Governor Chafee is drawing attention to “The Flight of the Creative Class,” a 2007 book by Richard Florida, a best-selling author and University of Toronto professor who emphasizes the “3 Ts of economic growth: Technology, Talent and Tolerance.”
Following up on The Rise of the Creative Class (2002), Florida argues that if America continues to make it harder for some of the world’s most talented students and workers to come here, they’ll go to other countries eager to tap into their creative capabilities—as will American citizens fed up with what they view as an increasingly repressive environment.
In recent years, Florida has carved a niche for himself raising the class consciousness of graphic designers, software engineers, research scientists, business entrepreneurs, writers and academics and assorted other people involved in intellectual forms of work.
Richard Florida urges the US to prepare its children with a comprehensive education translating into jobs not only in computer science and software programming but also in market research and the development of new financial instruments.
By Richard Florida, Across the Board: the Conference Board Magazine – Sept 1994
