The Post of the Day is a broadside about Commerce Park
Grafic by Dan
Note from Dan: The regular “Still Learning” posted this about the New River Valley Commerce Park on Tuesday’s column thread.
“The Commerce Park was a project promoted by the NRV, mainly Pulaski County, and it was a boondoggle from the start.
The land did not have direct interstate access or adequate utilities, nor was it located with an adequate educated and available labor market. No “mega site” user as was targeted by the government developers of this park would have ever considered it for these reasons.
But under the misguided feel good excuse of “regional cooperation at any cost” this newspaper touted it as a project that local governments could not afford to pass up and editorialized ad nauseum about its future benefits for both the Roanoke and New River Valleys. Bev Fitzpatrick relentlessly lobbied Roanoke City Council into this deal, and then shamed Roanoke County into following suit while Salem saw the obvious and declined to invest in the project.
Both Roanoke City and County would love to exit this “deal” today as they know that their localities will most likely never, and I mean NEVER, see a return on their investment. Both localities are also contractually obligated to investing millions more over the next few decades to retire the debt. Most local governments in this 13-member partnership see it for what it is and they are still smarting from being snookered by Pulaski County.
My guess is that is the reason only Pulaski County participated in the local incentive package offered to this “technology” company as the top man for the Virginia Economic Development Partnership described it. Pulaski County is the only one who has much to gain, as they are the majority owner and the park is located within their boundaries.
If John/Jane Doe citizen saw a balance sheet of public dollars that have spent on this project (Federal State and Local) along with an analysis of an anticipated return on investment, they might just be tempted to join the Tea Potters. But I guess that was too much for ol Bob for Jobs to get into yesterday.”
March 20, 2013 - 3:55 PM
Wow, that is indeed a pretty hefty indictment!
As I strongly implied in an earlier thread [ http://tinyurl.com/bnjvedo -- March 17, 2013 at 8:20 pm ] one need to ask (and demand answers to) a range of hard questions when the national government comes-a-calling to “help us” with a scheme for “deal” promoting “regional cooperation at any cost.”
A barrel quite often has a major price tag.
BTW, I’d add look out for the more local individuals / organizations that have the most to gain by drawing others into a “regional cooperation” deal. they may not all be bad. But, . . . .
Local politics are often (always?) about real estate. As I recall there were some suspicious land purchases for the regional jail. Paying more than certain parcels were worth, stuff like that. If one scratched deep enough, I suspect some politicians may be silent partners in some of these deals.
Dan, It is a very rare day that I agree with you on something but you nailed this one. I know you love to bust the chops of any GOP politician (Bob the Gov) but you need to do your homework on the politicians who control Pulaski County. These same folks are behind the Mega Prison in Dublin and the Mega Trash Dump, also in Dublin.
I don’t share overwhelming concerns of old blue as far as illegalities are concerned however County Supervisors have been linked to land deals with questionable conflict of interest questions in the past, most notably Mike Wray of Cave Spring.
Dave Hicks, I can see your stretch to tie this thread with the Crooked Road debate but they are really two very different issues. The Crooked Road does not involve building infrastructure, roads, utilities thus creating right of way taking for roads and such. The Crooked Road is an existing “byway” if you will. An existing cultural pathway with many offshoots including communities who have already taken advantage of much government assistance involving grants and planning help that has resulted in the effort winning National awards for being a successful tourism draw. Now the fear of a very few citizens has at least temporarily hindered the advancement of what is an unarguable success; by folks who at least in my opinion seem to be obsessive over their fear of the government….unless it’s benefitting them of theirs.
More interesting to me is that fact that the Roanoke Valley is not even on the Crooked Road, even though we played an amazing role in the formation of traditional old time and bluegrass music. When The Crooked Road was being formed Roanoke City and Roanoke County both opted out of participating as it did not fit the new image being crafted for Roanoke…that being one of a Technology Corridor, another boondoggle promoted by Bev Fitzpatrick. God forbid if people found out that Bill Monroe the father of bluegrass wrote the famous song “Roanoke” right here in our home town; what would people think??? So Fitzpatrick gave us signs on the Interstate declaring us a Technology Corridor and an interest in a failed Industrial Park costing us millions of dollars, meanwhile the Crooked Road attracts National attention with limited funding. The Crooked Road celebrates our ACTUAL HERITAGE…IT’S REAL. Conversely the Technology Corridor and Biomedical rebranding was just another attempt to try to become something we are not. Successful communities, the ones Roanoke leaders visit on occasion but unfortunately don’t pay much attention to play off of their past and the strengths. Roanoke leaders want to forget ours and play Wizard behind the curtain.
Yes Dave all that is shiny is not gold, but not all efforts by government are evil and conspiratorial. It is no fairer to lump all government activities into one category as it is to lump all Tea Party members together. But I will tell you that whenever I am in a social situation and Tea party types are included, nothing positive comes out of their mouth. You can choose to be happy and accepting or you can choose to be negative and suspicious, my opinion is that Tea Partiers choose the latter most of the time. Life’s too short for that my friend.
Well said Still Learning!
By the way, you are correct about these politicians, In Pulaski County a Board Of Supervisor went down before the subdivision was built, Heron’s Landing, and took close to 6 acres of prime land and built a building on it and made a profit. When approaching the Board, we were just trouble makers in the wind. When you have papers to prove these things, HELLO.! Also when can you take a vehicle that is owned by the citizens of Pulaski County And Give it to a RETIREE for a gift. I thought anything that is going to be doneaway with you are supposed to sell at public auctions. This is just two things that has gone on, you ought to hear more. Thanks.