There's money for the taking from Columbus, if only we ...
... Get our act together. Gov. Bob Taft, fresh from a landslide victory Nov. 5 in his re-election bid, came to the Mahoning Valley last Thursday bearing the promise of significant financial gifts from state government, but in order for the region to qualify it must present a united front and demonstrate a vision.
The word "strategy" was used during the governor's meeting with regional business and education leaders on the Kent State University Trumbull Campus to describe what the Valley must do to share in the $1.6 billion that will be available for a high-technology job initiative.
The initiative has been dubbed "The Third Frontier" by Taft and is designed to make Ohio competitive with other states that are rebuilding their economies with high-technology industries and research and development projects.
The picture that ran on the front page of Friday's Vindicator is illustrative of the Valley's strong manufacturing history and of its high-tech future. The picture shows the governor seated with Maureen Midgley, plant manager of General Motors Corp.'s Lordstown assembly plant.
The Lordstown plant, which is being upgraded to produce GM's next generation of compact cars, will be on the cutting edge of technology. While fewer workers will be needed to produce the new models, the advanced manufacturing processes will open the door to other high-tech initiatives.
Fuel cell project
Indeed, prior to his session at Kent State Trumbull, Taft visited Thomas Steel Strip Corp., which is collaborating with Delphi Packard Electric Systems and KSU on a fuel cell project. Although the governor met in private with officials of the three entities, it was publicly suggested that this project is tailor-made for the Third Frontier initiative.
While we agree with Taft that the Valley must get its act together and come up with projects that would qualify for the state money, we'd suggest that he can demonstrate his commitment to this region by putting Thomas Steel on his priority list.
A close working relationship has been forged between this region and state government as a result of the General Motors decision on Lordstown and there's every reason to believe that Taft wants to be a part of the Valley's economic revival.
But as he told the gathering last week, "The state can best help communities who help themselves by working in a collaborative fashion. I see the beginnings of collaboration and regionalism in this area."
It is noteworthy that one of the participants was Jim Thompson, president of Softek International, a software company that is being grown in the Youngstown Business Incubator downtown. Thompson, whose company is attracting national attention, noted that it's easy to go to the Silicon Valley or Columbus and be successful, but it's more difficult when a company such as his is in the Mahoning Valley.
That reality must change.