Eastern Kentucky ‘will not thrive without significant and smarter investment’...

A central theme is woven through all of MACED’s new strategy briefs, and it is crucial to the success of any of the other strategies: increased investment. Why is investment so important to eastern Kentucky? MACED explains in its final new strategy brief, “Ensure Meaningful Investment:” Public and private investment in infrastructure lays the groundwork for the region to take advantage of new economic opportunities. Early childhood education, broadband access and quality health care support an engaged, capable workforce. Investments in promising economic sectors and entrepreneurship can give businesses the kick-start they need to stand on their own as part of a thriving economy. Not that there hasn’t always been investment poured into the region, both from outside and inside sources. Much of that investment has come since the War on Poverty was announced 50 years ago and federal dollars began being redirected into the region for various programs. State money has also played a role through the several state-led initiatives that have been created in year’s past to find solutions for eastern Kentucky’s economic woes – even though those initiatives eventually fizzled out. There’s also been plenty of private money flowing through the region’s coffers through foundations and nonprofit groups. But even with all this investment coming into the region for decades, more is still needed to enact the changes that are required to advance eastern Kentucky’s economy forward. And, as MACED explains in their brief, it’s not necessarily the amount of investment that’s coming in, but it is about how that money is invested: Increasing investment in the...

Kentucky Student Environmental Coalition student reflects on time at annual Fancy Farm picnic...

Editor’s Note: In an effort to include a more diverse and varied set of voices in the Appalachian Transition conversation, Renew Appalachia will begin featuring posts from guest bloggers on a semi-regular basis. The following is the first blog in that effort. It is important to note that the views and opinions expressed in this guest blogs do not necessarily reflect the views and opinions of Renew Appalachia or of the Mountain Association for Community Economic Development (MACED). On August 2, members of the Kentucky Student Environmental Coalition from across the state attended the Fancy Farm picnic. We knew it was going to be loud, festive, and very pro-coal in tone, which was precisely why we went. Our KSEC advisors, Tyler [Offerman] and Cara [Cooper] built a wind turbine out of a used bicycle frame mounted on PVC pipe. Attached to our wind turbine was the sign “If Only Kentucky Ran on Hot Air!” Our plan was to crank the wind turbine whenever a politician said something ill-informed, although after our arms got tired we soon decided to only crank the windmill if the statement was particularly vapid or related to coal or climate change. I think that helped a little. We arrived in two cars with plenty of signs and a game plan in mind. We were going to collect signatures for our petition supporting the Clean Energy Opportunities Act to increase funding for alternative energy sources in Kentucky. Then we were going to use those signatures when election season came up to...