A good investment?

To the editor:

Do we really have a problem not having enough money to offer enticements for companies to locate in the Shoals? Or are we trying to fund a larger budget for SEDA and giving it a reason to exist?

SEDA, unfortunately you are in a "what have you done for me today" business. So, what have you done lately? Can you justify the millions you say are needed?

A few questions I'd like answered are: How many industrial development opportunities have we missed because we didn't have inducements immediately available? And how much does this fund need to be viable?

I assume the needs are in the tens of millions based upon the projected $6 million collected in the first year if a half-cent tax is imposed. Driving through the Florence industrial park, I see a lot of empty buildings and vacant lots. Why don't we fill those before we acquire more land or build spec buildings?

Would the citizens of Colbert County object to spending "their" tax dollars on the Florence park and vice-versa? Ideally, any future development would be built on the county line, but there happens to be a river there (and it's been put off-limits by TVA).

Having elected officials on the board gives me no comfort. Look at the Eddie Frost Commerce Park fiasco that was rushed through because of a "fleeting opportunity." If the money had not been immediately available to expedite this transaction, then the concerns that were raised about this property may have been properly addressed rather than being brushed aside for expediency's sake. Although the process may be painful, having to take the time to arrange the "enticements" ensures a wider, more studied review of offers being made to new companies.

Here's a proposal: make the changes to SEDA that have been discussed and make them responsible for all activities associated with industrial development in Colbert and Lauderdale counties using the current budgets. We'll then see if the different entities represented can play nice before they are turned loose with millions of tax dollars.

This process needs to be run like a business. Develop your business plan and present it to your potential financiers, the taxpayers. Let the voters decide if the return on investment is worth their tax dollars.

Pat Flaherty

Florence