Page 27 - Delaware Lawyer - Summer 2021

We have the opportunity to promote resiliency in our economy and our com- munities. The COVID-19 pandemic has laid bare the reality that instabili- ties among any one group in our com- munity affect, in some form or fashion, our entire community. In the pan- demic, this manifested itself as the dif- ficulty in stamping out a fast-spreading virus when financial stress or despera- tion prevented households from easily adopting public health guidelines. In normal times, this manifests itself as the difficulty in stamping out a whole host of suboptimal social and policy out- comes, when government policies focus on reactive services or measures rather than adequate proactive supports in the form of stable housing, food security, primary health care and personalized learning within our schools.
Whenever the next pandemic, and whatever the next economic paradigm,
these measures will minimize the in- sidiousness of the next contagion while in the meantime promoting better economic resiliency and public safety throughout Delaware. They are not a list of bread-and-butter promises from a politician. They are the basic pillars of a resilient community. They would bring more dynamism to the economy that is built on our community, and en- able Delaware to be as well-positioned as possible to adapt to ever-shifting eco- nomic forces and grab hold of often- fleeting business opportunities. They would enable Delawareans to reach higher levels of productivity, and ulti- mately the stability and satisfaction that should flow from there.
There is ample public policy data that supports these proactive supports. There certainly are implementation challenges, including limitation on cur- rent delivery capacity. Fiscal limitations
abound, even with the historic amounts of federal resources flowing to the states, given the difficulty in utilizing what in effect are one-time resources to make long-term changes.
Is it difficult to forge these supports, especially quickly? Yes. Impossible? No — so long as public policymakers reflect on the systemic weaknesses the coronavirus pandemic revealed, com- mit to a data-driven approach for how to strengthen the underpinnings of our communities and economy, welcome public input and grassroots perspectives in our halls of power, and seek to honor the suffering so many Delawareans have experienced these past many months.
After so much tragedy, we have the opportunity to improve our policymak- ing processes and prioritize healing the cracks exposed and exacerbated by the pandemic. In a state of neighbors, it is imperative we do so.
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SUMMER 2021 DELAWARE LAWYER 25