President Joe Biden’s State of the Union speech to the nation last week missed the mark on many fronts: Ukraine, inflation, the crime spree and the border crisis, just to name a few.

Where it did hit an important note — particularly for our region — came when the president, quoting Ohio Sen. Sherrod Brown, declared “It’s time to bury the label ‘Rust Belt.'”

We couldn’t agree more.

“It’s time to see what used to be called the ‘Rust Belt’ become the home of significant resurgence of manufacturing,” Biden said as he spoke of Intel Corp.’s $20 billion planned investment in a semi-conductor chip factory in Licking County near New Albany, east of Columbus.

“… There’s something happening in America. Just look around, and you’ll see an amazing story. The rebirth of pride that comes from stamping products ‘Made in America.’ The revitalization of American manufacturing. Companies are choosing to build new factories here. …”

Part of why this is happening is that communities have been investing in a vision for their future. In some parts of our region, though, it seems as if local officials have instead banked on a resurgence of the past, when steel and coal provided for tens of thousands of families.

Local governments now have a chance to change the narrative. They get to plan how they will use millions of dollars in COVID-19 relief.

Using that money simply for maintenance projects would be malfeasance; cities, villages, townships and counties instead need to chart a path for the future, and how this funding can truly make a difference.​​​​