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jlf1961 -> RE: Unemployment continues to drop and other good news... (3/21/2013 11:45:50 AM)
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Some strange things have happened in my county over the last 10 years.
Six major tech firms have looked to putting plants in this area over the last ten years, part of the reason is the state corporate tax codes, part of the reason was location, and part of the reason was a large potential local work force.
However both the city and county governments would not agree to the requests by these companies to bring the plants here. In fact they seemed to go out of their way to discourage the companies from considering this area at all.
The city and county powers that be have discouraged the building of a six flags theme park, a water park, a major expansion and move of the zoo to accommodate a large number of new exhibits and participation in captive breeding programs, even though one local business man was going to donate 350 acres for the project, thus eliminating the need to purchase land for the project.
The reason was that the attractions would draw riff raff and increase the crime rate.
You see, during the 70's and 80's, oil was the major industry in the area. And the city and county leaders seem to think that big oil is going to come back. It has not dawned on them that it wont. They seem to be oblivious of the fact that the two local refineries shut down 15 and 20 years ago respectively. Where once there was about 50 drilling companies, there are now 3, and most of their business is not local, they are putting crews in hotels because the simple truth is that the wells are too far for a daily commute.
However, there have been new employers brought into the area, four new prison units and a halfway house center for recent released convicts.
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