Just The Facts

Read the area papers and you are hit with the hard facts. Unemployment is up in the Hudson Valley. The amount of unemployment in NYS as a whole has actually declined. Like everyone else out there in reality land - we need more jobs. And we need good jobs. You really can't point your finger at any one group and say it is their fault though.

But there are some points that have to be made. When we move forward and the powers that be use the public fisc to "attract" jobs, let's hope that they really take a hard look at doing the right thing in the future- now that the bottom has dropped out.

Don't give financial assistance to projects that don't promise - and produce - good jobs ever again.

That public money or loans or whatever form of assistance you want to call it, is worth a great deal. Use it to everyones advantage.

Build projects with local labor - get tax breaks and financial assistance.

Hire people at wages that you can actually feed a family of four on - then you can get nice tax breaks and financial assistance.

Give those kind of companies the "shares" of those who can't promise that.

Give more to those - who give more to the community. Sounds like a logical idea, doesn't it?

With over 8% of people unemployed in the Hudson Valley it is time to think about what really matters - creating good jobs so people can live here.
We let this ball drop in the past - let's regroup and all work together for a change.