Two things ...
- Novartis has been bantered around back and forth during this whole economic development 'what-have-we-and-what-haven't-we-done' debate, and I think it's important to point out that the primary reason the company didn't set up shop here isn't because of any lack of effort on the current administration's part, but rather the lack of a qualified, properly educated population to pull workers from. On a related note, the Athens Banner-Herald reported on the lack of a potential workers who possessed adequate social skills for job interviews earlier this year, and I think the two are releated. Again, these are the types of things Kelly Girtz addressed in the Athens Press Club debate. Now folks may have some qualms with Heidi Davison, and that's perfectly fine, but harping on Novartis as the shining example of any falsely perceived failed economic development policy is wrongheaded.
- We've got conflicting reports here ... did Andy Rusk have two beers? four beers? a whole six-pack? Andy, buddy, you've got to come to our rescue ... oh, and buy me that beer I've been asking for.
- We've got conflicting reports here ... did Andy Rusk have two beers? four beers? a whole six-pack? Andy, buddy, you've got to come to our rescue ... oh, and buy me that beer I've been asking for.
posted by Jmac at 8:17 PM
2 Comments:
j, You're are a smart dude but WTF do you know about economic development. When Novartis refers to workforce, they refer to an existing and far superior bio technology program in the research triangle. It is years old and even if we didn't have a flake of a mayor, that plant was never coming here. Athens was used as a pawn to get NC to up the ante.
We need to get off out asses and stop sitting around waiting for the next Novartis.We aready for progress now. Our tech school is ready. Our residents are ready. The only person who isn't ready is our joke of a Mayor who spends 25 times more money on greenspace than getting jobs for residents.
She needs to go.
Just speaking for me, I'm not saying that the workforce situation was not a significant or primary concern for why Athens was not chosen (I think it was very serious a concern, and always is). But, if you take anonymous's suggestion that Athens was "used as a pawn to get NC to up the ante", then it can't be ignored that Novartis bit on a line that smelled good but had no bait.
But it seems to me that what people want is not necessarily Novartis, but any large or small employer.
So, to those people, let me ask the stupid but obvious question:
Why is it a joke to spend money on greenspace but not on jobs for residents?
Let me ask the same question in a different way:
If all the money spent on greenspace were spent as a paycheck to the people who need jobs, would that be preferable?
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