Tuesday, April 15, 2008 — I’m concerned that the Stanly County commissioners are being short-sighted and misguided with their last-ditch attempts to deny Alcoa a new license for its dams on the Yadkin River.
To suggest that a government-run operation will be more beneficial to Stanly County than a private enterprise demonstrates that county officials don’t understand the negative impact such a move would have on businesses in our community.
As a private business owner who located in Stanly County because of Alcoa, I can tell you that Alcoa’s presence here supports many local businesses like mine.
By outsourcing services to local contractors, Alcoa can get work done more efficiently and with lower costs. I employ a number of people who work directly for Alcoa but are not technically Alcoa employees. These people live here, pay taxes here and support local establishments.
Will I stay if the property becomes government run? Probably not. The business opportunities will be much more limited with a government-run enterprise, so I’ll probably pack up and move to a place where my business — and private industry in general — is more valued.
The commissioners also should consider how their relentless attacks on Alcoa will impact Stanly County’s ability to attract new companies here in the future. If you were a private business owner thinking about moving your company to Stanly County, imagine how you would react.
No business owner wants to move to a place where this type of treatment of a long-time corporate citizen is not only tolerated, but encouraged, by our elected leaders. I’m afraid that Stanly County is shooting itself in the foot by earning a reputation for being unfriendly to private businesses.
I write this letter as a concerned employer in a county that needs to enhance its attractiveness to private employers for its economic well being. I don’t think citizens are going to be best served if the largest employer becomes the government.
Development of the private sector is crucial to sustainable economic growth which creates jobs and increases the tax base and ultimately benefits its citizens. We must have a market-friendly environment for economic growth, lest we cause an avalanche of problems that could take years to recover from.
On a related note, I can tell you that the claim made by the county’s public relations firm (MMI Associates) that Alcoa was delayed in making the necessary upgrades to its facilities is completely false. I’ve worked with Alcoa for more than 20 years on its hydro operations in North Carolina and it has been working to upgrade its facilities for more than 15 years.
Most people don’t realize what is involved in the process — inspections, engineering assessments, financing, selection of contractors — and how long it takes. The first round of physical upgrades began more than 12 years ago and much more work is planned for the future.
Richard L. Glenn
Letters to the Editor
County’s efforts send wrong message to potential businesses
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A few items to factor in
Regarding the recapture of the FERC license, it seems some folks want to focus solely on the money spent instead of the accomplishments that have been achieved or planned.
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Thank you, EMS professionals
May 20-26 is National EMS Week, and EMS for Children Day is May 23.
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Time to wake up
Only in America could people who believe in balancing the budget, and believe in sticking by this country’s Constitution be called extremists.
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Response to Storm’s letter
I would like to comment on Richard F. Storm’s (Storm Technologies, Inc.) letter that appeared on April 22.
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Tournament a success
I would lake to take a moment to thank all sponsors and those who participated in the Second Annual West Stanly FBLA Golf Tournament on April 20 at Red Bridge Golf Club in Locust.
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Kathy Kimrey
Kathy Diane Biggers Kimrey, 41, of 24281-B Old Aquadale Road, Albemarle, passed away, May 1, 2012 at her home.
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Looking for retraction
I was so anxious to read my SNAP newspaper for a retraction from Justin Burr concerning the huge contributions from companies looking for favors from the State House in Raleigh.
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Tired of all the lies
The people of Stanly County have been lied to and are unknowingly spreading those same lies regarding ALCOA and the Stanly County Commissioners. The only way to find the correct solution to the re-licensing is for the truth to be told.
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