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States should work on cooperation

Economic development competition among the states has never been so fierce. New business and industry make such a difference in the overall financial health of a state that governments must become aggressive in seeking and/or keeping jobs.

States have been known to try just about anything to get a new business or industry to locate in their geographic area of the country. There's a civic group in our part of the nation that's recommending the governors of Kentucky, Ohio and West Virginia get together to formulate what can be done by each state to help the tri-state region develop and grow.

The name of the group is Leadership Tri-State. It believes the chief executives should meet Sept. 16 at Virginia Point in Kenova, W.Va., where the Big Sandy River flows into the Ohio River. The goal would be to market the tri-state as a metropolitan area rather than as individual communities in three different states.

Associated Press quoted Dan Mooney, a member of the group's strategic planning committee, who said, "We need to emphasize the Ohio River as a corridor between the three states, not as a barrier." Mooney added members of Leadership Tri-State have "planted seeds in all three governors' offices and everyone has been receptive to the idea."

We know the Ohio River has been viewed for decades as both a blessing and a curse to the border communities located along its banks. Because populations have become so fluid and travel so easy, residents of one state can move to the other with impunity. That serves to heighten the competitive zeal among the states.

Still, most people can appreciate the fact that often what's good for one state has positive benefits for an entire region. We would urge the governors and their assistants to keep an open mind in his matter. It can't hurt for West Virginia, Ohio and Kentucky to at least discuss working together for the good of all three.

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