Upcoming legislative session vital to economy?s health

As Missouri faces one of its toughest fiscal challenges in recent decades, it is most important to work together in a cooperative spirit. Although there are many opinions and questions of how we got into this situation, we do not have the luxury of time to debate this issue. We must overcome our differences and cooperate to address the problem in a short time frame. This is why the coming legislative session is so important.

Despite the fact that several economic sectors remain sluggish due to the de-cline in the economy, the Ozarks region remains relatively strong compared to other areas of the state and nation. However, we still are faced with many challenges and needs. When our personal lives are faced with financial challenges, we become conservative and spend only on the necessities and put off what we determine to be luxury spending. Unfortunately, the state budget is not quite as simple.

There are a couple of basic reasons for this. First, the amount of available discretionary spending is quite small. Second is the challenge of defining a necessity versus a luxury. It is much easier to define a necessity in our private lives than it is to define a necessity using public dollars and working with elected officials.

This is why our cooperative approach is so important. Together we must set forth a common voice, defining the spending elements that are most important to our region.

Fortunately, we have an established organization to promote our common voice approach to issues important in southwest Missouri. The Springfield/ Branson Regional Salute to Missouri Legislators Coalition showcases the region before a statewide audience of lawmakers and executive branch officials. It also provides an opportunity for business, community and education leaders in the region to interact with state officials and present a unified message on issues of mutual interest.

The coalition comprises 13 organizations that represent government, business and education interests. The Ozarks Regional Economic Partnership is the most recent addition to the coalition, and it provides a significant impact by broadening the legislative voice to a 10-county region. The partnership is comprised of 59 cities, counties, and chambers of commerce working together for regional economic development.

The partnership was formed to create sustainable economic development op-portunities for our partner members. Economic development is one of those issues some define as a necessity, while others define it as a luxury. Knowing that economic development may be defined differently among the members of the partnership, we must nonetheless unite with a common voice in saying that economic development programs have a huge impact on the state and local economy.

The return on investment of tax dollars for economic development activities is often more than 4-to-1. Many have the opinion that using tax dollars to support economic development is considered corporate welfare. However, many more know the importance of investing in the state's future creating jobs, and improving the lives of Missouri citizens. This rate of return means a sound investment.

The partnership continues to identify two important issues that drive economic development in our region and across the state. They are an efficient transportation system and a trained work force.

We are all well aware of the challenges facing our state's transportation system. We must encourage our legislators to take action this year with a comprehensive funding package to address those needs. The second issue, a trained work force, is the need most commonly cited by companies wanting to create new jobs. This is why customized training, new jobs training, and other work-force programs are so critical.

Again, some argue that these programs solely benefit private industry. These dollars do benefit a company because a trained work force means higher productivity and quality products. But more importantly, these dollars are benefiting individual citizens of Missouri who better their lives by learning new job skills.

Programs related to work-force training are the most effective economic development programs the state has to offer, allowing it to stay competitive with other states across the country. It is important that we maintain our focus on the issues that are most critical to our future.

Although transportation and work-force training are only two of the critical issues that face our region and our state, they impact all of our lives and we must work together to ensure our state leaders act now to preserve our immediate and long-term economic prosperity.

The Ozarks Regional Economic Part-nership is a program of the Springfield Area Chamber of Commerce in association with Associated Electric Cooper-ative Inc. and partner members throughout the Ozarks region.

(Allen Kunkel is the manager of regional development with the Spring-field Area Chamber of Commerce.)