Jobs and the Local Economy

By Ron Orenstein

The lack of good paying jobs is one of the most serious underlying problems that we face as a community. Together we can develop strategies to address this.

It's no secret that Willits, and Mendocino county in general, are economically challenged; a politically correct way of saying that our local economy is hurting! Per capita income in Willits is around $16,000, compared to over $19,000 for Mendocino county, and $23,000 for California. With all of the issues that face us in Willits, it's safe to say that the most important, underlying issue that we face is employment and per capita income.

The lack of good paying local jobs directly contribute to many of the problems that we face: · the growth of the marijuana industry, which has emerged as one of the easiest ways to earn a good income locally · the loss of our young people who leave the area to find jobs elsewhere · drug and alcohol abuse as a means to combat despair at the bleak economic situation · crime: another way for desperate people to get money other than working for it

The simple fact is that we need to create good paying jobs in our town, and we can't rely on outside companies to come here to create those jobs; we need to create them ourselves!

Right now, Howard Hospital is one of the biggest economic engines in town, with 47 physicians, 250 employees and a $17 million payroll! There are several companies that employ fewer people with smaller payrolls, and they all add up, but we need more.

Most of our local employers are home grown, started by people who already live here, and it's been proven that the best way to create more local jobs is to grow local businesses; the entrepreneurs are already here, and they have a local attachment. Added to this is the fact that it's nearly impossible to attract companies from outside of the area to set up shop here.

We need to create partnerships between the public and the private sectors in Willits, to create these jobs.

As we have seen in the past, there are many local people with the ideas and the vision to start a business, but lacking the ability to make it happen, for many reasons. One way to facilitate the creation of new businesses is the development of a business incubator in Willits. This could be a collaboration between the city, local non-profits, and local business people. The incubator could be housed in one of the many underused industrial buildings in town such as Remco or the former Metal Fx building on East Hill Road. The incubator would provide a safe place for fledgling entrepreneurs to establish and grow a new business with the guidance of professional, experienced business people and mentors.

Typically the new enterprise would stay in the incubator for two to three years, allowing time to develop the business while sharing operating costs with the other tenants, costs that are usually a lot lower than prevailing costs outside of the incubator. Professional staff provides guidance to the new business owners in areas that range from finances, to marketing to personnel matters.

Bottom Line: small businesses account for the creation of about 50% of the jobs in America, and we can get our share.

We need to tap into the potential job creation that our home grown entrepreneurs can create.

These are just a few of the issues that we face, and I have ideas on many of them. I would appreciate hearing from you about your concerns, and how we can find solutions together. Contact me at rono@saber.net - let's talk.