It’s time, once again, for my annual year-end column in which I usually do more looking ahead to the year about to begin than looking back over the one about to end. What will 2006 hold in store for us?

Let’s start with an economic forecast. Given the strong finish of the economy, particularly during the last two quarters of 2005, there’s every reason to believe that the coming year will continue to show both economic stability and economic growth. Despite the war in Iraq, an unprecedented number of horrifically destructive hurricanes, and the spike in gas and oil prices, the overall economy has continued to remain strong. The key to a robust economy is consumer confidence, which has been solid and should continue to remain that way. New job creation is also strong, which suggests that the demand for consumer goods—a direct function of consumer confidence—will continue on the upswing.

Speaking of job creation, as the baby-boom generation begins to reach retirement age, there should be another upswing in the creation of new jobs to address the needs of this huge segment of our population. I would anticipate increasing demand for workers in every aspect of the healthcare field, as well as the travel and hospitality industries.

On the downside, there will be increasing pressure on government to come up with healthcare programs that will address the needs of an aging population, particularly in the prescription drug industry. Personally, I don’t see a happy solution to the increasing costs of healthcare for the baby boomers. Many talk about the need to provide “free” healthcare coverage to everyone. Free healthcare is a euphemism for “socialized medicine.” While it may sound like a good idea, the truth of the matter is nothing’s free, and if you want to see how well a truly socialized system works, check out countries like Canada and England and the taxes being paid to support their respective systems. Still, making sure that people have access to health care will be a problem that will have to be addressed—sooner rather than later.

Another trend that seems likely to continue is the “regionalization” of the delivery of goods and services. Look at banking and financial services, for instance. The days of the locally owned, hometown bank are gone. Personalized banking services will still be available, but an increasing amount of decision-making is going to be made somewhere other than at the local level. The same trend will likely continue in retailing, food service, and a wide array of other segments of the local economy. The grocery business ceased to be a local operation over half a century ago! There’s no reason not to anticipate more regionalization in other areas as well.

Education, it seems to me, is facing the biggest challenge in the year ahead. With ever shrinking budgets, a real threat exists that public education, at least at the secondary level, will be facing difficult choices about keeping or cutting programs. Imaginative ways are needed to supplement the traditional funding sources for public schools. It would not surprise me in the least to see public schools taking a much closer look at private philanthropy among their alumni/ae, much as colleges and universities have done for years, as a viable source of supplemental funding. At an even more basic level, however, a renewed effort needs to be made by key stakeholders in every community to change public attitudes about the importance of education. Changing attitudes about education could easily prove to be the most daunting challenge we will face not only next year, but for years to come because studies show too many people simply do not place a high value on education!

On the whole, 2006 should be a good year for most people. It could well be a bell-weather year, too. If Southeastern Indiana lacks any one thing more than others, it is a clear vision of what we want to become and how we’re going to make that vision a reality. Having a vision or having visionary leadership isn’t as abstract a notion as many may believe. Technically, it’s called strategic planning! It’s not all that hard to do, but more fundamentally, to plan strategically requires a deep understanding and commitment to the premise that it should be done at all!

If 2006 is to live up to its potential, major stakeholders from every segment of the population; local elected officials, educators, employers, civic and business leaders all need to start talking together in a productive way to come up with both a long-term and short-term goals which encompass a viable vision of where we want to go and how we want to get there. If that is done in 2006, the future will definitely be brighter for 2007, 2008, and on down the line.

Happy New Year and have a prosperous 2006!

That’s —30— for this week.