I do not understand why people would form a committee to bring "boomerangs" back to Fresno to fill jobs when there are so many unemployed or underemployed people in the Fresno region. Certainly the cost to train someone for a position could not exceed the cost of moving someone in from out of town or out of state. Blocking jobs specifically for people who live out of town seems wasteful during a time of severe economic distress in our region. Furthermore, colleagues of mine shared a story about a highly qualified individual who moved to Fresno from out of state and was looking for a job. When she contacted the Boomerang Project she was told she did not qualify because she already lived in Fresno. As a result she ended up leaving the city and taking a job on the East coast. These "rules" discriminate against people who live here and seem to work against the goal of bringing and keeping talent in Fresno. I am a native of the Bay Area but consider Fresno home after living here for more than a decade. Regardless of my hometown roots, I am deeply disturbed that anyone would have the audacity to assume that the best talent comes from out of town and very bothered that someone like our mayor, who has repeatedly spoken of the need to create jobs in Fresno, would support that theory by endorsing your organization.

It would be nice if they also concentrated on bringing businesses back to Fresno. Something other than seasonal, minimum wage fruit processing jobs, which they seem to be focusing on right now. I know there's plenty of "support staff" people who are unemployed who would like something other than a seasonal, minimum wage job.

I think this is great, but what about those of us who have already come back to Fresno after a good many years away? Those of us who have high level degrees and cannot find full time productive work that can actually pay the bills. I have a Masters degree and am working a mere 10 hours a week teaching for Fresno City College. Why not offer some of those high level jobs to those who are already here and qualified?? That makes more sense!!