Our governor recently visited our town.
He praised the facilities he visited, saying we were pumping on all cylinders, citing the college’s effort to train nurses with a $450,000 state grant and a $3 million state grant for transforming a motel to a motel.
There are help wanted signs throughout the city where the employer will train you if you will just come to work.
No grant required.
I counted the number of commercial vacancies on Front and First streets. There are 35, give or take, some of them are long-term.
There are zero homes for rent and apartment rates are very high, if you can find one.
I guess if government grants are to be touted and not private enterprise, we are pumping on all cylinders.
Our homeless population is increasing, drug use is increasing, crime is increasing, but we’re pumping along.
In my view 20 years ago, we didn’t need government grants to prosper. We didn’t need assistance; we didn’t need the government’s help. We needed folks to go to work.
We need a proactive business mindset. Stop this nonsense.
Robert Beausoleil
Port Angeles