Issue Position: Smart Economic Investments

Issue Position

Maureen Madden wants to be more entrepreneurial in our approach to local Economic Development. For example, according to the FDA there are chronic shortages in generic drugs that people depend on every day. The major pharmaceutical companies have lost interest in producing them because they don't bring in huge profits anymore. Madden says. "We have people with the skills and knowledge to manufacture these generic drugs right here in Monroe County. We don't need big profits, but we do need good jobs."
This is just one instance of the many economic development opportunities that complement existing local industry and that could create family sustaining jobs. With the right vision we can find more opportunities like this.

Madden says that "when we seek to improve our communities by using public funds for private investment, there must be a new requirement that the jobs be family-sustaining jobs, not low-paying, no-benefit, no-retirement jobs like the ones that are so prevalent here. We need a law for that!"

We have the resources to attract new industry and we have the educational facilities to train people to do these jobs. We should be looking ahead to educating, training, and providing good jobs that keep people living and working in the Poconos.

We need to be smart with our economic development dollars. Certainly we can be smarter than giving tax breaks for a new water park that only brings low-level service jobs. These tax breaks are paid for by the rest of us shouldering the responsibility with increased property taxes.

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