For the last several weeks, I’ve been pretty hard on a few industries here in the Flathead, as well as on those who’ve lead them (or used to) and perhaps even those who might have milked them for a bit too long.
There’s nothing wrong with milking the cow till she’s dry as long as you’ve taken care to produce and nurture the calf that will provide the next few years of milk.
Enough euphemisms. I’m sure you get the idea. If you’re one of those people, perhaps you’ve taken this discussion personally. If you’re in a position to do so, maybe you should…just like the title of my column says.
As I see it, our home has tons of resources from water to timber to a great community of hard-working folks. And of course, that famous scenery that no one can eat.
The November numbers say we have over 10% out of work (officially – see this graphic for details, noting that the real number is higher given the methods used to count the unemployed).
Numbers don’t tell the whole story. I know a number of folks who have been out of work for a year or more. They no longer appear on the unemployment radar screen.
“Dirty” or “clean”, almost every business has taken a punch. We’ve been through this before, but this time it feels a little different. The job losses are big and they reach high and low. They aren’t limited to just one or two industries.
Secondary problems are starting to occur, such as the need to close Canyon Elementary in Hungry Horse – a community school that’s weathered economic peaks and valleys since before I was born. Tax rolls are falling off because business has slowed and people have moved away to seek work.
It’s becoming systemic (and yes, I realize that some businesses are doing well).
Just like the extra pounds I carry around, we didn’t get into this situation overnight and we won’t get out of it tomorrow.
Still, some are hoping for that winning employment lotto ticket to come in.
The chance that some knight in shining armor is going to swoop in from the outside world and build a factory with 5000 high-paying clean jobs is pretty unlikely. While most folks would probably welcome that, there are only so many Don Farrises in the world and we’re lucky to have the one we’ve got.
Even if the second coming of Total Label decided to come to town and hire those 5000 people, it isn’t going to happen anywhere near overnight.
So what’s a community to do in an ever-flattening world of global commerce?
Reboot.
Call it whatever you like, but I think it’s way past time for a small number of people to pull together and build a viable, sustainable plan to pick ourselves up and take advantage of the assets we have.
Some company in New Jersey isn’t going to do it “for us”. Neither is a company in Switzerland. They have their own cows to milk.
Don’t take my word for it – look at their track record. They’ve proved it by doing almost nothing (for 10-20 years in one case) while the obvious was right in front of them.
There’s a pile of smart, hard-working people in the Flathead. I don’t necessarily mean the “usual suspects” or the so-called hoi-palloi.
I’m talking about the people who make things happen despite everyone they know saying they can’t.
It’s time to get them in a room and get them brainstorming, collaborating and frankly, kicking a little tail.
I suggest salting the group with a few who usually aren’t offered the “privilege”. You’d be amazed at a group’s assessed value of “the (supposedly) dumb guy in the room” after they’ve started asking tough questions that no one else has the cojones to mention.
Who would you suggest should take part in the discussion?
You could just stand there and wait for someone else to fix it, but how long will that take? And will it happen?
Wouldn’t it be better if the solution was right here at home?
Want to learn more about Mark or ask him to write about a business, operations or marketing problem? See Mark’s site or contact him via email at mriffey at flatheadbeacon.com.