THE hat he wears as president of Chattanooga Institute isn't coonskin and he wasn't born on a mountaintop, but Chattanooga City Councilman David Crockett is still a frontiersman, exploring new ground and taking his mission to build ''sustainable and competitive communities and companies'' on the road - this week to Honolulu. Exploring the urban frontier
Crockett's here with fellow Chattanoogan Jim Frierson, director of economic initiatives for a public-private partnership responsible for the economic redevelopment of that river city.
Chattanooga based its drive to become the best mid-size city in America on values the community shared: sustainable growth, high quality of life and public-private partnerships. Their efforts evolved into a process that made economic development, urban redesign and environmental quality a vibrant local industry.
The effort was nonpartisan. ''Democrats can't seem to find the answers and Republicans don't know what the question is,'' Crockett told the Hawaii Society of Corporate Planners.
''Trust is key,'' Frierson said, trust between citizens, politicians, foundations, major companies and between the generations.
In Hawaii, we're split. Bishop Street wants deregulation, big tax cuts and privatization. Opponents say no, we've already grown too much; preserve the aina; save public-sector union jobs. Trust? Forget it.
If can't agree on which road to take, can we at least agree on a destination?