With all at table, we can build Kokomo job base
posted by Greg Goodnight for Mayor at 1:08 PM
By Greg Goodnight
What is economic development about? It's about people. Communities filled with happy, well-educated, hard-working people will attract new businesses and encourage current ones to expand. That's why bringing new jobs to Kokomo takes more than just tax abatements and infrastructure. It takes good public parks and quality schools, an educated work force, a welcoming and open environment, and a quality of life that encourages people to stick around after work instead of driving home to Hamilton County.
As many of you know, the theme of my campaign is "Investing in People." Perhaps nowhere is this more important than in economic development. To move Kokomo's economy forward, this community will have to invest in its people. And its people, in turn, will have to invest in the community. Kokomo's citizens from all economic backgrounds and walks of life will need to work to form partnerships and build coalitions. New ideas will need to be welcomed, and old rifts will need to be healed. Partisanship and political grudges will spell death for Kokomo's economic development efforts.
We also need to stretch our economic development dollars further. Currently Kokomo's development landscape consists of several organizations, all going after the same goal, in different ways. I strongly support a much-publicized proposal to bring these organizations together under one economic development umbrella group. These groups must put aside selfish interests and do what is best for the entire community. Eliminating overlap and duplication, and putting a spotlight of accountability in place, would be a great place to start.
Realistically, there are obstacles, big and small, that must be overcome. Concerns about being engulfed or forgotten are legitimate and they need to be addressed. Certain agencies do a good job of representing their constituencies, and we must remain aware of their concerns. Also, our county government has become somewhat dependent on EDIT funds for general operating expenses. New faces on the county council and in the board of commissioners will bring new ideas and hopefully alternative solutions. As always, the devil will be in the details. The easiest thing to do would be to do nothing. We, me included, can always find reasons not to change. The right thing to do would be to implement the reorganization plan, regardless of the initial pain. After all, we paid to have someone evaluate the good, the bad and the ugly. The wrong thing to do would be to simply throw the plan on the top shelf to collect dust like so many other surveys, proposals and studies our tax dollars have paid for.
When everyone is at the same table, contributing to the same plan, we can make great things happen. This community should have been able to secure the Getrag transmission plant and, with stronger partnerships, perhaps we could have. We need to start working together now, to make sure the next Getrag does not decide to locate elsewhere. At the same time, we should not be so focused on large corporations that we neglect the small businesses that form the backbone of our economy. We should be proactively asking small businesses, "What can we do for you?" A large part of my economic development plan involves working to educate the work force, and that will serve as a boon to small businesses. Small businesses are also the best way to diversify our economy, one job at a time.
There's no reason why Kokomo can't be a strong and prosperous community for generations to come. With unified goals and a lot of hard work, we can create a community with a diverse economy, where manufacturing rubs elbows with software companies, biotech firms and health services; where educational opportunities are available to all who want them; where auto manufacturing giants like Delphi and Chrysler can count on a better work force than they can find anywhere else; where Inventrek continues to foster high-tech startups that will grow in Kokomo; where Indiana University Kokomo and Ivy Tech Community College serve as engines that drive Kokomo's economic development; and where all our best and brightest high school students plan to return to Howard County after graduating from college.
Other important considerations for the near future that have not been considered by my opponent or other community leaders must be addressed. First, it is crucial that the next mayor secure ample acreage adjacent to the new U.S. 31 for future industrial sites. Also, the passenger railway study recently released proposing to link Bloomington, Muncie, Indianapolis, Fishers and Noblesville by high-speed rail must include Kokomo as well. Just as the interstate highway system has been important for past and current transportation and economic development needs in linking major cities throughout the country, this future mode of transportation will be vital for us to ensure our connection to the thriving cities in our state. Our next mayor needs to work hand in hand with our state senators, state representatives and governor to make this a priority.
This won't be easy, and it won't happen fast. To make it happen, we need everyone at the table contributing ideas, from factory workers to elected officials to college chancellors to captains of industry. We need a mayor who can rally all these resources and who can communicate well with people from the break room to the board room. And we need you. No one can do it alone, but together, we can move Kokomo and Howard County forward, and secure a strong future for the working men and women of our community.
By Greg Goodnight
What is economic development about? It's about people. Communities filled with happy, well-educated, hard-working people will attract new businesses and encourage current ones to expand. That's why bringing new jobs to Kokomo takes more than just tax abatements and infrastructure. It takes good public parks and quality schools, an educated work force, a welcoming and open environment, and a quality of life that encourages people to stick around after work instead of driving home to Hamilton County.
As many of you know, the theme of my campaign is "Investing in People." Perhaps nowhere is this more important than in economic development. To move Kokomo's economy forward, this community will have to invest in its people. And its people, in turn, will have to invest in the community. Kokomo's citizens from all economic backgrounds and walks of life will need to work to form partnerships and build coalitions. New ideas will need to be welcomed, and old rifts will need to be healed. Partisanship and political grudges will spell death for Kokomo's economic development efforts.
We also need to stretch our economic development dollars further. Currently Kokomo's development landscape consists of several organizations, all going after the same goal, in different ways. I strongly support a much-publicized proposal to bring these organizations together under one economic development umbrella group. These groups must put aside selfish interests and do what is best for the entire community. Eliminating overlap and duplication, and putting a spotlight of accountability in place, would be a great place to start.
Realistically, there are obstacles, big and small, that must be overcome. Concerns about being engulfed or forgotten are legitimate and they need to be addressed. Certain agencies do a good job of representing their constituencies, and we must remain aware of their concerns. Also, our county government has become somewhat dependent on EDIT funds for general operating expenses. New faces on the county council and in the board of commissioners will bring new ideas and hopefully alternative solutions. As always, the devil will be in the details. The easiest thing to do would be to do nothing. We, me included, can always find reasons not to change. The right thing to do would be to implement the reorganization plan, regardless of the initial pain. After all, we paid to have someone evaluate the good, the bad and the ugly. The wrong thing to do would be to simply throw the plan on the top shelf to collect dust like so many other surveys, proposals and studies our tax dollars have paid for.
When everyone is at the same table, contributing to the same plan, we can make great things happen. This community should have been able to secure the Getrag transmission plant and, with stronger partnerships, perhaps we could have. We need to start working together now, to make sure the next Getrag does not decide to locate elsewhere. At the same time, we should not be so focused on large corporations that we neglect the small businesses that form the backbone of our economy. We should be proactively asking small businesses, "What can we do for you?" A large part of my economic development plan involves working to educate the work force, and that will serve as a boon to small businesses. Small businesses are also the best way to diversify our economy, one job at a time.
There's no reason why Kokomo can't be a strong and prosperous community for generations to come. With unified goals and a lot of hard work, we can create a community with a diverse economy, where manufacturing rubs elbows with software companies, biotech firms and health services; where educational opportunities are available to all who want them; where auto manufacturing giants like Delphi and Chrysler can count on a better work force than they can find anywhere else; where Inventrek continues to foster high-tech startups that will grow in Kokomo; where Indiana University Kokomo and Ivy Tech Community College serve as engines that drive Kokomo's economic development; and where all our best and brightest high school students plan to return to Howard County after graduating from college.
Other important considerations for the near future that have not been considered by my opponent or other community leaders must be addressed. First, it is crucial that the next mayor secure ample acreage adjacent to the new U.S. 31 for future industrial sites. Also, the passenger railway study recently released proposing to link Bloomington, Muncie, Indianapolis, Fishers and Noblesville by high-speed rail must include Kokomo as well. Just as the interstate highway system has been important for past and current transportation and economic development needs in linking major cities throughout the country, this future mode of transportation will be vital for us to ensure our connection to the thriving cities in our state. Our next mayor needs to work hand in hand with our state senators, state representatives and governor to make this a priority.
This won't be easy, and it won't happen fast. To make it happen, we need everyone at the table contributing ideas, from factory workers to elected officials to college chancellors to captains of industry. We need a mayor who can rally all these resources and who can communicate well with people from the break room to the board room. And we need you. No one can do it alone, but together, we can move Kokomo and Howard County forward, and secure a strong future for the working men and women of our community.
What is economic development about? It's about people. Communities filled with happy, well-educated, hard-working people will attract new businesses and encourage current ones to expand. That's why bringing new jobs to Kokomo takes more than just tax abatements and infrastructure. It takes good public parks and quality schools, an educated work force, a welcoming and open environment, and a quality of life that encourages people to stick around after work instead of driving home to Hamilton County.
As many of you know, the theme of my campaign is "Investing in People." Perhaps nowhere is this more important than in economic development. To move Kokomo's economy forward, this community will have to invest in its people. And its people, in turn, will have to invest in the community. Kokomo's citizens from all economic backgrounds and walks of life will need to work to form partnerships and build coalitions. New ideas will need to be welcomed, and old rifts will need to be healed. Partisanship and political grudges will spell death for Kokomo's economic development efforts.
We also need to stretch our economic development dollars further. Currently Kokomo's development landscape consists of several organizations, all going after the same goal, in different ways. I strongly support a much-publicized proposal to bring these organizations together under one economic development umbrella group. These groups must put aside selfish interests and do what is best for the entire community. Eliminating overlap and duplication, and putting a spotlight of accountability in place, would be a great place to start.
Realistically, there are obstacles, big and small, that must be overcome. Concerns about being engulfed or forgotten are legitimate and they need to be addressed. Certain agencies do a good job of representing their constituencies, and we must remain aware of their concerns. Also, our county government has become somewhat dependent on EDIT funds for general operating expenses. New faces on the county council and in the board of commissioners will bring new ideas and hopefully alternative solutions. As always, the devil will be in the details. The easiest thing to do would be to do nothing. We, me included, can always find reasons not to change. The right thing to do would be to implement the reorganization plan, regardless of the initial pain. After all, we paid to have someone evaluate the good, the bad and the ugly. The wrong thing to do would be to simply throw the plan on the top shelf to collect dust like so many other surveys, proposals and studies our tax dollars have paid for.
When everyone is at the same table, contributing to the same plan, we can make great things happen. This community should have been able to secure the Getrag transmission plant and, with stronger partnerships, perhaps we could have. We need to start working together now, to make sure the next Getrag does not decide to locate elsewhere. At the same time, we should not be so focused on large corporations that we neglect the small businesses that form the backbone of our economy. We should be proactively asking small businesses, "What can we do for you?" A large part of my economic development plan involves working to educate the work force, and that will serve as a boon to small businesses. Small businesses are also the best way to diversify our economy, one job at a time.
There's no reason why Kokomo can't be a strong and prosperous community for generations to come. With unified goals and a lot of hard work, we can create a community with a diverse economy, where manufacturing rubs elbows with software companies, biotech firms and health services; where educational opportunities are available to all who want them; where auto manufacturing giants like Delphi and Chrysler can count on a better work force than they can find anywhere else; where Inventrek continues to foster high-tech startups that will grow in Kokomo; where Indiana University Kokomo and Ivy Tech Community College serve as engines that drive Kokomo's economic development; and where all our best and brightest high school students plan to return to Howard County after graduating from college.
Other important considerations for the near future that have not been considered by my opponent or other community leaders must be addressed. First, it is crucial that the next mayor secure ample acreage adjacent to the new U.S. 31 for future industrial sites. Also, the passenger railway study recently released proposing to link Bloomington, Muncie, Indianapolis, Fishers and Noblesville by high-speed rail must include Kokomo as well. Just as the interstate highway system has been important for past and current transportation and economic development needs in linking major cities throughout the country, this future mode of transportation will be vital for us to ensure our connection to the thriving cities in our state. Our next mayor needs to work hand in hand with our state senators, state representatives and governor to make this a priority.
This won't be easy, and it won't happen fast. To make it happen, we need everyone at the table contributing ideas, from factory workers to elected officials to college chancellors to captains of industry. We need a mayor who can rally all these resources and who can communicate well with people from the break room to the board room. And we need you. No one can do it alone, but together, we can move Kokomo and Howard County forward, and secure a strong future for the working men and women of our community.
