We've advocated for years the need to break down barriers in order to get municipalities, school districts, counties and other governing groups to work together for the benefit of all residents.
And now, we see an ambitious project developing in the region that seeks to develop a plan for the future for 32 counties (including Armstrong County) in four states.
While we admire the undertaking of a project of this scope, and we hope it will work out in the end, our past experiences don't leave us too optimistic.
Heck, we can't get two neighboring townships to work together to reduce costs. We can't bring school districts together to merge some sports programs. And we can't get municipal authorities to work together to lower costs for basic services.
So, how can we expect 32 diverse counties, crossing four states, to set aside their individual goals in order to work together for the betterment of the region as a whole?
As one public official at one of the Power of 32 meetings in Kittanning said last week, the group may work until grant funding is dangled and the competitive instincts kick in.
The only way for the Power of 32 to be successful is if all 32 counties define their unique roll in the region and stick to it. Pittsburgh is the hub, and the rest of the counties must build the spokes that connect them to that center. Some serve as nearby suburbs where workers commute to the city daily. Some are agricultural, feeding the region and beyond. Others are rich in other natural resources such as coal, gas and timber - plus green resources like prime locations for wind, hydro and solar power development. Counties along the major waterways (Allegheny, Monongahela and Ohio rivers) and highways (Interstates 80, 79 and 76) are best suited for manufacturing and distribution of goods. And some places are ideal for recreation and leisure time activities, in the woods, on the lakes and rivers, and spots were tourism dollars can be generated.
Unfortunately, most areas see themselves as the entire picture, not a piece of the larger puzzle. They want to be everything at once, not realizing that they stand to gain more by determining what they have and can do better than others, and focussing on those assets. Most leaders aren't content to have their towns and counties be bedroom communities for larger areas, but bedroom communities are necessary. Most don't want to be only farms or camps or woods. And many people turn to the "not in my backyard" view of industries like mining, power generation and waste disposal - all necessary components of a thriving region.
We wish the Power of 32 organizers luck with their mammoth task of bringing all these people and places together. It's hard to be a real Power of 32 when most people see themselves as only a Power of 1.