Rural opposition is about trust
Rural America needs more economic opportunity, but it’s never going to happen if we can’t figure out how to build trust between businesses and rural residents.
Rural communities are rising up to fight development like never before. The specific complaints vary from project to project, but at their core, they are all about the same thing: trust.
I visited a community meeting last week in Deuel County, S.D., where, by my count, about 150 neighbors came together in opposition to three proposed projects: a data center, a power plant and high-voltage power lines. In a county with just over 4,000 total residents, that’s a lot of people giving up their Tuesday night.
Paulsen is not involved in any of those projects. I was there because, as an agency that prides itself on moving rural America, we have to understand both the business and the personal sides of rural economic development. The complaints were all over the board, and many people raised valid issues. But I was left with the strong impression that even if these companies had good answers to every question, it wouldn’t change a thing.
That meeting was not unique. It’s something we’re seeing not only in South Dakota, but in rural communities across the U.S. Whatever the project, whatever the specifics, rural residents are fighting development.
The details don’t matter. Rural Americans are afraid they are losing control of their communities, and they do not trust corporations or politicians to have their best interests at heart. If I don’t trust you, there is no answer you can give me to make me feel OK.
We’re stuck in a self-perpetuating cycle of distrust that needs to be broken. Companies start projects in secrecy, and they don’t engage the public until the last minute. This breeds distrust from the public and leads to loud and frantic opposition. Which, in turn, makes the next company even more hesitant to engage the public until they have to. Which again breeds more distrust and opposition from the public.
Building trust to break that cycle starts with listening - honest listening from a place of curiosity rather than with an agenda. It needs to happen from both the companies proposing projects and the residents who work and live in those areas.
