At a recent meeting in front of the Palmer Rotary Club, Gov. Sean Parnell called the envisioned rail spur to Port MacKenzie a statewide project that should be viewed that way.

This week the Greater Fairbanks Chamber of Commerce appeared to agree with him. That chamber passed a resolution asking the state to support the plan to connect the Interior by rail to the Mat-Su Borough’s deep-water port.

The communities of Fairbanks, the Valley and Anchorage have not always agreed on much. And certainly a resolution by a chamber of commerce doesn’t carry a lot of weight, but chambers exist to promote business. If the Fairbanks chamber sees jobs and businesses resulting from building the rail line, then others should take notice. On the surface, the spur line seems a no-brainer.

Mineral extraction in the Fairbanks area would create jobs and more tax base for that area. The minerals would be quickly delivered to ships docked in Cook Inlet to take the loads to destinations abroad. The port would become a hub of activity, creating more jobs for Valley residents. And, it would seem, the railroad could pocket a pretty good profit as well.

Alaska Railroad recently laid off a large number of workers, though, so maybe that outfit isn’t in the best position to grow right now.

If Mat-Su Borough Manager John Duffy is correct, the spur could cost as much as $250 million.

However, if, as the governor said, this is a statewide project, then it would be right for the state to get involved.

And what about some of that federal stimulus money? This project would produce concrete evidence of something being accomplished for the good of Alaska communities and generate new jobs. Not like some of the stimulus money that apparently did neither.

The rail spur, like the new prison, offers short-term work as the project is built, and then come the full-time jobs. Jobs that far exceed the minimum wage.

Salaries like those at the port, perhaps some rehires on the railroad, and the hundreds at the prison are what make people set down roots. They will contribute to the Valley and make it less of a transient workforce.

When one project gets the blessings of Fairbanks, the Valley and Anchorage, maybe it’s time to quit talking and start getting it “shovel ready.”