NORTHEAST MISSISSIPPI DAILY JOURNAL
Editorial by Dennis Seid
Sunday, September 30, 2007
DENNIS SEID: HOW WOULD A NEW GOVERNOR
HANDLE ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT?
Gov. Haley Barbour has often been called the chief economic developer of the state, and it's a moniker that's been tossed around liberally quite a bit these days.
Northeast Mississippi has been a virtual second home for the governor, what with all the announcements he’s been making in the area. The most recent was last week, when Toyota Auto Body said it was building a $200 million, 400-worker plant in Baldwyn to supply the main Toyota plant near Blue Springs.
The hits just keep on coming – not that we mind, of course.
I don’t mean this column to be a political endorsement, but it will likely be considered one after some read the next few sentences.
I posed this question a few weeks ago to John Arthur Eaves, who’s running against Barbour in November: "How would you handle economic development differently if you were governor?"
His answer, while not verbatim, went something like this:
"I'll invest in Mississippi companies, not in foreign companies who send their money out of state."
Was that a shot at Toyota? Nissan perhaps? Ouch! I understand Eaves' desire to ensure the viability of existing business and industry – in fact, every economic developer I know does that. But they also seek to diversify their economies. That means, yes, attracting companies, foreign or not, that will employ fellow Mississippians.
I would expect a candidate for governor to present a more detailed economic plan, other than "throwing out the money changers" at the capitol.
I would also hope that he doesn’t consider any of our area economic leaders in that category.
We must have leaders who stand out and make a difference, who put community and economic development together, and Northeast Mississippi is, pardon the pun, a wellspring for such.
Money changers? Hardly.
For the full story, visit the Northeast Mississippi Daily Journal website:
http://www.djournal.com/pages/story.asp?ID=252918&pub=1&div=News