The Downward Spiral Continues...

The Sentinel recently reported that the county commissioners have instituted a hiring freeze in order to save money and balance the 2009 budget. How ironic! In a county that seemingly wants to lower unemployment to improve the local economy, another door has been shut to unemployed county citizens looking for work.

You can certainly understand the commissioners’ logic; reduced revenues from a sagging economy dictates that they look for ways to save money and make payroll for county employees. And what better way to save money than not having to pay new salaries and benefits.

But at what point will the light bulb go on when they realize that spending money on projects like the community college would stimulate the local economy. Don’t they realize that our county’s economy has been sagging for decades? If you don’t believe me, then ask anyone who lived here in the 1960s how our economy was then compared to now.

It’s easy to blame outside forces for our current crisis but these are forces that affect every community. The ones that survive and thrive are the ones where elected officials think proactively and take action to adapt, just like a business.

Unfortunately, our local public officials don’t think this way: Keep taxes low, don’t spend on infrastructure or any projects that would draw new business, then pray that our local economy will miraculously grow. It doesn’t work that way.

What possible motivation would a business have for relocating here other than paying newly hired workers low wages? And worse, what incentive is there for unemployed workers or young people to stay here? Answer: There isn’t any.

Turning a sagging local economy around requires courage by elected officials to take action and invest in our community, and such action will require a tax increase. If they sit back and hope, nothing will happen and Mifflin County will continue its spiral of decline. It’s really that simple.