For far too long we’ve put all our energy into tourist sector jobs, neglecting the rest of the county’s work force. Most jobs are below living wage and many go to foreign workers. It’s time to change that policy.
We created a motel tax to promote tourism. How about a tax to create industry jobs? We put $2.1 million into a golf course in Lutsen. It’s an 18-year-old failing business that people want to put over $3 million into without a guaranteed payback. How about putting $2.1 million, or $3 million, or combine them to make $5.1 million to put into, for example, wind power? It’s green and clean, it would create jobs, stabilize rising electric cost, and create a revenue source nondependent on tourism that could fund other projects.
There are many things we could do to promote small businesses at the business park. We put millions into golf—how about $100,000 into metal buildings that could create low-priced rent to businesses that employ X-amount of local help? Perhaps we need to create incentives.
With so much emphasis on local gardens perhaps we could create commercial greenhouses; there’s probably grant money. It’s five jobs here and five jobs there that could make the difference.
All over America communities have had to look outside the box to create industry jobs and it’s time we followed. Neglecting industry jobs has left us dependent on tourism. If we don’t take action now it may be irreversible.
Living wage jobs would solve lots of problems including giving our youth a reason to stay here and repopulate the school and expand the tax base just to start with.
Our local EDA, which includes our elected officials, have spent millions upon millions of tax dollars and according to their college study on our EDA, the only legitimate job they’ve created is the EDA director position, which is paid by tax dollars!
Please vote for change. You could make the difference locally.
Tod Sylvester
Grand Marais
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