As usual, a government agency worker simply cries that more money, more money, THAT will solve the problem. What a narrow view of the problem. The problem isn't that there isn't enough money in education, it's that it isn't spent well. It isn't that there isn't enough opportunity for people to get schooling at community colleges, it's that many of them don't want to bother with it. Far too many don't want the extra effort and bother to go to school after work, have to deal with homework and the cost (which is actually fairly reasonable). Far too many feel that they are tired, they would rather sit and watch the tube, have a beer and go to bed to start again tomorrow.

Our problem isn't really an unskilled labor force, it's a state that is unfriendly (especially the Portland area) so that industry moves out of the state rather than into the state. The companies that do move in bring in the low paying jobs (Google and Netflix). It really doesn't matter how well educated and/or skilled your workforce is if the state is going to make it difficult to exist. Yes, the corporate minimum tax is low but that is about all that's low. Our infra-structure is dismal because money that should be spent on the roads is spent on trams and toy trains. What good is it to make a widget if you can't ship it anywhere in a timely manner. If the startup costs have so many regulations (environmental and otherwise) that it will take you 3 to 5 years to show a profit.

Look at the whole picture; the problem is not lack of funds, it's how the funds are spent. Schools should be teaching what is needed in the workplace but they are not. They are not in the high schools so the community colleges have become remedial high school. That slows down (and takes part of the budget) what the community colleges could and should be doing.

Bottom line, as long as we are unfriendly to business, business won't come here. As long as business doesn't come, wages remain low and opportunities are limited.