State of the Derby City: 'Average'

New Louisville mayor Greg Fischer, known for his business acumen and entrepreneurial abilities, noted in today's "State of the City" speech that his goal of taking Derby City to the next level without facing -- and fixing -- the failure of the Jefferson County Public Schools to adequately educate and graduate its students.

Fischer is asking Louisville business owners to give 1,000 low-income youth summer jobs. But company leaders shouldn't be asked to do this just out of the goodness of their hearts, should they?

Wouldn't a better approach be to apply proven incentives to address this issue, including eliminating minimum-wage requirements so unskilled youngsters from struggling families could gain badly needed work experience?