TBJ Editor Sougata Mukherjee (right) interviewing American City Business Journals CEO Whit Shaw at the Feb. 23 Power Breakfast (photo courtesy of the Triangle Business Journal)
The discussion continues to drag on and on, and now the proponents of HB-2 are further emboldened by President Trump’s administration’s recent roll back of federal protections for transgender students. (link to news article)
I now continue this discussion by adding the two different business perspectives: from a senior executive in his mid-60’s speaking to a group of local business leaders, and from a recent college graduate.
From the senior executive: On February 23, I attended the quarterly Triangle Business Journal Power Breakfast with other Triangle area business leaders. The speaker was Whit Shaw, CEO of American City Business Journals, which distributes 43 different business publications across major US cities. To kick off the Q&A portion of the session, Triangle Business Journal editor Sougata Mukherjee asked Mr. Shaw for his perspective on HB2.
“I can flat out tell you that it has changed the conversation about North Carolina,” he said, recounting conversations with executives across the country. “It has distracted us from the conversations that we should be having, namely, how are we going to keep growing? How are we going to provide good jobs for the people in this state? How are we going to get things done?” (Quote from TBJ article about the event, link to the full TBJ story)
Mr. Shaw did comment that the North Carolina economy is clearly losing significant amounts of revenue, including opportunities that we did not even know we were in the running for. He stated that we are continually spending time and money on this issue and thus losing sight of the real conversations we need to have that will determine our state’s future.
From a recent college graduate: My 24-year old very straight but definitely not narrow cousin Brandon just graduated with his Sociology degree from NC State while working full time. He enjoys discussing current events with me.
On the same day I attended the TBJ Power Breakfast, Brandon and I had this text conversation:
Blog author Stan Kimer with his cousin Brandon at his recent graduation from NC State. As a young millennial, Brandon understands the business impact of discriminatory laws.
ME: “It is now a big mess and is in limbo since it will now be state by state and by school district, plus there are still open court cases.”
BRANDON: “So pretty much all transgender people are going to migrate to the liberal states where they feel protected like New York, Colorado and California?”
ME: “That certainly could happen, especially with the talented ones who have the resources to move.”
BRANDON: “Yeah, it’s horrible”
Yes, an older senior executive gets it. Yes, a recent college graduate gets it. HB2 is a huge negative impact on our economy in terms revenue and workforce talent. Too bad our politicians don’t get it.
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My earlier blogs on HB2:
Five Impacts of North Carolina’s Infamous HB2
On entertainer Cyndi Lauper’s alternative approach to boycotting NC over HB2
