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grassman 
Group: Members
Posts: 3858
Joined: Mar. 2006
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Posted on: Jan. 19 2013,8:32 am |
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Who attracts jobs to Albert Lea?
Published 9:43am Friday, January 18, 2013
Whose job is economic development?
Is it the city government’s job to attract businesses and jobs? Is it the port authority, the chamber of commerce, the county government, school district or the elected politicians? Is it the state and federal government’s job? Is it the role of the economic development agency, convention and visitors bureau or local business leaders?
The job of economic development is everybody’s. It’s your job.
When you leave Albert Lea, do you speak with pride about your town or do you put it down?
When you speak to out-of-towners about Albert Lea, do you deride our community or do you praise it?
When you are with your friends, do you constantly nag about how messed up you think the community is or do you sing gleefully about what a great town we have?
Do you shop local? Do you suggest local stores and local services to your friends and family? Do you participate in community efforts like the United Way? Do you give of your time by being on committees and panels or volunteering where needed?
Sure, no community deserves to go without criticism here and there. It’s healthy to debate issues. But what bothers us are the folks who only can criticize and not see the wonderful aspects of this community. It’s a great place. It’s not perfect, and there have been missteps, but no place is absolutely perfect. In general, Albert Lea is a beautiful city with gorgeous lakes, safe neighborhoods and nice, friendly people — especially when compared to so many other places in the Upper Midwest and more so when compared to places across the United States.
The trouble is that often the people who complain about the local economy are the same folks who go around talking bad about the town all the time. Why even live here? They are forever miserable, forever griping.
Albert Lea Mayor Vern Rasmussen made an excellent point at the Greater Jobs Inc. annual luncheon.
“We all must take responsibility for the growth of the community.”
Shop at local stores. Be an ambassador for the community. Be helpful to out-of-towners. Be part of the solution, not part of the problem.
This is true, to a point. Some of the above mentioned are paid to do just that. How has that been going? Some of the above should be willing to take public opinion into what they do. How has that been going? Maybe instead of paying specialists and consulting firms for advise, they should see what the public has to say. How has that been going?
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git er done!
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| Post Number: 2
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Santorini
Group: Members
Posts: 2015
Joined: Nov. 2007
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Posted on: Feb. 01 2013,7:24 am |
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The thing is AL needs to have and environment conducive to growing business. Incentives, reasonable taxes etc, customer base etc. AL has limited shopping choices, limited restaurant choices, very limited social activities, very limited good paying jobs pool. Although AL is really a beautiful city with the lakes and parks, they have not been utilized to their full potential. AL has an incredible location situated at the crossing of 2 major interstates which has also not been used to its full potential. The new school did not increase population as advertised nor did the clinic expansion. What is the answer? Thinking back to the 70s when class sizes were 400-500 and the downtown was full of businesses, 2 theaters, kids dragging broadway on fri and sat nites, it was a fun time. Now...not so much.
Dont know what the answer is.
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"Things turn out best for those who make the best
of the way things turned out." Jack Buck
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| Post Number: 4
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Self-Banished
Group: Members
Posts: 22677
Joined: Feb. 2006
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Posted on: Feb. 01 2013,9:46 am |
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Let's try making MN a right tomwork state, that will help. The unions are why the companies moved away.
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 Remember boys and girls,
Don’t be a Dick …
Or a “Wayne” 
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| Post Number: 5
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Expatriate
Group: Members
Posts: 16946
Joined: Oct. 2004
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Posted on: Feb. 01 2013,10:39 am |
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College educated truck driver, that says it all. idiot!
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History is no more than the lies agreed upon by the victors.
~NAPOLEON BONAPARTE
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| Post Number: 6
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Self-Banished
Group: Members
Posts: 22677
Joined: Feb. 2006
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Posted on: Feb. 01 2013,12:49 pm |
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^ better than an ex meatpacking moron.
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Remember boys and girls,
Don’t be a Dick …
Or a “Wayne”
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| Post Number: 7
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twingroves
Group: Members
Posts: 599
Joined: Oct. 2007
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Posted on: Feb. 01 2013,9:00 pm |
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all a union is good for is to keep the lazy ass his job and pay the fat ass union rep to sit in his big easy chair and do nothing
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| Post Number: 8
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This is my real name
Group: Members
Posts: 1468
Joined: Sep. 2006
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Posted on: Feb. 02 2013,6:14 am |
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Here's how to fix what's wrong with unions: Let them negotiate the STARTING rate for the various jobs within that organization, and also let the employer award additional pay based on performance and attitude. So yes, there would absolutely be employees with higher seniority but lower pay than someone doing the same task if their performance and attitude sucked.
Also, allow union employees that are not in right-to-work states to designate that NONE of their funds go to political candidates. If you have to pay union dues, you should at least have the right to say whether or not you want YOUR money going to whatever candidate the union has in their pocket.
Or wouldn't that be FAIR? 
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PEZ the only candy you eat after your favorite fictional character spits it out of their tracheotomy hole.
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| Post Number: 9
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Expatriate
Group: Members
Posts: 16946
Joined: Oct. 2004
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Posted on: Feb. 02 2013,8:37 am |
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Do you really think unions are going to give political contributions to politicians that are trying to disembowel worker’s rights for their corporate masters?
Whatever you think of unions you’ll have to admit Albert Lea’s economy was in much better shape when union wages floated everybody's boat.
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History is no more than the lies agreed upon by the victors.
~NAPOLEON BONAPARTE
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| Post Number: 10
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