Ask just about anyone in Borderland, or the rest of the state, what Minnesota needs the most, and they’ll tell you more living-wage jobs.
But defining just how to go about creating more jobs has been difficult.
Gov. Mark Dayton is hitting the road in a statewide tour aimed to seek ideas about how to boost the Minnesota economy. He’s said that job creation will be his No. 1 priority during the rest of his term. That makes good sense because creating jobs would have the most impact on us all.
Dayton has selected International Falls to be one of the stops on the road, where he will meet with local and regional leaders to discuss ways to spur jobs and development in the state.
Dayton’s forthcoming visit is good news for the area. Not only will his visit signal that he knows who we are and where we are located in the state, he’ll gain a knowledge of the unique challenges we face as well as the distinctive opportunities this place has yet to fully develop.
The visit will also offer a chance to showcase the accomplishments in development we have made, as well as hear about our plans for the future.
This is the time to make the benefits of our yet-to-be-developed foreign trade zone known to state officials, as well as the unique public-private partnerships developed that have led to the Voyageurs National Park Headquarters facility.
In addition, we need to capture state attention with our plans for the Renewable Energy Clean Air Project that would use innovative and unique technology to create energy from waste.
Clearly, there is more work to be done, but a little help from our friends in St. Paul may go a long way in bringing our hopes and dreams to fruition.
Kudos to local officials who recently made valuable connections at a Coalition of Greater Minnesota Cities conference that led to Dayton including us on his tour.
Now is our chance to make our voice heard and to hear new ideas about how to improve our little piece of the state’s economy.
