Make way for jobs

If ever there was a time for single-minded determination and cooperation, it is now.

Idaho has the lowest wages in the entire nation. While improving slowly, its unemployment rate remains unacceptably high. And even though it shouldn't bear the entire blame, Idaho's last-place ranking in sending high school graduates on to college clearly has something to do with the lack of good local jobs requiring advanced learning.

The name of the game today and tomorrow is jobs. Good jobs with good pay and benefits; jobs which blossom into careers which, in turn, develop deep and lasting roots throughout our communities.

Everyone from President Obama on down recognizes the enormous importance of jobs, and lip service in abundance addresses it, but where's the inspiration and perspiration to build a stronger jobs foundation? We're not talking about government mandates or state referenda to increase the minimum wage, we're talking about every available resource coming together to create a job-building environment and we're talking about teamwork that would exceed anything North Idaho has ever seen.

We might very well be talking about the encouraging steps being taken by Coeur d'Alene Mayor Steve Widmyer and a whole host of regional dynamos who are pulling together to push job creation and retention to the very top of the priority list. Widmyer & Co. understand that job creation and retention sets into motion powerful economic momentum that lifts workers of all skills and pay levels higher, and not artificially, as government-mandated wage minimums do.

What you might see in the months ahead is a jolting departure from "the way we've always done things." Considering how stagnant our region's job creation has been since the recession, departure from standing operating procedure is highly advisable.

What this could mean is greater scrutiny of and increased attention on Lake City Development Corp., Jobs Plus, Inc., Panhandle Area Council and other governmental agencies whose role is to strengthen the local economy. That extends to leadership of our county's biggest cities and towns, and county government as well. As an in-depth North Idaho Business Journal story recently related, much of the economic development success in the Twin Falls area is attributed to teamwork - everybody in education, business and government pulling together for the greater good.

We have more to sell than many of our competitors, including clean air and water, gorgeous four-season surroundings, low crime, community pride, and a willing, hardworking work force that could fairly quickly be brought up to the higher requirements set by employers offering superior jobs.

Let's sell what we have to offer, rather than continue to sell ourselves short.