08.27.07
Wake Up!
Earlier today, I was browsing the Town’s site and came across a survey. One of the questions asked whether it was important for the town’s residents to have jobs locally instead of having to commute outside the area.
I have to ask. How can you NOT KNOW that local jobs is one of the top issues for Apple Valley residents? Where have you been if you do not know the most basic things about the people you serve?
Apple Valley’s residents tend to drive down the Cajon Pass to get to employment. Why? Because local job openings are few, and most of the jobs that are available are retail and fast food restaurant jobs. Certainly there are a number of construction and real estate related jobs (at least they for now), but not enough to sustain the local economy.
Elected officials and employees of the Town of Apple Valley, wake up! Focus your attention on helping local residents to start and grow local businesses, since local residents have an incentive to try to make our local communities the best that they can be. After all, we live here too. In fact, many of us are renters. Why not help some of us become owners as the market prices for real estate head toward a realistic level? What a marvelous way to help stabilize the local economy.
But if you are not paying attention, it will never happen. You will continue to throw away our hard-earned money on hare-brained schemes to attract out-of-the-area businesses to move here. “We’ll pay your property taxes, your sewer assessments, and refund a portion of the sales tax revenue if you’ll just open a Gree-C-Burger here in our fine city.” You’ll continue to build homes in an area where there are no jobs to offer the residents.
The path you are on has not worked in the twenty-plus years I have lived in the area. Why would you expect it to suddenly work now? It is time to change.
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