Valley will gain with Fisher in state development office

When Gov.-elect Ted Strickland announced recently that he wants Lt. Gov.-elect Lee I. Fisher to also serve as Ohio's development director, we had this thought: Now Fisher will be able to keep the promises he made to the Mahoning Valley in 1998 when he was running for governor.
During campaign visits to the region in the fall of '98, the former attorney general said that if there were any new state agencies or state jobs created, he would assign "a meaningful number" to the Valley.
Fisher, who enjoyed strong support in predominantly Democratic Mahoning and Trumbull counties, also said that if elected governor he would place the economic muscle of the state of Ohio behind two projects: General Motors Lordstown assembly plant's bid to win production of successor models to the Chevrolet Cavalier and Pontiac Sunfire; a regional air cargo facility at the Youngstown-Warren Regional Airport.
Though Fisher was unsuccessful in his gubernatorial bid, the region has benefited from having Republican Bob Taft in the governor's office. Through Taft's efforts, GM selected Lordstown to produce the Cobalt, development around the airport is proceeding, and most significantly, high-technology companies are finding that the Valley is conducive to research, development and business growth.
Taft, who leaves office at the end of the year, has laid a firm foundation for the region to take advantage of his Third Frontier initiative, which is designed to make Ohio a leader in the highly competitive high-technology sweepstakes.
During his campaign for governor, Strickland, the Valley's favorite son by virtue of his being a resident of Lisbon, pledged to continue the state's involvement in the tri-county's economic revitalization.
Technology center
The soon-to-be ex-congressman from the 6th District also made it clear that the Youngstown Business Incubator in downtown Youngstown and the planned Youngstown Technology Center would be his priorities.
For his part, Lt. Gov.-elect Fisher has talked about strengthening work-force development.
"If we have a skilled, educated work force, we'll be able to compete with any state," he said last month. " ... And, recognizing that we live in a global economy means that we have to move Ohio from the back row to the head of the class."
There's another reason why Fisher's role as development director would be good for the Valley: He understands the plight of cities like Youngstown that are battling population declines, deteriorating neighborhoods, high crime rates and failing public school systems. It's about quality of life, which has a direct bearing on the ability of cities to attract new companies.
During his tenure as attorney general, Fisher worked closely with local officials to develop crime-fighting initiatives. In so doing, he got an insider's look at the challenges confronting Youngstown, Warren and other such communities.
Strickland's announcement that he would like to create a position in the governor's office that focuses on how state policies impact urban areas is also good news for the region. As the governor-elect has acknowledged, the Valley deserves special attention because effects of the collapse of the steel industry more than two decades ago are still felt here.