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Jobs and the Economy

Stackpole Corporation Ribbon Cutting
Every ten years during the national census, we find that people are leaving the Commonwealth in droves despite the superb quality of life that we enjoy in rural Pennsylvania. In order to reverse this trend, we must find a solution to our faltering economy so that young people will be able to find good jobs right here in our rural towns and communities. We need to find a way to unite our talents and resources in order to retain, attract and create high-quality jobs across our region.

On the federal level I continue to work to reduce burdensome taxes, open up foreign markets to American products, restore corporate accountability and remove federal barriers to job creation. While these are important, our local economy largely depends on having a healthy business environment within the Commonwealth and a local plan of action for retaining and attracting employers.

From high business taxes to antiquated tort laws, Pennsylvania has serious challenges that must be overcome if we are to compete with other states for high-quality jobs. In addition, our State's economic development funding system forces our numerous local and regional development agencies to compete against each other for the same limited pot of money instead of working together to promote regional economic growth. We need to find a way to simplify our system, to develop a new, streamlined approach with one point of contact that can quickly provide help to those who are trying to start or grow a business in our region.

At my recommendation, the Northwest Pennsylvania Regional Planning and Development Commission contracted with a nationally-recognized consulting firm, FutureWorks, to explore new ways to make economic development more effective. The final version of this study has yielded important important results that can be applied across our entire region. (To read the entire FutureWorks report, click here) As we move ahead, I will continue to work with local community and economic planners to find ways to improve our economy in rural Pennsylvania.

To address the economic difficulties facing our region, I have developed two concept papers targeted at improving our economic development system and the creation of a consortium of rural Pennsylvania community colleges.

Columns and Opinion Pieces

 

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Pennsylvania Resources
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Northwest Pennsylvania Resources
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Manufacturer's Association of Northwest Pennsylvania
Small Business Development Center-Clarion University
Small Business Development Gannon University
Ben Franklin Technology Partners

Northcentral Pennsylvania Resources
North Central Pennsylvania Regional Planning and Development Commission
Focus Central Pennsylvania
Tioga County Development Corporation
Central PA Entrepreneurial Network
Industrial Modernization Center/North Central IRC
Small Business Development Center-Lock Haven Univ.
Small Business Development Center-Penn State Univ.
Ben Franklin Technology Partners

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