International Falls Daily Journal - Exactly what jobs are needed? - Comments

Yes I would agree. As an

troykelli — Thu, 02 Aug 2007 23:49:37 -0500

Yes I would agree. As an outsider looking in on the websites, the cirriculumn (sp?) for RRCC is rather limited and uninviting.

COUNTY BOARD

Journal Staff — Wed, 21 Feb 2007 14:33:21 -0600

COUNTY BOARD MEMBERS
www.co.koochiching.mn.us/dept/admin/adminmain.htm

District 1 - Wade Pavleck, 286-5273 e-mail: wade@cumembersnet.com

District 2 - Kevin Adee, 283-2035 e-mail: kladee@frontiernet.net

District 3 - Kallie Briggs, 286-0405 e-mail: oakpoint@chartermi.net

District 4 - Charles Lepper, 283-3951 e-mail: chas@northwinds.net

District 5 - Michael Hanson, 634-1340 e-mail: birchdale2@wiktel.com

CITY OF INTERNATIONAL FALLS
www.ci.international-falls.mn.us/contact.htm

Mayor Shawn Mason, 283-9546 e-mail: shawnm@ci.international-falls.mn.us

Council at Large Tim “Chopper” McBride, 285-7771 e-mail: chopperm@ci.international-falls.mn.us

Council for East Ward Paul Eklund, 285-7968 e-mail: paule@ci.international-falls.mn.us

Council for Center Gail Rognerud, 283-8917 e-mail: gailr@ci.international-falls.mn.us

Council for West Ward Kelly Meyers, 283-3117 e-mail: kellym@ci.international-falls.mn.us

CITY OF RANIER
Mayor Ed Oerichbauer 286-1110
Dan Klocek 286-4070
Fred Woods 286-5761
Bob Walls
Brenda Bauer 286-3498

CITY OF LITTLEFORK
Mayor Jerry Anderson 278-4305
Quentin Kennedy 278-4697
Noel Schroeder 278-4193
Loren Lehman 278-4245
Shane Williams 278-4122

CITY OF BIG FALLS
Mayor Shawn Pritchard 276-2501
Scott Gates 276-2298
Laura Larson
Jon Bibeau 276-2500
Marta Lindemanis 276-2339

ISD 361 School Board:
www.isd361.k12.mn.us/districtwide/sb-contactus.shtml

DARRELL WAGNER, CHAIR
2681 Town Road 403 East, International Falls, MN 56649
Phone: 218-283-2671 (H) e-mail: wagners@cumembersnet.com

ROBIN BAUMCHEN, VICE-CHAIR
4868 Highway 11, International Falls, MN 56649
Phone: 218-283-3994 e-mail: bird123@frontiernet.net

GERALD BOLSTAD, TREASURER
1701 - 13th Avenue West, International Falls, MN 56649
Phone: 218-283-4945 (H) e-mail: jpbolstad@charter.net

ANN BARON, CLERK
3115 County Road 24, International Falls, MN 56649
Phone: 218-283-9858 (H) e-mail: babaron@frontiernet.net

AMY HARDWIG-EBERSPACHER, DIRECTOR
210 Tenth Avenue, International Falls, MN 56649
Phone: 218-283-4393 e-mail: amyhardwig@hotmail.com

ROGER JEROME, DIRECTOR
1119 Eleventh Avenue, International Falls, MN 56649
Phone: 218-283-2979

STATE OFFICES
Gov. Tim Pawlenty
130 State Capitol,
75 Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Blvd, St. Paul, MN, 55155
800-657-3717 e-mail: tim.pawlenty@state.mn.us

Tom Anzelc (DFL) 03A
417 State Office Building
100 Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Blvd, St. Paul, Minnesota 55155
(651) 296-4936 e-mail: rep.tom.anzelc@house.mn

Sen. Tom Saxhaug, DFL-Grand Rapids
124 State Capitol, St. Paul, MN 55155
651-296-4136 e-mail: sen.tom.saxhaug@senate.mn

Rep. David Dill, DFL-Orr
315 State Office Building, St. Paul, MN 55155
800-339-0466 e-mail: rep.david.dill@house.mn

Sen. Tom Bakk, DFL-Cook
301 State Capitol, St. Paul, MN 55155

FEDERAL OFFICES
President George W. Bush
The White House
1600 Pennsylvania Ave. NW, Washington, D.C., 20500
202-456-1111 e-mail: president@whitehouse.gov
www.whitehouse.org

U.S. Rep. James L. Oberstar, Democrat
2365 Rayburn House Office Building, Washington D.C., 20515
202-225-6211
wwwc.house.gov/oberstar

U.S. Sen. Norm Coleman, Republican
320 Hart Senate Office Building, Washington, D.C., 20510
202-224-5641
coleman.senate.gov/contact/index.cfm

U.S. Sen. Amy Klobuchar
U.S. Senate
Washington, D.C. 20510
202-224-3244
Minnesota Office
Bishop Henry Shipple Federal Building
1 Federal Dr., Suite 298, Fort Snelling, MN 55111
612-727-5220 email: Senator@Klobuchar.Senate.Gov

I'll be honest...I was

Proactive Leader — Wed, 21 Feb 2007 09:36:40 -0600

I'll be honest...I was skeptical about Tom Anzelc when he was running and when he won. I didn't vote for him. But I must admit I am impressed how fast he has jumped into action. It seems he is trying hard to represent our community - and in turn earn respect from the majority of folks in this northern part of the district. I don't know how his constituents in the Baudette area think about him...but I know people here are warming up to Rep Anzelc and are taking time to communicate directly to him. I was pretty excited he was able to get a unanimous vote in the enviro committee to fund the plasma gasification study. I think it needs to go the floor now...but this movement is encouraging. If I'm not mistaken, local officials have been trying over a year to get the study funded!??? Anzelc obviously pushed it forward. Let's all keep giving him ideas and have him run with them!

I see there was some elected official contact info in the paper the other night. If you are passionate about the community and have a good idea for the state representatives, please drop them an e-mail, or personally call them. Contact info that appeared in paper is:

MN Representative Tom Anzelc, 651-296-4936 or rep.tom.anzelc@house.mn

MN Senator Tom Saxhaug, 651-296-4136 or sen.tom.saxhaug@senate.mn

rjt mentions Congressman Oberstar. When I want to communicate an idea to him, I usually e-mail Pete Makowski at the regional office on the Iron Range. Pete is really quick at conveying constituent input to the Congressman, and he has a lot of facts and updates at his finertips too...in case you have any questions regarding Oberstar and what he's working on. If you're not currently in the 8th district, but genuinely love this area and want to see it flourish, Pete would be happy to convey your input too. Contact Pete at peter.makowski@mail.house.gov

There is other contact info in the paper for other mn and federal leaders. It would be nice if the Daily Journal also posted/published the phone numbers and e-mail addresses of the Kooch county board, Falls city council, Ranier city council, school board, etc. How about it Daily Journal?

Good day - : )

rjt, You are "right on"!!!!

roj2000 — Wed, 21 Feb 2007 08:42:50 -0600

rjt,

You are "right on"!!!! What a wonderful input to this blog. Sounds like the Falls area got a new rep in Jan, and he sounds like a "real winner". But I will keep reading the Daily Journal to see if he "walks the walk" or only talks. You express many of the ideas that were used here in Charleston, SC., when some of the Military bases were shut down in 1996. We are now in better shape than before the bases were cut. I hope the Falls, city and county leaders listen to you and all others with constructive inputs like yours.

Thanks

Follow-up. I was curious who

rjt — Tue, 20 Feb 2007 10:41:17 -0600

Follow-up. I was curious who your U.S. Rep was ... its still James Oberstar!!! Betcha the 40 year mortgage on his Washington D.C. house is paid off by now! He was the representative when I was just a little tike. Here's a quote from his web site: "You can count on my strong and vigorous work to create jobs at home and my support of legislation to address not only the pain and dislocation that offshoring creates, but also the steps necessary to ensure that the American workforce continues to compete and win in the global economy." Seen any of that strength and vigor? Better go get some of it ...

This blog is excellent and

rjt — Tue, 20 Feb 2007 09:44:07 -0600

This blog is excellent and important for the community! I'm an I-Falls native now living and working in Florida. I run a high-tech company and have done a fair amount of work with state and local government to attract high tech jobs to South Florida. Here's some things that I've learned through that process. By the way much of the advice above is excellent.

1. Politicians reflect local attitudes more often than lead them. Focus on forming the right attitudes around town and then its easier for politicians to do what's necessary. Folks need to believe that business and local goverment collaboration is good. You will not succeed without concensus here. By the way, dump politicians who think in "government versus business" terms. Look for ones who think about how collaboration of these collections of people makes everybody better off.
2. To expand on the above comments, an area that thinks "labor vs management" is already at a disadvantage in attracting new jobs. No business manager wants the future hassles of a confrontational local culture. They go to where the locals are behind them. By the way, a confrontational culture concern from a management perspective more often not about salaries. The concern is ultimately about flexibility in how to continuously change and improve the operation. Why? If someone is doing it better in whatever city, county or country elseware ... then the operation needs to change on a dime to compete with that ... or else. Unions today are for government employees and mega-companies. But unions themselves are not bad if they can truly be part of a flexible and dynamic business operation.
3. You will succeed through your own local initiative. Period. But you will benefit from national perspective. I've lost track of your U.S. House Representative (who). But I assume that this person is highly engaged here. I don't mean by the way delivering "pork" for a new basketball hoop. You need access to federal resources, programs, and CONTACTS. Has your Representative met an interesting business executive while in Washington D.C. and brought them to I Falls to talk about opportunities? Has he/she even tried? Why not? Have they personally sat in on your economic development planning (or at least had a KNOWLEDGABLE staffer involved?). As a comparison, our Florida representatives have been EXTREMELY visible and directly involved in economic development programs ... actually participating in negotiations and presentations at times. Get your state and federal politicians motivated.
4. You need to focus on the delivery of services to the world (not simply within the county). Things brings NEW money into the county. Don't recycle existing money within the county.
5. It is unlikely that IFalls can be the source of business startups with national appeal (you need experienced technical and business talent with funding and with industry perspective. New biz startups are a second generation thing. First generation is more likely attracting the outsourced operations of existing companies. Note a trend thats happening. Its called "on-shoring" ... its the opposite of "off-shoring". On shoring is where companies on the US coasts are moving busines operations inland to the midwest and small towns in general. You should be wondering how to catch that wave ...
6. I Falls will not compete (today) on its business talent pool. You don't have sufficient numbers of manufacturing engineers, operations engineers, accountants, and business managers or whatever. That again is a second generation thing after more business gets local. You therefore therefore will compete on price, work ethic, and community and employee attitude.
7. RRCC and the school district is more important than you realize in your ability to attract opportunities. Here's an example of what happens here in Florida applied to I-Falls. Say an accounting company called "accountants-r-us" decide to move to I Falls. They'll need accountants. Your local government will help organize a proposal that says "hey we'll create accounting classes to help you build skills of your teams ... we'll do the same at the high school". And then we'll offer that training for free/cheap to employees. Or we'll even build a internet based training center for the UofM or Florida State. Wherever. The message is: if you don't have the "right" talent pool today then you need to show someone that you'll invest to get it. By the way, test scores matter. How do today's IFalls students do on reading, writing, and arithmatic?
8. Don't do "static short term analysis". Think investment instead. Its really easy to look at a new company coming as "costing" the citizens money (for example you hired the above teachers or you provided property tax breaks). But the benefits of having 50 new accountants in town affects everything from home property tax payroll to property values to even school revenue. And that success creates more success. Will one of those accounts branch out and start their own deal someday?
9. I Falls should decide if it intends to be an industrial town for the long term or a tourist destination town. If the answer is tourist then a lot of things change (including the look and feel of the community per the building codes). By the way, if its tourist then have a look at the changes (both good and bad I suppose) in Cascade and McCall Idaho. (Cascade is the namesake of the old Boise Cascade.) Boise closed up shop there a couple years ago and they have a ski resort going in. Valley County Idaho is becoming a vacation destination.
10. Its fine to look inward to yourselves. But that's not really where to look. Get connected. Again by example, if you believe that a accounting company should be in I-Falls then find all the accountants in town, form a committee of them, and start to monitor where someone might be investing money in accounting companies. They should get connected to every accounting company, industry association, and venture capital group on the planet. And then go to bat. Baseball metahpor: Striking out makes you a better batter in the long run. Start swinging.

A bit wordy. Sorry. But I hope it helps shape some perspective. Good luck to everyone in the community who's thinking seriously about this stuff.

Has anyone done an

choicejuju — Mon, 19 Feb 2007 21:26:07 -0600

Has anyone done an assessment of what the labor pool here currently looks like? There is much more talent here, siting idle, than we are given credit for. Who lives here? Not just people with HS educations looking to fill supplemental positions,and low paying retail/tourism jobs. There is a truly diverse "labor pool"...educated, experienced, forward thinking individuals and famalies have chosen to move back here, too. There is an interesting number of people here who are under-employed for their skill/education levels. I am one of them. So is my husband. We chose to live here because we love this town and area with family and friends making up a tremendously supportive network and a quality of life we personally value. We had realistic expectations, but, hope to see things improve economically by becoming involved - becoming active.

Ask the question "Are you a current IFalls resident who is under-employed (not underpaid!)" and "What are your credentials?" Tap this group to start small and create for the future.

All in all, this is a very powerful blog...have your voice heard, especially if you chose to be an active participant with ideas to add.

Dudley, I understand how

paradox — Mon, 12 Feb 2007 13:27:46 -0600

Dudley, I understand how unionization works. My point is that the union mindset runs deep in this town. This is a major risk for a potential employer looking to set up shop. The best way to mitigate risk is to avoid it altogether.

jess applauds I

jesshatchette — Mon, 12 Feb 2007 02:25:52 -0600

*jess applauds* I wholeheartedly agree!

The company I work for has

jesshatchette — Mon, 12 Feb 2007 02:23:36 -0600

The company I work for has over 18000 employees worldwide. We're employee owned. People automatically assume the union stance in smaller towns because they don't know the strength of a company like Marvins and are afraid of losing their jobs. No company wants it's employees to freak out and try to take over the place once they break ground. It wouldn't be in Marvin's best interests to have a union and I think if the Falls residents really want the work they would respect that. My company is a very large, stable one with plenty of backlog. I don't feel any inclination to form a union.

Excellent Idea!!!!!!

jesshatchette — Mon, 12 Feb 2007 02:15:26 -0600

Excellent Idea!!!!!! Turning RRCC into a 4 year university would be a wonderful way to keep kids in town and help grow the town again!

I agree with maf7 as well.

jesshatchette — Mon, 12 Feb 2007 02:09:07 -0600

I agree with maf7 as well. I think satellite offices from larger companies would get the type of work in that the people of the falls are looking for. It's all about long term employment with a living wage, benefits and a chance to grow within the company/office. UHC seems to be a pretty crazy place turnover-wise to work for, but bringing more of that idea in would not only allow for adequate market competition for both employers and job seekers, but would bring citizens with a want to make the Falls their permanent residence.

I personally work as a Contracts Administrator for a global environmental engineering/consulting firm. There's nothing in the Falls that I know of that aligns with that job title.

The life in Int'l Falls very

maf07 — Wed, 07 Feb 2007 16:05:42 -0600

The life in Int'l Falls very much IS my lifestyle, I was born and raised there. I work in probably one of the worst neighborhoods in downtown Minneapolis, and would drop it all in a heartbeat if I knew I had a decent paying job in Int'l Falls waiting for me.

When I say "decent", I'm being reasonable. I'm not money hungry. I also have to consider my husband who works in a field that doesn't even exist in International Falls.

One idea might be to lobby the state to turn RRCC into a 4-year University under the MNSCU system and draw qualified professors, coaches, and students alike into the area to boost the popualation and spark some growth? It might give high school students an incentive to stay home and go to school instead of planning to leave for an education.

Jessica, I totally agree

Bemidji75 — Tue, 06 Feb 2007 08:45:42 -0600

Jessica, I totally agree with you. The city of I-Falls, where I grew up and had to leave to get a good job is a retirement community now, thanks to the old mayor Jack M. A person needs to look back at the past to figure out where things went wrong ya know? What are cities like Bemidji and Grand Rapids doing? They are doing opposite of what I-Falls is doing. They are working with the community to bring jobs to town. Bemidji doesn't have a major industry like the Falls does. We have alot of small business that feed off each other and support each other. The city of Bemidji isn't worried about changing the name of there "First City of Lights on the Mississippi" or any other of the many events we have going on here. One example of many is the 4th of July Parade. Come on down! Its more then just horse crap and fire trucks. Alot of the local business and corporations put together floats and the parade lasts 2 hours. Anyways, the real point I am getting at here, like the rest of the people that had to move away from the Falls after we graduated, is that the town is turning into a ghost town just like the range cities because nobody is willing to change there ways nor spend any money that might hurt there budget to get a decent job into the town. Come on City Council and the Chamber... Your running that place like a corporation... If it doesn't make sense you do it twice, if it makes sense you don't do it at all. Ohhh and remember, you gotta spend money to make money. That's just my two cents. Have a great day!

The sad thing about economic

Jessica C — Mon, 05 Feb 2007 10:00:49 -0600

The sad thing about economic development in Int'l Falls, is that there is no labor pool. Specialized Care Services has had several opportunities to expand their employment of folks in this area, but they have maxed out their labor pool. So, they have had to hire and expand in Duluth. We need other large-scale employers in I. Falls to supplement the work force so employers that are currently located here can expand. I don't have the answers for how to do that, but I sure hope our new city council has a few new ideas. I am fortunate to be in a position where I telecommute--my boss is located in Texas. So I was able to move back to the Falls and enjoy the lifestyle and the security of raising my children here. Unfortunately, like so many people have said, they do not have that luxury--even though they would love to be here, their employment and financial needs simply do not allow it. I have plenty of friends that I graduated with that would LOVE to move back to the Falls to raise their children and be close to grandma and grandpa, but can't. It's a sad situation, and one that isn't going to get any better if we don't start coming up with some answers. Also, what are cities like Bemidji and Grand Rapids doing? They are growing like crazy---are we tapping them on the shoulder for ideas? Is our city council working with the councils in these cities to find out what they are doing?

Exactly what jobs are needed?

webmaster — Tue, 30 Jan 2007 09:47:56 -0600

In reading through the thread about moving to the Falls, I noticed some readers would love the chance to move back but because of their professions are unable to.