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Roane AllianceSubmitted by WhitesCreek on February 25, 2008 - 8:59am.
I expect press releases to be all sunny and bright, but the Roane Alliance operates in such an opaque world that it is really tough to understand whether it is a good thing or a bad thing. Philosophically, I have a real problem with mixing public tax money with a private operation like the Chamber of Commerce. I was extremely disappointed when the County Commission voted to take money away from our School System and give it to the Alliance. In their latest brag sheet, they talk about a lot of good numbers for Roane County, but we know so little about this murky operation that we can't tell whether we are funding a good thing or a bad thing. I hope it's good. I don't have time to run down each of the statistics, and I would really like to know how many jobs in the new industrial park are filled by Roane County residents, and exactly how much it cost us to create those jobs. We're looking at 120 new jobs a year for the next five years, according to the Alliance/Chamber. By my figuring, that's a job growth rate of 0.64 percent. Compared to a population growth rate of several times that...This thing looks like a loser for Roane County. The Roane Alliance may be the greatest thing since sliced bread but I don't think anybody knows. Let's get the information out on the table for everybody to see. That's the only way we can make Roane County as wonderful a place for our children to live and work, as it has been for us. What about having an open forum with the Roane Alliance and the Industrial Board folks answering our questions? RoaneViews hereby offers to host it for free.
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ask anybody at Roane Alliance about any of these questions?
If not, is it fair to imply that they are hiding things?
RB
I think it is interesting that the report never mentions all of the jobs lost in the community. It's always nice to paint a rosy picture, but when people and media start asking questions, you can only say the wrong thing so many times before everything comes out in the open.
for Roane County? Most recent labor statistics I found on the web show Roane County in the 4-4.9% range, with the nation at 4.9%. Generally Tennessee and Roane County are a bit lower than the national average.
So do you have data you can show us telling us it's worse than that?
RB
Unemployment rate is a different number that job loss and gain within a county. I agree that Roane County has been successful lately with job creation but the report mentions the new business in the park from the Weavers. It is said that they are serial entreprenuers but they have proven to be serial bankrupt in other businesses, but your "CEO" didn't do the research before selling the Smith house for a nice discount. Hackney is a nice advertisment on the interstate but do you know how many roane county residents they employ. I bet I can count them on my hands and toes, actually, I know for a fact I can. The new County Mayor is very progressive and sharp. I think he is and will continue to do good things for the county, but when all the parts come into place (changes at the alliance), you will see great growth within all areas of the county, not just kingston.
Unemp rate is diff from job loss. Do you have verifiable stats showing net job loss in Roane? But job loss is also diff from EMPLOYMENT rate... job loss doesn't necessarily imply unemployment. For example, job loss at one place is still counted as a job loss... even when the job loser goes to work a week later at a better job, n'est pa?
Anyway - read some of the comments WC and I made about serial failures. Having serial failures is NOT diametrically opposed to being a serial entrepreneur. Just like with SC and his R&D efforts, it is COMMON that there are more failures than successes. That's the way one learns. I don't think it's accurate or fair to characterize someone who is an entrepreneur as otherwise because of failures. If he/she is succeeding now, they are showing they've learned from their failures. Entrepreneurs by the very nature of the process will have lots of failures under their belts.
I do absolutely agree with you about our new County Executive. It takes time. Can't do it all at once.
RB
Whoa ! Has the Smith House been sold? That would be a travesty since I had a chance to bring a National organization to Roane County and was blown off by the RA. I hope that is a mistake.
I still have to disagree with you on the entreprenuer. Anyone can be an entreprenuer. I can buy candy at the dollar store and resell it and call my self entreprenuerial. Just because your an entreprenuer doesn't mean you can or ever have run a successful business. Selling off what you have never been successful at doesn't make you a smart business owner, it kind of puts you in the category as a good used car salesman. I just hate how the alliance sugar coats everything. If things were going that well, why do they have such high turnover? One or two employees I could write off, but when you turn over entire staff multiple times that shows management or someone higher up the chain is usually the problem. They have lost some wonderful people there, most notably the lady that now works at roane news. Dig deep and you'll eventually hit sewage.
No mistake, it was sold to a "serial entrepreneur" who hasn't been very successful in anything except pulling the wool over a couple of local cummunity's eyes. I think they got the house and 3 or 4 lots locked up in the new industrial park. They got these things locked up with no tangible product ever coming from their business. Just hopes and dreams on paper. I support entreprenuerism, but did they have to give away most of the farm to get 1 hopeful person? So yes, the smith house is sold, and not to the high bidder.
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