The 'labor shortage' in the Adirondacks: real or imagined?

The Lake George Mirror newspaper had an interesting interview with Lisa Ochsendorf, director of the Warren County Employment and Training Administration. She pointed out that higher unemployment benefits had little impact on the available labor pool in the county.

"We saw only about 300 people rejoin the workforce in August and September," when jobless benefits ran out, she said. 

She pointed out that the workforce is roughly the same size as in September 2019, prior to the pandemic, and that the size of the full-time workforce has been "remarkably stable for the past two decades." 

"We keep hearing that people don't want to work but that's not really the case," she pointed out. "COVID is an issue. Child care is an issue."

She added a point that is common sense among workers but seemingly controversial among the pundit class: in order to attract and retain workers, employers must create "positive work cultures."

Lake George septic regulations

 I've been following with interest the debate over septic system inspections of local lakefront properties. The Lake George Park Commission is considering regular inspections of systems at homes on the Queen of American lakes. Warren County is considering mandatory septic inspections of all homes located on several of the county's major lakes upon sale of the property. The Adirondack Almanack has a good recap of the debate.

At the Warren County Board of Supervisors, opponents of regulation complain that an inspection would cost money and hinder the sale of properties. But here's what I don't get.

Several toxic algae blooms in Lake George have been reported in recent years, blamed by many on old, failing septic systems.

If you're buying a house on Lake George, you're spending at least a few hundred thousand dollars. Homes on other lakes targeted by the county legislation also fetch a pretty penny.

The premium value of the property is precisely that it is located on a major waterway, where you can swim and boat and fish. Many get their drinking water from the lakes. The cleanliness of the Lake George, for one, is not only a major regional economic driver to boot. 

 Water quality is integral to everything that brings added value to owning a home on these lakes. Why wouldn't homeowners want to protect that investment? Perhaps there's an angle I've haven't heard, but opposing septic regulations strikes me penny wise and pound foolish.