Wanting jobs created and facilitating job creation are two different activities requiring different intentional actions to foster positive results. “Wanting” jobs is passive. The outcome is ill-defined and requires only rhetorical support. “Facilitating” job creation involves action, goal-setting, planning and assigning resources. Vancouver leaders merely desire more jobs but refuse to promote actual job creation.
The city supports taxpayer-funded projects — Columbia River Crossing and light rail, a minor league baseball stadium, road improvements for private development of the waterfront and a city-funded convention center — all with poor results. Meanwhile, the city opposes projects that require little if any public funding such as the Tesoro oil terminal. Indeed, this is a national trend — opposing LNG terminals, coal mining, rail transportation, fracking and the Keystone pipeline. The projects that our city and national government promote do not provide long-term employment opportunities. Such private industry promotes and sustains long-term, well-paid jobs.
Vancouver leaders drive cars to meetings where they vote to oppose energy industry job creation. On the way, they may stop to fill up at a gas station and complain about the rising costs, but fail to connect this with the fact that their vote contributes to higher energy costs, which is an additional “tax” on all commerce.
America’s growing energy industry is a path to energy independence and will favorably impact our trade deficit.
