Letter to the editor: Pa.'s job creation efforts need an update

Sen. Kim Ward’s recent e-newsletter contains material on “Measures to Increase Jobs.” I sent the below in response.

The state has been doing these job creation things for years. It’s not working — well, maybe it helps some, but in competition with states leading in job creation, Pennsylvania is losing. You’re looking at the wrong issues — the wrong opportunities.

When I founded my company, although Pennsylvania is my home state, I made the decision to not create my business in Pennsylvania. Like many Pennsylvania manufacturers, I went to South Carolina.

I suggest you need to benchmark Pennsylvania regulations against states with leading job growth. Right to work, business taxes, unemployment and worker’s comp systems, inheritance taxes, etc. all matter. In general, Pennsylvania is not among the 10 best states, nor among the worst 10, but being in the middle of the pack means business and job opportunities are elsewhere. The reason is that, with higher costs, one can’t compete successfully against firms in states with lower costs, unless there is some other factor at work such as proximity to resources and market, thus lower transportation costs that more than offset higher government regulated costs.

Your programs/subsidies, such as those here, benefit a few — so only a few benefit — and such businesses tend to fail when the benefit ends, or the benefit is extended to some new taker.

Pennsylvania government thinking and regulations and programs are 50 years out of date. It’s time to see the world as it is and quit thinking specific little steps will have other than specific little benefits.

Jim Baker

Hempfield