1. Invest in building small, locally-owned businesses in the community, particularly those whose product or service is sold to buyers outside of the area. They bring funds into the local economy, and are intimately tied to the local area by the residency of their owners.

   We should not be afraid to set goals for hiring of local employees, including both number and compensation levels of those employees. Nor should we be afraid to work out a deal to help with job-skills training for the employees that get hired. Remember that during the heyday of aerospace in Southern California, it was said that each job supported five other jobs in the economy. We may not reach that level, but even 1.5 other local jobs is preferable to giving funding to big box retailers paying minimum wage and costing more jobs than they bring.

2. Find an area of town with reasonable land costs and build whole communities of “starter homes”. The idea is that people earning the local median income should easily be able to afford these homes. This helps with stabilizing the economy (homeowners have a reason to participate in making things better, where renters do not) and with helping your local construction, real estate, and financial industries to recover from the recession.

   It does not have to be solely funded by taxpayers. A cooperative project with a group like Habitat for Humanity can have a wonderful effect on the area. Habitat often has the buyer help with the construction, which gives them some skills and experience they’ll need during the maintenance phase, and which may even open the door to a new career in construction.

   In areas where it is possible, these homes should be heavily-insulated (protects occupants from temperature extremes, reduces utility costs) and maybe even utilize solar and wind generators to augment the power grid. Also, make housing areas as close to business areas as possible. Ideally, employees will be able to walk to work (this means that businesses have to follow strict environmental and safety standards, including regular inspections by regulating agencies).

What we know is this: Washington is too “bought and paid for” by large corporations that have too much at stake to truly be concerned about your little community. Instead, your community needs to take the lead and break its dependency upon outside funding, imported goods, and the now-nonexistent loyalty of corporate America. Let me say it again: most of what your community needs will not come from the feds.

We already know from past experience that giving subsidies to large companies to come into your town does not work. Your taxpayers pay up front, and before the company’s contribution matches the benefit it received, it closes up shop and moves to the next town. The large discount retailer nicknamed “Big Blue” is well-known for this strategy, leaving empty stores in town after town. It is time to return to something that works: local community investment in local businesses is a key part of a strategy for preserving your community’s economic future.