The current economic conditions stink. It’s as simple as that.
That’s how Graham Slater from the WorkSource Oregon Employment Department summed up what’s happening in Douglas County and across Oregon at the 2009 Business Outlook Forum, which took place at Umpqua Community College Thursday.
We would have to agree.
At the same time, we’re grateful for the forum that delivered straight talk about what the county is experiencing and what it can expect in the next couple of years. Kudos go to the Roseburg Area Chamber of Commerce for bringing Slater to town, along with four other speakers, to provide some guidance for business owners who face tough times ahead.
Slater delivered the news that Douglas County and Oregon have fewer jobs now than they did at this time last year. That’s the first time that’s been the case since January 2004. The county’s job losses have not only come in manufacturing and natural resources, but also in local and tribal government and education. The only industry that seems unaffected is health care.
It’s no surprise the county’s unemployment rate continues to outpace the state’s, but that’s typical of the state’s rural areas, Slater said. Likewise, the county continues to have a skills shortage and difficulty attracting young workers.
While business in Douglas County may be slow, Attorney General-elect John Kroger thinks we can take advantage of this time to tackle another problem facing businesses: methamphetamine.
Abuse of the drug is a huge contributor to property and identity crimes and child abuse. In 90 percent of the cases where a child is being removed from the home, there’s a meth addict in the house, Kroger told Thursday’s audience.
He said expanding and improving drug treatment is the key to fighting the meth problem, citing every dollar spent on treatment saves $6 in costs of prisons, law enforcement, health care and child welfare costs. He said Texas has experienced that.
“When Texas is being more creative than Oregon, we’ve got a problem,” Kroger said. “We need to show the conservatives it will save money.”
He admits our drug treatment system will need an overhaul to make it work. The programs need to be proven effective and accountable, and people who want treatment but don’t have insurance to cover it need to have access. We’re eager to see Kroger make this happen.
While Thursday’s forum acknowledged that it’s looking like we’re in a recession, efforts at drawing tourists to the county should continue.
Mark Dennett, chief marketing strategist for the Southern Oregon Visitors Association, said even a Costco can be a major tourist attraction. He said a study showed that 75 percent of those who shop the Medford Costco do not live in Jackson County.
He also said the economic slowdown will see families seeking less expensive vacations, rather than canceling them. The Roseburg area provides good value with its abundance of waterfall hikes, a growing number of wineries to visit and a popular attraction like Wildlife Safari.
With gas prices much lower than they were a year ago, people just might decide to drive to Douglas County for a vacation rather than San Francisco or Seattle, he said. That would also help the restaurants and RV parks that are hurting right now.
So tell your friends to come visit. It’s what you can do to help boost our local economy.
- www.nrtoday.com/article/20081116/EDITORIALS/811149848/1022 -
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