Rep. Joe Morelle is renewing his push to dramatically raise federal investment in technological research and development.
He said Tuesday that the vast majority of money for that purpose goes to a handful of places around the country, mostly coastal cities like Boston, San Francisco, and San Diego -- and he’d like to change that.
“This could be a transformative investment in Monroe County and (places) like Monroe County that are desperately looking for investment capital,” Morelle said.
The Irondequoit Democrat is the co-author of a bill called the Innovation Centers Acceleration Act. If it passes, the government would invest $80 billion of federal money in nine "Innovation Centers" over nine years. Morelle and Alabama Rep. Terri Sewell introduced the plan in November.
The bill has support in the U.S. Senate, and is sponsored by Illinois Sen. Dick Durbin and Delaware Sen. Chris Coons. The measure was also listed as a top priority for COVID-19 pandemic recovery by the New Democratic Coalition, a group of more than 100 lawmakers in the House of Representatives who are pushing for the bill to be included in President Joe Biden’s stimulus package.
Massachusetts Institute of Technology economist Simon Johnson said Rochester is a perfect fit for this kind of investment. Johnson wrote Jump Starting America, which advocates for this kind of government spending. He said most innovation stems from an era when the federal government spent as much as 2% of the gross domestic product on research and development. In recent decades, he said that number has shrunk to about 0.65%.
“The fact of the matter is Rochester is No. 1 when it comes to places that could benefit from this kind of investment," Johnson said. "It would be good for your region and good for the country.”
When asked how this potential windfall would help the poorest Rochesterians and the city’s staggering poverty rates, Morelle said the measure comes with strings tied to “fostering racial equity.”
“Without this kind of investment, and without an eye to make sure it's inclusive growth, I don’t know that we’ll ever solve these problems, because at the end of it, it's the kind of economy that’s growing that gives opportunities for success,” said Morelle. “There are really two Rochesters in so many ways, but I think this is part of the solution, to bring people in and expand the economic pie and just make sure it works for everyone.”
Greater Rochester Chamber of Commerce President Bob Duffy agreed. He also said that diversity is something that chamber members are struggling with.
“We have a technology hub here, but I think we all would agree that the lack of men and women of color in technology here is a profound issue,” said Duffy. “Most of those businesses are members of ours, and I assure you that it is a huge challenge."
Duffy said it starts with education, in particular in the Rochester City School District. He recommended offering a broad spectrum of students a ladder into high-tech fields like optics and web development through classes and certifications.
“We have to look at some deep system changes here, and believe me, we’ve all been trying for years and years," said Duffy. “If the congressman is successful in bringing a billion dollars here a year, it has to have a huge racial equity component. It is time to do a deep dive into these systems and create a Rochester for the future.”
