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The keys to opening the
doors to a brighter
future do not lie in
living in the past but
in finding long-term
solutions. The silk,
alpaca, and paper mills
are not going to return
to Holyoke, and the
automobile and tire
industries are not going
to return to Chicopee.
The hopes for a broad
industrial renaissance
lie in education. We
cannot hope to compete
on a world scale on the
basis of wages. We have
already lost that
battle. However, we can
not only compete, but
win, on the basis of a
highly educated
workforce of skilled
labor. Education and
training are
prerequisite, and the
educational resources in
Western Massachusetts
are among the world’s
finest. Our future lies
in new industries,
particularly green
industries, that will
put our population back
to work in research,
engineering,
manufacturing, and
installation.
It is also time for us
to fully embrace and
celebrate, rather than
to discriminate against,
cultural diversity. Let
us learn from one
another and raise
ourselves to ever-higher
standards. Minority
small business loans
should come sooner, not
later, in order to
repopulate vacant
storefronts with new
businesses to meet the
demands of new markets.
The future of small
business in localities
such as Willimansett
does not lie in
attempting to compete
against retailing giants
but in capitalizing upon
meeting the demands of
niche markets in which
big businesses cannot
afford to even attempt
to compete, particularly
if those market niches
employ, target the
interests, and meet the
demands of the local
population base. At the
same time, we should
create historic
districts and designate
historical properties,
in order to preserve the
unique resources of our
cultural and
architectural heritage.
Never again tear down
churches for highways.
Finally, we need to
avoid the types of
political “get rich
quick” schemes that are
destined to make matters
far worse in the long
run. The most noteworthy
of these current
proposals touts casino
gambling as a solution
rather than a symptom of
our deep-rooted
problems. The imbecilic
politicians who pretend
that casino gambling
will turn our economy
around should not only
be voted out of office,
they should be tried for
treason. Yes, a
temporary upswing in
construction services
would occur during the
proponents’ political
tenure, but the
long-term effects are
economically dismal for
anybody and everybody
other than the casino
developers and
operators, along with
the recipients of their
campaign contributions.
Yes, there are
paths to
be taken and choices to
be made. My thoughts
only begin to touch upon
the myriad of solutions
which, taken together,
can lead to a future
more vibrant than the
past for not only
Willimansett but the
countless Willimansetts
across America. |
