Standing in the way of progress

We Warren countians are hypocrites when it comes saying we want jobs and opportunities here, when in actuality, we want this progress only if it doesn?t inconvenience us in some way.

Sure, send us jobs, send us industry, send us a ?place where our kids can stay here and work when they graduate,? just don?t put it in our neighborhood because it may cause more traffic. Put it in some other person?s neighborhood, preferably a poor neighborhood like the ones where colleges build their campuses in the bigger cities.

I mean, it just gets old up here for me to hear people constantly whining about the lack of jobs when they really have done nothing but prevent progress in Warren County. I touched on it last week a bit, how we turned down two opportunities, one a shopping center off Old Shelbyville Road and one a tire plant in the old WastAway building because residents didn?t want them in their neighborhoods.

It seems if the new industry or business doesn?t fit into a perfect little cookie cutter shape out in the industrial park in Morrison then we don?t want it. Then we criticize why we don?t have new industry even though we march on city hall anytime a business wants to locate anywhere within a square mile of our enchanted cabins.

Folks, we can?t have it both ways. If a shopping mall wants to locate here, guess what, they?re going to want to locate in a place where there?s a lot of traffic, meaning in town, and likely near a residential neighborhood. So, if you were against the shopping mall a while back, don?t you be griping about not having a place to shop or place to eat around here.

And, what about the tire recycling plant? There would be people drawing paychecks out of there right now had we made a simple modification of the industrial rules, in a part of the city which was zoned for light industrial anyway. Hey, I understand residents angry over WastAway since there was a smell, but as far as I know, there was no smell problem associated with this business which we let slip away.

And what about downtown? What are the chances anyone will ever be able to build a building in The Hole to fit with ?appropriateness? standards? I understand about preserving our beautiful downtown, but that preservation can cost a pretty penny, something new businesses aren?t usually ready to pony up. Go ahead and put a water park down there.

Now before you go off and jump me, let me just say I?m a hypocrite just like you. I don?t want industry parked at my front door either, even though I grew up in the busiest part of town. I like my enchanted cabin just like you and I don?t want a bunch of traffic coming in trashing the place.

However, with that said, if it comes down to my enchanted cabin versus 100 jobs, I?m not marching on the commission meeting to whine about the old homestead. I?m calling a realtor because the whole is bigger than its parts.

I think it?s more important for a man to be able to provide for his family than for me to be able to stand out in my front yard and not see a car in sight. Plus, if I criticize the lack of opportunity here, then I should not be part of the problem myself but instead, part of the solution.

Duane Sherrill is a reporter for the Standard. He can be reached at 473-2191 or by e-mail at [email protected].