There Should Be No Question

Letter to the Editor

“Letters To The Editor” do not necessarily reflect the opinions of The Jefferson County Post nor any of its employees.  The Jefferson County Post does not underwrite any of the facts or situations mentioned in the letters.

Submitted by: Steve Hammer

My recent perusing of the Jefferson County Chamber of Commerce website took me to our demographics and workforce page.

Our entity charged with commerce and economic development is presenting workforce data from 2012.  2012…when unemployment was at 11.8%. Our county leaders repeatedly cite our need to bring industry and jobs to this county.  With an 11.8% unemployment rate it certainly gives a dire sense of urgency.  An employment situation that can ONLY be remedied with large manufacturing,  tax incentives and tax abatements to those large manufacturers.    We must acquire land, build an industrial infrastructure, and establish Jefferson County’s place in the East Tennessee Manufacturing world.

11.8% paints us with a sense of desperation.   ANY industrialization. ANY manufacturer. ANY commercial endeavor to pull us out of double digit unemployment.  We’re losing out to surrounding counties because WE have an open records lawsuit.

WE have concerned citizens who researched the proposed development and exposed its shortcomings.

WE want responsible progress. By failing to update our unemployment rate we can certainly make this group the scapegoats for our inability to attract appropriate businesses. Nevermind that the Small Business Administration reports that small businesses make up 99.7% of employer firms.  99.7%.  But somehow, we need to land a big fish–a large manufacturer to employ that other 0.3%.  Less than 1/3 of 1%. THAT’S where our focus should be.

For the record the Tennessee Department of Labor and Workforce Development reports Jefferson County’s current unemployment rate at 4.8% as of March 2016, but that number strikes no fear. No gloom and doom.

4.8% shows a populace that makes its own future.

4.8% presents Jefferson County as a workforce county.

4.8% represents Jefferson County’s potential without the heavy hand of industrialization–no wonder the Chamber of Commerce doesn’t want it on its website.

Before we get excited and dole out praise to the Chamber for this tremendous reduction in unemployment,  please realize a LARGE portion of this reduction is due to a lessening of the requirements to qualify for disability.   Once disability benefits are achieved an individual is removed from the “employable workforce ” status and is thus no longer unemployed.

So our unemployment rate is reduced by over 50% due to some limited manufacturing businesses and our disability requirements reduction. What IS EDOC (a self appointed subsidy of the Chamber) doing with the county funds allotted to them?  If they have their way Jefferson Countians will never know.

There should be no question.