Tayer: Keep calm and carry on, locally

This is a hard column to write … I’m trying not to obsess over the elections and the direction of our country. Yet, like the urge to stare at an imminent train wreck, I can’t look away. The temperature is so high in this country that I’m sincerely concerned about the resilience of our republic. 

But, OK, breathe.

Our nation has survived a number of unsettling trials, so there is reason for faith that our democratic institutions will hold their ground. I’m also very sure that my anxiety — and the deep dark holes I can enter when discussing the election with politically aligned friends — won’t change the outcome. And it certainly isn’t good for my health.

Instead, where do I turn when the world outside our direct sphere of influence is too much to handle? To paraphrase a famed British public safety message, keep calm and carry on, locally.

I recall other days when I felt the national political sphere was out of sync with my values or preferred direction. It was in the local sphere, working on issues that typically have a direct impact on my personal circumstances, where I found solace. It’s that same level of tangible consequence that I find so rewarding working with our Boulder Chamber members to address their business needs, advocating on local policy issues, and generally identifying opportunities to strengthen our community. And sometimes, well, you just have to take time to smell the roses.

And there’s so much to recognize as positive results of our local efforts. Just the other day, the Boulder Chamber hosted a visit from 10 companies that are exploring potential operations and collaborations in Boulder associated with our leadership in quantum technology. We’re also on the verge of local investment in a new quantum business incubator that will help commercialize technology advances from our local laboratories. It’s all the fruits of a collaborative regional effort to secure the official designation as our nation’s quantum technology hub.

Another exciting development with roots in our local action is the good chance that the Sundance Film Festival Institute will relocate to Boulder. What was wistful thinking when we first heard that this top international culture event would consider moving from Park City is now a very real opportunity on our doorstep to secure a major attraction for visitors — and their spending — to Boulder during a typically slow business period. That is aside from the lift the Sundance Film Festival will provide to Boulder’s arts and cultural ecosystem. We’re not there yet, but I like our chances against the competition . . . and the Buffs’ late October victory over Cincinnati certainly was a promising omen.

Speaking of the Buffs, it’s flat-out exciting to watch them continue their positive trajectory from cellar dweller to a national college football ranking. We are bowl eligible for the first time since 2016, and you can be very sure Boulder will continue to benefit from the gameday business activity and marketing exposure our community garners through our Buffs’ prowess on the gridiron. While I can’t take any credit for that prowess (other than my clearly audible cheers from the stands), I can sure enjoy the diversion these local triumphs offer. 

Of course, not everything is sunshine and rainbows inside the Boulder bubble. We recently surveyed Boulder’s businesses and they shared many positive reflections, with 59 percent expressing optimism for our collective economic future. Still, they also highlighted their top priority concerns, particularly with respect to high housing costs and homelessness. Fortunately, given the can-do nature of our community, we’re rolling up our sleeves and taking positive steps to confront these challenges.

Our business community advocacy for additional housing opportunities, for example, has yielded a tremendous political shift in support of reduced regulatory hurdles and increased flexibility for development of high density, more affordable, options. On the homelessness front, we’ve rallied in support of solutions — such as the day services center and permanent supportive housing — that are beginning to demonstrate promise, with recorded numbers of homeless individuals dropping for the first time in many years. The progress on these issues is slow, but putting our shoulder to the wheel on these local issues is yielding tangible progress.

So, as I write this, I have no idea who our president will be for the next four years, and neither do you. So rather than fret, may I suggest . . . keep calm and carry on, locally. 

John Tayer is president and CEO of the Boulder Chamber of Commerce. He can be reached at 303-442-1044, ext 110 or john.tayer@boulderchamber.com.

on Facebook on LinkedIn