Unemployment

By Bernita M. Jenkins

What can we do differently? What efforts can be made to bring new business to the County, which in turn would bring more quantifiable employment?

With more than 63,100 residents of Kern County unemployed it is going to take more than cold calling, internet searching, or registering with employment agencies to improve this problem, this is about 8% of the total population of our County out of work. This means that more families are having to depend on already strained public assistance system to get by.

We can do better.

Attracting new business must be the top priority of any elected official. We must develop a comprehensive economic development plan that coordinates from the local to the federal level to maximize our resources. As Supervisor, I will work with all locally elected officials to coordinate efforts and ensure Kern citizens get as much of our tax dollars back as possible. As the 2nd District Supervisor it would be my responsibility to bring employment to all of Kern County but in particular to my District.

Kern County must do more to attract permanent good paying jobs. There is a vast area of East Kern to be utilized for the promotion of Clean Energy and research. We must create a strategy that attracts the energy companies not just to use our natural resources but also our human resources by bringing their research and development to Kern. We need to make new energy as important to East Kern as Oil has been to West Kern.

Good paying jobs will also come in the form of construction jobs. We must develop a smart growth strategy for Kern so that we can continue to cultivate one of our most important industries. Construction is vital to Kern and we must work to make sure that we have a smart growth plan for the county that will be a solid foundation for an important industry.

We also need to work with local businesses to find out what local regulations are the burdensome and obstacles to growth. Removing obstacles will allow local business to thrive and attract new business into this county.

Most importantly Kern County elected officials must work together to insure regardless of the leadership in Sacramento our citizens continue to have the opportunities to experience the American Dream.

We must work together to make this new decade the best decade for jobs and development in Kern County.