Published: October 24, 2011
How often have we seen this movie— it’s “budget season” for one of the Dan River Region’s local governments and things don’t look good. Revenue is down, the state and federal governments are sending fewer dollars and the list of local needs is long. What typically happens is budget line items are tweaked— and by default, the spending priorities they represent — just enough to get expenditures to balance with revenues.
The mandate to balance local government budgets is a refreshing change of pace from the fiscal tricks played in Washington, but there is more to governing that simply balancing a budget.
Since government spending represents the priorities and choices made by our elected officials, and since it can sometimes be difficult to see the forest for the trees, any chance those key local decision makers get to think outside their own experiences has to be a good thing.
Consider what would— or could — happen if an advisor to the last three presidents were to come to Danville to speak. How valuable would that be for the local political leaders entrusted to spend our money?
Those local leaders will get a chance to hear just such a speaker. The Danville Regional Foundation is bringing John Hope Bryant, an internationally known businessman, entrepreneur, author and public speaker to Danville tomorrow night to speak at the Institute for Advanced Learning and Research.
Read the complete story here.
John Hope Bryant is a thought leader, founder, chairman and CEO of Operation HOPE and Bryant Group Companies, Inc. Magazine/CEO READ bestselling business author of LOVE LEADERSHIP: The New Way to Lead in a Fear-Based World (Jossey-Bass), and a Member of the U.S. President’s Advisory Council on Financial Capability for President Barack Obama. Mr. Bryant is a co-founder of Global Dignity with HRH Crown Prince Haakon of Norway and Professor Pekka Himanen of Finland. Global Dignity is affiliated with the Forum of Young Global Leaders and the World Economic Forum.