Gov. Mike Easley says he won’t forget this state’s rural areas. In fact, he made that theme the cornerstone of his inaugural speech this past weekend. Let’s hope he means it.

We know that Al Gore won the Northeast and the Midwest on Nov. 7. And we know from recent U.S. Census Bureau releases that it is the South and the West that are growing fastest. States in this region have gained clout by adding new congressional seats, while those in the Northeast and Midwest gave up seats. All this, we are told, will make it even harder for Democrats to make up any ground in the 2002 elections.

But more important to consider, I think, for those of us living in this “growing” region, is how our state government leaders will act as a new truth comes to bear -- this new South and West are dominated by large cities, by urban areas. That is a change that could have far-reaching effects.

Georgia is a good example. Atlanta has grown so fast it has become one of the country’s largest urban centers. The rest of Georgia has grown, but the state’s 26.4 percent growth rate in the last decade has largely been fueled by this one urban area. As power centralizes in and around Atlanta, one wonders what will happen in south Georgia and other less affluent parts of the state.

North Carolina faces the same challenges. We don’t have one city that is dominating growth, but our urban areas are growing much faster than the rest of the state. Sure, there are exceptions, places like Macon County where growth in the last decade was estimated at 24.6 percent, compared to the state’s rate of 21.4 percent.

This state’s 10 largest counties, however, still have about 32 percent of the state’s 8 million residents. Counties like Mecklenburg (Charlotte), Wake (Raleigh), Guilford (Greensboro), Cumberland (Fayetteville) and Forsythe (Winston-Salem) will have legislative delegations larger than the entire contingent from the seven western counties that make up our region.

When it comes time to hand out money for roads and economic development, who will win the legislative battle? When grants for environmental or recreation projects are awarded, will we get our share? When we look for pilot projects on which to model statewide education or human service reforms, it doesn’t take a genius to guess where those reforms will originate.

In the past, this state and others across the Sunbelt have treated their rural areas with a kind of paternal respect. Perhaps that was because the political power structure was dominated by people who grew up in small towns or on farms. Outgoing North Carolina Gov. Jim Hunt, raised on the farm in Wilson and a farmer still, is a manifestation of this truth. Ask anyone in state government how much clout farmers hold and they’ll hold their hands as wide apart as they’ll reach. Even incoming President George W. Bush fancies himself a rancher.

But the new Census figures confirm a trend that has been emerging for decades. The South and the West are now our dominant regions, and these regions are dominated by large cities. From Raleigh to Reno, from Phoenix to Knoxville, it as a place of fast-growing urban areas and high-tech industry. As the Jim Hunts and Jim Grahams of the world ride off to retirement, will the new leaders retain the same respect for those of us left in small towns?

In a very real way, those of us who value small towns have come to expect being a bit neglected when it comes to state and federal projects. It is almost like the price of admission to a way of life far different than our big-city brethren endure. Little crime, community schools and neighborly attitudes have their own worth. In the mountains, many take the attitude even further, smugly joking about ways to keep newcomers out.

If those who live in our cities elect representatives who think only of the interests of their urban constituents, we will become victims of this changing political landscape. Easley and others may talk about helping rural North Carolina, but time will tell if we get our share of the resources. If we don’t, it will be much harder to succeed as we try to protect rural landscapes, preserve our environmental heritage, maintain quality schools and build vibrant economies.
(McLeod can be reached at info@smokymountainnews.com)

 

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