Congressman Zack Space gathered area leaders to discuss unemployment and alternative energy in Southeast Ohio Friday at an informational meeting at the Inn at Hocking College.
Space, the representative for Ohio's 18th Congressional District, suggested brainstorming to determine a blueprint for the country's future energy use and economic development.
We as Americans have been guilty of failing to plan and failing to have foresight in the economic realm
he said. We need to ask what is this country what is this region going to look like?
Around 70 people attended, including Athens County Commissioner Bill Theisen, Jackson Mayor Randy Heath and representatives from Gov. Ted Strickland, Congressman Charlie Wilson, Sen. Sherrod Brown and Sen. George Voinovich's offices.
The participants brainstormed about ways to promote advanced energy as part of the economic redevelopment of the region, and the best-ranked ideas should be available on Space's Web site by midweek.
It's important that we bring a varied approach to the energy crisis Space said. I think this process will yield positive results
even if we don't see them for another five or 10 years.
Space also emphasized the unemployment level in the area, and asked the groups to concentrate on economic advancement and the creation of jobs during brainstorming.
In this area
the poverty level is above 30 percent and unemployment hovers around 7 to 8 percent
he said. A lot of people are working full time in this area for starvation wages and we need to change that.
The meeting was the third in a four-part series planned by Space. The first two concerned technology and agriculture, and the last will deal with healthcare. Space has also planned a summit at Ohio University's Zanesville campus in May as a starting point for more meetings in the future.
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