Andrew Halcro: Diversity doesn't burden Anchorage economy, it bolsters it; Anchorage Daily News, 4/27/14

Andrew Halcro, Anchorage Daily News; Andrew Halcro: Diversity doesn't burden Anchorage economy, it bolsters it:

"For the last few years, the Anchorage Chamber of Commerce has adopted diversity as one of our key focus areas. The goal is to promote Anchorage as a dynamic and inclusive community, where access to opportunity is equal and we strengthen the local economy by strengthening our community.

According to Richard Florida, American economist and social scientist at the University of Toronto, America's "creative class" (today's younger workforce demographic) will be the leading force of growth in the future economy, expected to grow by more than10 million jobs in the next decade. This creative class includes almost 40 percent of the current population.

For Anchorage to attract the creative class, Florida argues, it must possess "the three T's": talent (a highly talented/educated/skilled population), tolerance (a diverse community, which has a "live and let live" ethos) and technology (the technological infrastructure necessary to fuel an entrepreneurial culture).

To ensure Anchorage remains a dynamic city, we must cultivate the three T's while understanding that embracing diversity is an important bridge to a healthy community and economic vitality."