Businesses Fleeing State
I have read recently that some believe that the reported descriptions of businesses fleeing California are some kind of a ruse perpetrated by big business in order to gain political sympathy for efforts aimed at arriving at less stringent environmental and regulatory standards.
The threat to the region’s economic stability is no ruse, it’s real. Businesses and jobs are fleeing California and they are fleeing in substantial numbers. This should be a major concern to every resident of our community.
Of further concern to me is the type of industries and the kinds of jobs that are fleeing. All too often it is manufacturers and manufacturing jobs that are leaving. This is truly unfortunate because manufacturing jobs have a powerful, positive influence on the creation of other jobs. Simply put, manufacturing jobs make it possible for other supporting jobs. Therefore the region and the state overall have much to lose as manufacturing jobs leave California.
I think people would be amazed by how active several states are in efforts to recruit businesses from Southern California. Recently I learned that Kansas City was actively recruiting relatively small businesses located in the Long Beach area. One business had actually been invited to Missouri by Missouri’s governor! I don’t have to tell you that companies are more than a little flattered by such attention.
The Times recently reported that anticipated aerospace cuts could devastate the Los Angeles regional economy. As a founding member of the county’s Aerospace Task Force, which initiated this report, I believe this report to be an accurate snapshot of what is sure to be one of the most dramatic impacts on our regional economy in recent memory. Many aerospace firms and related industries will be lost, and with them many jobs will be gone permanently.
I urge the citizens of Los Angeles County to take this threat seriously and to support efforts to retain our vital aerospace and other manufacturing industries. The economic health and vitality of our businesses, workers and communities depend upon it.
JAMES C. HANKLA
City Manager
Long Beach
