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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Gingrich a front runner?
A year ago not many people gave Newt Gingrich much chance of being president.
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An exciting year so far at WSMS
I am an eighth grade teacher at West Stanly Middle and wanted to take the opportunity to share some of the highlights of our year.
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Clean Tech has right to choose location
I am writing in reference to Huck Huckabee’s letter to the editor.
First of all, I don’t think the working population has enough time in the day to wait around for an investigation on why Clean Tech did not take the offer of the Wiscassett Mills property. -
Let them make the decisions they are being paid to make
I am not being critical of our school board or individuals who sit upon it. I am not advocating that redistricting is the best option nor am I opposed to it.
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The company was never about creating jobs
I think Mayor Whitley’s offer of the Wiscassett Mills property to Clean Tech was a brilliant move. The Jan. 5 SNAP article noted that Steve Strickler of Clean Tech said the Wiscassett Mills property “… would not fit Clean Tech’s needs in terms of size and available infrastructure.”
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It's Past Time To Look At Redistricting
Question: Where does the West Stanly School District start? Answer: Just past the little bridge on West Main Street in Albemarle just before Hinks Grill. Handi-Mart and Stanly Community College are also in the West District. The South District starts somewhere around Rock Creek Park.
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Questions to Stanly County
Over the past few months there has been a lot of public discussion concerning the ALCOA relicensing, the effort to locate CleanTech in Stanly County and the dollars spent by the Stanly County Commissioners on these two items
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Postal Service needs greater flexibility for the new year
As we look forward to the beginning of a new year, the Postal Service still needs Congress to make a basic choice: to permit USPS to function more as a business or to continue the constraints.
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ALCOA and their available jobs were not run out of Stanly County
It is my opinion that ALCOA made the choice to leave Stanly County which eliminated good paying jobs and benefits for its citizens after enjoying years of profitable business here. I am also very appreciative of the jobs ALCOA provided in the past.
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Alcoa has been a great giver to Stanly County
Stanly County
I would like to inform the Stanly County manager and the commissioners that no one person owns the Yadkin-Pee Dee River. It is owned by the God of Heaven. And Alcoa’s dams have provided a great source of water to several counties. - More Letters to the Editor Headlines
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Gingrich a front runner?
