Tom L., you want to criticize Ashe Co. because many manufacturing jobs left the county but you just want to sit back and do nothing to try and save what we have left or to help entice new businesses into the county. With your logic, we should just drop a bomb on the whole county and move somewhere else. The people that actually care about the county and want to give the towns a chance to grow are in favor of this road because it a necessary first step in showing potential businesses that we are willing to change. How many thriving cities do you know of that only have a 2 lane road leading into town? I can't think of any.
Good morning hillbillies of Ashe, try to do some collaborating today and see if between the many of of you if y'all can come up with one thought. Difficult it may seem, but hang in there you never know what might pop into those little noggins
Anyways, this project is the foundation to building a better local economy. It provides many benefits to the county. We can't bring back manufacturing jobs lost(Nor do we want to), but maintain and grow the current economy.
And again, if you don't like this hole in the wall... please leave. I am sure we can replace you with more effective member of the community, even if its an illegal alien or a transplant from Florida.
GE is here, AEV is here, Leviton and Chemi-Con...still here. I am not looking for more manufacturing, but looking to maintain that level.
Any rural economic plan should have a diverse job market. Ashe depended too much on manufacturing in the past which is why we are so slow to recover. We need to maintain the current levels of employment as well as developing new areas. Also, any rural economic plan starts with basic infrastructure needs and one of those is safe and well maintained roads.
Gates is gone, Leviton and United Chemicon are all but gone. Hanes has been long gone. Thomasville and Catawissa are gone. Face it build all the **** roads you want, these jobs are gone and not returning. Not now, not never. No matter what this hole in the wall offers, industry isn't coming.
I have heard so many dumb *** people say "We could use that money for other things." Really, you don't realize that that money if for road projects if not here, then somewhere in NC.
These people cant realize how hard it is to get the dot to even know where Ashe county is on the map much less get them to spend a dime up here. We are lucky the money is not going to Charlotte, Greensboro, or Winston etc...
Its needed for Small Business, Tourism, transport of goods, transportation system for those traveling for work, and with a minimal impact on the terrain.
Hanes was the only factory that we lost that sent the jobs to mexico.
Manufacturing trends show that jobs are being created(not returning) here in the US. This is due to the fact of the lost productivity in shipping goods from other countries. So the new trends are that companies are placing factories near consumers or distribution centers. Now, what are companies looking for? Low taxes, educated workforces, and ease of transportation. Can Ashe draw jobs into the county, yes, but we have to maintain a solid infrastructure(And we need a lot of work). It is also imperative we do what is needed to keep existing jobs here. The road is a huge piece in creating a strong infrastructure to create and maintain current jobs.
I think Tom's right about the jobs. They're gone and they ain't coming back. I don't think roads or anything the local politicians could have done would have kept them here. It was largely a macro event.
Back in the early 90's I heard the CEO of Union Mills (Fruit of the Loom) say that if NAFTA passed they would be forced to move all their mills out of the country. It did and they have been gone for years.
