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Table
The absence of a clear and unifying economic development vision and policy was the major theme of both the economic development stakeholders (Table 3) and Black business leaders (Table 4) comments and observations. The vision/policy issue was repeatedly raised in response to questions pertaining to impediments to economic development within Miami-Dade County. While several stakeholders pointed to the lack of political leadership on this issue, most of the respondents felt that the problem was attributed more to a lack of understanding of economic development. However, several of the stakeholders commented that the absence of a coherent and unifying economic development policy is deliberate. They stated that there is a “white” economic development vision/policy embodied in One Community One Goal(R) and separate, Black economic development visions/ policies found in MMAP, the Urban Economic Revitalization Plan and The Empowerment Zone.
1. “Absence of a coherent and unifying economic development vision and policy”
Sample Interview Quotes
“We need a vision to guide the economic development process.”
“No one has a clear purpose. There are no shared objectives with agreements. There is no leadership to stay the course and implement.”
“I have never seen a community with so much money to put out and with no idea of what to do with it.”
“The private sector needs to see a management structure that they understand. The private sector doesn’t know what to do with the county.”
“The business community does not believe us anymore. They ask, why should we put our efforts in this again?”
“Miami-Dade has no economic development vision.”
2. Isolation and alienation of the African-American community
Lack of progress and the failure of past planning efforts have created a general feeling of isolation and alienation within the AfricanAmerican community. Stakeholders and community and business leaders of different races expressed that there is a general feeling of
2. “Isolation and alienation of the African-American community”
Sample Interview Quotes
“There is a sense of hopelessness in the Black community.”
“What exists is a benign ambivalence towards Blacks.”
“There is no commitment from the community to improve the conditions of Black areas.”
“Our Black communities remain Balkanized.”
