Chandler mayor calls on the state to do more for job growth

November 20th, 2008, 11:28 am · Post a Comment · posted by Jim Ripley

Ah, for the good old days when Democratic Gov. Janet Napolitano waged her crusade for state-funded kindergarten and the Republican state legislature led by Russell Pearce waged its campaign against Arizona businesses and illegal immigration.
Arizona was flush with construction and development jobs. Growth was never-ending. Unemployment was low. State leaders could push agendas near and dear.
And jobs wasn’t at the top of the list.
Oh, there was some dabbling with job development in a trendy sort of way. You know, San Diego and Boston have biotech, we should, too.
Then, Google came to town and Napolitano was front and center on the jobs development bandwagon.
And then Google announced it was leaving town. Oops.
What we all know now is that when the marketplace shifts, it’s too late.
Had the state worked harder for job development when it seemed like the whole world wanted to live in Arizona, would our economy have been more diversified and the landing softer?
That’s a rhetorical question. The wistful answer is, “Of course.”
Maybe this recession will serve as a wake-up call. Chandler Mayor Boyd Dunn hopes so.
No Arizona city has had more success in job development than has Chandler. Years ago city leaders developed a plan, knowing that quality jobs, not strip malls were the key to creating a livable and sustainable city. And they stuck to the plan. .
Had they not, the Price Corridor would be lined with houses, because the pressure from developers was that great, said Dunn over lunch in Chandler’s hip and getting hipper downtown.
And it continues. On Tuesday rocket-maker Orbital Sciences announced an expansion that will bring 300 more jobs to Chandler. In October Avnet opened a $26 million technology center that employs 250, and in March a technology products and services company (CDW Inc.) announced it will open a center at the city’s municipal airport that will employ 450 people.
So why don’t we see more of this going on in Arizona?
“The primary driver of job development in Arizona is cities,” said Dunn. “We get little help from the state. The state has to step in. We just need help.”

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