Morgantown Dominion Post
13 August 2007
West Virginia has lagged behind most of the nation in economic development for as long as anyone can remember.
This has resulted in high unemployment for those who live here and a continuous exodus of our young people to other states in search of better jobs and opportunities.
Even in this last decade, West Virginia has not been competing successfully in economic development, often falling close to the bottom of the barrel in most national rankings and indices, including income, employment, education, age of population, infrastructure and business climate.
We cannot change the past, but it is possible to change this pattern in the future. An easy and important first step is for West Virginia and its citizens to adopt a common vision that ultimately will change the paradigm and the status quo that has existed to date.
One vision statement, called "West Virginia: A Vision Shared" was developed in the year 2000 by Market Street Services Inc. for the West Virginia Council for Community and Economic Development.
It reads:
"West Virginia's strong commitment to future generations has created a vibrant and diverse economy balancing quality jobs and the state's irreplaceable natural beauty. West Virginia has a highly skilled and educated work force, is a leader in innovation and offers an excellent quality of life for all residents."
If West Virginia is to reinvent itself and move from the bottom of the economic barrel, realizing wonderful opportunities that are ours for the taking, then we must start with a common vision, a vision shared.
Until and unless we do, it will be almost impossible to break this cycle. Having our citizens come on board with a common vision is not rocket science. Our governor has embraced this challenge.
There are initiatives and areas in the state that are making progress. But to succeed requires all of us to participate: all our elected officials, our state and municipal employees, our private sector, our workers, our schools, our teachers, our students and our families.
This is something each one of us should champion and take ownership of. This is an important first step in becoming competitive, in creating wealth, in creating the necessary climate, in creating the mindset, in creating and growing businesses and creating jobs so that our young people and our citizens will have opportunities that will allow them to remain in West Virginia if they choose to.
Barry Pallay
Barry Pallay is a local businessman and chemical engineer, who lives in Morgantown. He is a member of The Dominion Post's Community Advisory Board, and a director of UMRA