I have never been so pleased to be so wrong.

At the Anaheim/OC Job Fair and Expo, 109 employers came, with over 2,400 salary and part time jobs to fill. They set up shop at Anaheim’s Garden Walk. They built it, and indeed, the job seekers came. Unemployed folks showed up en masse, eager to participate, many in business dresses or suits and ties, with resumes in hand. And anyone watching might have felt an odd mixture of agony and inspiration. Agony over the sheer number of people out of work and inspiration from our collective human spirit’s drive to overcome—our ability to pull ourselves up by our boot straps and keep on truckin’, even during what feels like the worst of times.

I tip my hat to Councilmember Sidhu, the staff of the great City of Anaheim and its partner, Anaheim Chamber of Commerce, for their ability to connect the dots. Yes, it is bad out there—but it’s not as bad today as it was yesterday. The business community in Orange County is poised to lead the state out of this economic slump. And I thank our bold leaders in Anaheim for seeing a good idea turn into action resulting in employment opportunities for so many.

We’ve had tough times before in Orange County. The road to economic recovery starts with jobs, jobs, and more JOBS. Great employers stepped up at today’s job fair to help Orange County get back to work. Because it all boils down to one simple equation: business growth + new hires = both employers and employees paying taxes. And those tax dollars fund city and state services, ensuring a high quality of life.

Anaheim gets it. Memo to Sacramento: help us, help you.