Dear Editor,

It has come to my attention that the economy still really is not picking up. There are many people wondering what we can do about it.

Well, certainly I am not going to say that I have all the answers but I will say this. I think the first thing we need to do is we need to look at the aspect of our local economy, not just the global, not to say that doesn't have it's place, but let's look at where we are here, Johnstown/Somerset, the local aspect, what can we do to greater support our local economy to built itself stronger and as it builds itself stronger then that example that's set can help other communities.

Plus there is more we can do if our economy is stronger here then we can buy from Pittsburgh or some other place within our larger context of our state and as the state becomes stronger so does the nation becomes stronger. And as the nation becomes stronger so does the economy of the world and I know that is saying a lot but what is important is we must start here at the local level.

We must buy and support the local concerns that are here. We must look at how in a sense we can circulate our money here locally seven times over. When we focus our money on something that is local here, like an example, when we buy from a farmer on the farmer's market, if that farmer is local that we are buying it from him and if he's spending his money locally that means we spent it to him and he's re-spending it again in the community. If he is buying it from someone who is local who is then spending it in the community it is creating this cycle that statistics have shown that seven times or more the money will re-circulate here locally.

That's important. We need to build the local economy, that's the only way we can really affect the global aspect is by making sure our local economies are strong economically.

John A. DeBartola

Johnstown