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| REMARKS AS PREPARED FOR DELIVERY SANDY K. BARUAH ASSISTANT SECRETARY OF COMMERCE FOR ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT - WHITE HOUSE ROUNDTABLE ON CORPORATE CITIZENSHIP - THE WHITE HOUSE WEDNESDAY, NOVEMBER 7, 2007 | AS PREPARED FOR DELIVERY
Thank you, Jay, for that kind introduction, and thank you for your leadership on behalf of the President. On behalf of Secretary Gutierrez, thank you for your commitment to public service and for serving as leading role models for corporate citizenship.Many people look to the government to determine what is right. Certainly, government is important, but the soul of America is in its individuals and institutions. When you look at the United States our commitment to our fellow man is clear – we are the most generous peoples on the earth, evidenced by both our individual and corporate philanthropy. As it does for our economy, the spirit of our individuals and companies lead the way for the American way of life and provide us the most compelling examples of doing the right thing. As the head of the Department of Commerce’s Economic Development Administration – the Federal agency focused on domestic economic development – I cannot overstate the importance of public-private partnerships to American economic and community development in the 21st century. In today’s worldwide marketplace, we all know competition no longer comes from just the company or county next door. Our competition comes from any person or any point on this globe with a good idea and a good Internet connection. Therefore, success in the 21st century economy requires a comprehensive, holistic approach to development. The role of the private sector in economic and community development is more critical now than ever before. The old model of development – of which the Federal government was the chief proponent a generation ago – was to simply spend vast government dollars in a community. We now understand today that government dollars alone – regardless of the amount – is not the panacea to create livable communities and economic opportunity. What we understand today is that, while governments at all levels – along with universities and other non-profit institutions – are important players, the private sector is the most important element of any successful economic and community development strategy. The most successful examples of economic and community development that I have seen in my travels across the United States as the head of the Economic Development Administration have been characterized by an active and engaged private sector. Too often, we still find areas where economic and community development are the domain of government entities talking to other government entities. Now, that’s not to say that collaboration between governments isn’t important – it is. In fact, it’s critical that we look beyond traditional political jurisdictions – the city boundary, the county line, even the division between States – and work together. Because the competitiveness of America’s companies is in large part tied to the competitiveness of the economic regions in which they do business. But one of the new realities of 21st Century economic and community development is that the private-public partnerships become more critical every day. The private sector should not just have a seat at the table, but should be actively engaged as full partners in strategies for economic growth. This is not just good policy, but, in my opinion, is a prerequisite to success in our global marketplace. Unless the private sector is ready, willing and able to invest in a community, economic growth simply will not occur, regardless of how much government spends. The private sector should be helping to shape – within the parameters of public accountability, of course – the development strategies that will lead to more livable communities, and more higher-skill, higher-wage jobs. That’s what today’s discussion is all about, and I commend the White House of Office of Faith-Based and Community Initiatives for convening this roundtable on corporate citizenship. On behalf of the Secretary of Commerce, thank you for the invitation to be here. # # # # # #
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