That more live in poverty could be an indicator of another deep slide into a recession — something which the Bush administration denies. Another key indicator the new data is that more Minnesotans now live without health insurance than in 2001.

State officials call the data “very disappointing,” but there is a bright spot. As bad as the numbers are, Minnesota still ranks 10th in the nation in median household income last year at $55,802, while Wisconsin at $50,578 ranks 21st.

Still, we’re sure those numbers are even higher — by nearly two times — the median household income in Beltrami County. Those figures were not part of the breakdown by the U.S. Census Bureau on Tuesday, but we see the same trend. The number of homeless has risen, as indicated by use of the local homeless shelter, the number of students receiving free or reduced price lunch — an indicator of poverty — is on the rise and public assistance health care is markedly up. And while business starts are up in the county, the proportion of low-wage jobs outpaces any gains in high-wage jobs.

While the figures aren’t encouraging, we must take care on how we interpret them and in how we find solutions.

Economic activity will certainly help, and developing more high-wage jobs is key. Also key is developing our community into a strong regional center, drawing people (and their money) from elsewhere. It is through that economic activity that our tax base grows, both in property and sales taxes, and we gain a better ability to take care of those who need it.

We need also to assess our assets, such as our natural resources and recreational opportunities, to see if they can sustainably add to our economy; our educated workforce, if it can offer talents and skills to emerging businesses and industries that locate here; and our hospitality offerings in drawing new visitors to shop, stay or attend functions here.

The Census figures show that we have many problems we must solve, but we also must capitalize on those assets that we can grow and provide us with the resources to solve our problems.