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A thread on rural Iowa.
I can't tell you the number of times I've been in a conversation about rural Iowa where someone has pointed to Jefferson as a successful rural community bc they've embraced technology.
I can't tell you the number of times I've been in a conversation about rural Iowa where someone has pointed to Jefferson as a successful rural community bc they've embraced technology.
Examples: https://www.nytimes.com/2018/12/30/opinion/tech-rural-america.html
https://iowastartingline.com/2019/09/16/the-most-interesting-project-in-iowa-is-happening-in-jefferson/
https://iowastartingline.com/2019/09/16/the-most-interesting-project-in-iowa-is-happening-in-jefferson/
But nobody ever mentions WHY they embraced it. Phone sex.
Thats right. See, Jefferson is a phone sex hub. When you call a 1-800 sex line? Chances are that call is being routed through a telecommunucations company located in Jefferson.
Thats right. See, Jefferson is a phone sex hub. When you call a 1-800 sex line? Chances are that call is being routed through a telecommunucations company located in Jefferson.
Yes, its a great example of a rural town that isn't struggling quite so bad as the rest of us. But most of our communities aren't home to prosperous corporations or receiving grants to rejuvenate Main Street that offer a leg up. So, no, we cannot model ourselves off of them.
Can tech play a role in revitalizing rural areas? Absolutely and I hope it does. But we need to accept that one size does not fit all. We need more than broadband and tech jobs to rebuild our communities. We need housing and healthcare and school funding and so much more.
We need a vast, intertwined series of solutions to truly be successful. And until that happens, we're going to continue to see a widespread struggle to keep our rural communities alive.
