Tax struggle begins before Legislature convenes

We mentioned a national real estate survey (http://bit.ly/1dapvFO) last month that found McCook to be one of the top towns for affordable housing. We expressed the opinion that creating jobs to support the families who needed that housing was the next most important piece to the puzzle for our community's success.

Now comes word that we're doing pretty well on the job front as well.

NerdWallet crunched the numbers and found that Nebraska is one of the top states for job-seekers and Red Willow County is one of the top counties in the state.

No. 5, in fact, behind Colfax, Cedar and Holt counties, the consumer-friendly website found.

Researchers asked questions like is the county growing? They examined growth in the working-age population 16 and older, from 2009 to 2011. Can you afford to live in the county comfortably? -- measuring median household income and monthly homeowner costs including mortgage payments. And, are most people employed? -- figuring in the unemployment rate.

NerdWallet noted that Red Willow County had 10,975 residents in 2012, and its working-age population increased 2.1 percent between 2009 and 2011. Unemployment was only 3.3 percent in August, down from 4.1 percent in July. Major employers in McCook, population 7,652, include BNSF Railway Co., Community Hospital and Parker Hannifin (they apparently overlooked Valmont). The median household income in 2011 was $42,627 and median monthly expenses were $896.

McCook Career Center is open to all locals looking for job-seeking assistance, and the McCook Economic Development Corp. provides career help online, the site noted.

The good news doesn't mean we should rest on our laurels, nor does it do much to console those who find themselves un- or under-employed during this holiday season.

It does mean that we have a lot of the pieces in place for continued growth if we play our cards right.

Already one of the major employers the medical industry is likely to continue to grow, according to projections by the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics.

The agency predicts, by 2022, that occupations like personal care aids and home health aids are likely to grow by nearly 50 percent over that period. While pay for those jobs is relatively low -- $20,000 or so a year -- higher-paying jobs like medical secretary, licensed practical nurses, nursing assistants, medical assistants and other related jobs are also poised for double-digit growth.

Southwest Nebraska is blessed with the educational opportunities -- the Mid Plains Community College Area, state college and universities, as well as scholarships and online offerings -- to help meet the expected demand.

And, we should continue to do all we can to encourage the enterprises, large and small, that provide so many jobs to our friends and neighbors.