The Star-Tribune newspaper on Friday published an excellent editorial on reasons to keep Gov. Tim Pawlenty&8217;s Job Opportunity Building Zone program. This newspaper wishes to echo that sentiment.

It comes as a surprise that legislators would want to end such as successful program.

We encourage Pawlenty, who visits Albert Lea today, to veto any bill that would threaten to strip JOBZ legislation from the books. We also urge legislators to look at the hundreds of success stories this incentive has produced and, if anything, adopt improvements to keep it going &8212; perhaps seek adjustments to help the places that haven&8217;t found JOBZ useful.

The program gives tax relief to companies that start or expand in certain areas of greater Minnesota. It is singularly the best tool for helping regional municipalities compete with neighboring states. It is a successful program that works if economic development officials ply it hand in hand with their communities&8217; other advantages. The communities that haven&8217;t made it work for them should avoid pointing the finger at JOBZ and look at other reasons for the lack of success.

Freeborn County leads the state in jobs created through the Job Opportunity Building Zone program. As of the start of this year, the program had created 492 jobs in Albert Lea and the immediate surrounding area since JOBZ started in 2004.

That says a lot for the JOBZ program and a lot for the quality of the Albert Lea community.

The JOBZ program should be expanded. When it started, the law set up tax-free zones for 12 years, ending on Dec. 31, 2015. Companies that enroll later have less time to claim tax-free incentives.

However, Pawlenty proposed allowing JOBZ businesses to have 10 years of tax benefits once they enroll. This change would keep a successful program going. Ending it in 2015 would be a disadvantage considering how many surrounding states now offer incentives.

JOBZ has added more than 4,800 jobs for hard-working Minnesotans. Let&8217;s keep the momentum going.