economic system work better by advancing minimum and living wage campaigns, battling wage theft, protecting safety net benefits and reforming our workforce system. But, are we so hunkered down that we don’t have time to envision a #NewEconomy that works for everyone?
This new economy would mean:
- For those who can work, a good job is available;
- Good jobs aren’t reserved for the privileged few. People in low-income communities and communities of color have the same opportunity to have a good job;
- Everyday people have a voice in shaping our economy;
- A triple bottom line economy is the rule not the exception. The economy is good for people, good for profit and good for the planet; and
- A recognition that there are enough resources for all of this to happen. While we have been led to believe that there is scarcity, there is actually plenty for everyone to be well.
However, this new economy won’t happen magically. We created the current economy, and we can reshape it to better fit our needs. In 2016, let’s work together on the following:
- An assessment of all businesses in the Washington, D.C. region to help them determine their impact on their workers, the local community and the environment. New York City’s Best for NYC campaign is a model to consider.
- Local governments incentivize businesses that create good jobs, especially those that adopt principles and practices of profit-sharing and shared decision-making by workers.
- Local governments use racial equity tools when approving new business and development projects to determine how low-income communities and communities of color will be affected. A new partnership to advance racial equity in governments may be a good resource.
- The social sector comprised of nonprofit organizations and foundations use their resources to engage communities in holding local governments accountable for their progress on building a new economy.
We need a #NewEconomy, one that shifts away from conventional theories of ownership and growth and is instead created on a foundation of democratic ownership. More of the same is not an option.
