New model aims to create more jobs

After three years of budget cuts amounting to millions of dollars, the Missouri Department of Economic Development is going through a process familiar to private businesses and industries: It is sharpening its focus on its core mission and streamlining operations to make the most of available resources.

It's too bad that government has to be forced to adopt operating efficiencies by a sour economy and a state budget crunch that has ended -- finally -- the runaway growth in state spending that was fueled by the boom economy of the 1990s. But now that fiscal reality has set in, the DED, headed by director Joe Driskill, appears to have a plan to get the most bang for taxpayers' dollars.

The DED's primary objectives are job creation, job retention and community development. When there was plenty of state revenue, the DED, like other state agencies, created a number of other specialized programs. Now those are being abandoned in favor of the basic role of making sure Missouri is a good place to work and has plenty of jobs.

Unfortunately, in the past two years Missouri has led the nation in the number of lost jobs.

Reversing that trend is likely to get a boost from an improving economy, but building up the state's business and industrial base to create job opportunities and preserve existing employment opportunities will take some hard work and creative strategies on the part of the DED.

One of those strategies is obvious: Make better use of partnerships with other public and private economic development groups. Examples in our area would be the Cape Girardeau Area Industrial Recruitment Association and the new Innovation Center that's being started by Southeast Missouri State University to encourage economic development throughout the region served by the university, particularly along the I-55 corridor.

For years, there have been multiple layers of economic development at the state, county and city levels, as well as private initiatives aimed at attracting businesses and jobs. With fewer taxpayer dollars available, government-funded efforts will have to rely more on each other instead of relying on what often appeared to be a duplication of effort.

It will be interesting to watch what happens to economic development in the months ahead. Most of all, the DED's restructuring and concentration on jobs for Missouri will provide an example of what state government is capable of accomplishing even when a slowdown in state revenue puts limits on new bells and whistles.

The DED's new operating plan could well provide a useful blueprint for other state agencies that face similar budget restrictions. Hats off to Driskill for attempting to make lemonade with a bumper crop of lemons.