Harvard and fairy dust

by Ann Turner

Here’s the $3.5 million question: What does Wyoming need to do to develop an economy that isn’t so dependent on the minerals industry?

The state’s economic development agencies (of which there are many), the Wyoming Business Council along with every governor’s office and legislator over the past 40 years have been trying to answer that question, particularly during energy bust times.

But now there’s a new suggestion on the table to try to reverse Wyoming’s winds of fortune: Let’s hire Harvard!

For $3.5 million, the minds at the lauded university would spend two to six years analyzing Wyoming’s economy, finding “targeted industry development.” They would develop a team within the governor’s office and state agencies to “develop those industries,” according to reports by the Riverton Ranger.

The suggestion was made this week to the Legislature’s Joint Appropriations Committee as it considers suggestions on how to use more than $1 billion in federal American Rescue Plan Act money.

The suggestion to bring Harvard minds into the mix is just one of several proposals on how to use the money to ensure that Wyoming has a healthy future.

And yet, there’s something off-putting about it.

For example, Wyoming would be the first American state that Harvard has analyzed. Typically, it only works with nation-states. Dandy. Either Harvard is expanding its focus or Wyoming was just compared to a Third World Country.

If the latter is the case, then the true challenge isn’t to develop a viable economy in the state, it will be to change the minds of people who don’t want to change.

Any economic plan that is developed will depend on a workforce, yet it has been well documented that for decades, Wyoming has been hemorrhaging workers to other states. They leave Wyoming seeking jobs offering more money and often that are better suited to their college educated skill levels.

They also leave for the cultural opportunities — and we’re not talking about the opportunity to see an opera. They seek places open to multiple points of view, different lifestyles, open-mindedness and not so resistant to change. Wyoming’s inherent attitude is that we’re happy the way we are and if you don’t like it, leave. Those two needs — the need to change to survive economically and the need to keep everything the same — are at war with each other. It’s no wonder that so many Wyoming residents love the TV series “Yellowstone.”

Wyoming itself is conflicted. It treasures its outdoor space, yet it balks at expanding forests and wilderness areas. It relies on summer tourism, but wouldn’t mind limiting visitors to Yellowstone to preserve it. People are happy to get top dollar when they sell their home, but unhappy that the new owners are from California. It would love more industry, but only on its terms.

If whatever plan Harvard has doesn’t recognize that, it will fail and the $3.5 million will have just been fairy dust.