Ukiah Unfulfilled

2011-11-11T14:49:00.000-08:00

Ukiah can be seen as a beautiful town, with the breathtaking scenery and the great weather. The town exudes a homey, familiar feel since it is a tightly knit community. Neighborhoods are small and cozy and the people are very kind. Yet Ukiah is missing one important factor from being a "great town," JOBS.

Jobs in Ukiah are predominantly focused on retail. Jobs that require higher education are limited in the area and they only include: law, healthcare, and education. Staple businesses such as Walmart, Kohl's, and Home Depot are sufficient enough to where the town doesn't need more retail stores of that sort. Without more professional fields of work, people don't want to come to Ukiah, leaving the economy stagnant. Having a stagnant economy in what is viewed as the center of Mendocino County, is not attractive to fledgling homeowners, since Ukiah plays an important role in the area's economy.

Vacant and underdeveloped areas are not being put to use, therefore jobs remain scarce. For example, Masonite is an ideal place for a big business or for multiple big business to set up shop. High end companies would be able to set up branches in the undeveloped space in and around Ukiah, providing more professional jobs. Even as businesses have shown interest in coming to the area, The City Council of Ukiah has continually been eluding the ideas. The city council has opposed growth in order to keep the “small town feel” of Ukiah intact.

http://ukiahcommunityblog.wordpress.com/2009/06/03/ukiah-city-council-strongly-opposes-the-monster-mall-by-5-0-vote/

Ukiah will reap considerable benefits if the council decides it is reasonable to expand. Expansion will lead to more stable, higher paying jobs. Residents will have a higher standard of living and the costly commutes to Santa Rosa to buy certain goods would be unnecessary. However, The expansion also would also have its downsides. That “small town feel” would be damaged, as big businesses would undercut the “mom and pop” businesses. More environmental concerns such as pollution and waste management would result from big business. In light of the recent economic downturn, we believe that economic issues are more important to more Ukiah residents than environmental issues, therefore we believe expansion is the best step Ukiah can make moving towards the future.

If the Ukiah City Council decides that expansion is not the best route for the city, the economy will remain stagnant. Jobs will remain hard to find and college graduates looking for a nice place to live and a stable job will not even consider a Ukiah as a viable option for their future. One thing that could help Ukiah in terms of long-term sustainability, it would be a progress- driven, economic-centered city council and officials.

Masonite plant in disrepair.

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Mr. Silva-Brown's Class Blog

Ukiah Unfulfilled