Wanting in One Hand

I am old enough to understand that you don’t always get what you want. And sometimes you really don’t need what you get. That seems to be the case in Jefferson County, as we move into budget season. It kind of seems odd to call it budget season but what else can we call it? The days of doom? Despair ad nauseam? Anyway-what we need is money. What we are going to get is a few get rich quick schemes and a bunch of “ I know that we shouldn’t ask…but pass the check please.”

Let’s look at a couple of new issues fresh off of the boat. The County Commission is going to debate Monday on give a multi year tax abatement to a new car dealership that is looking to come to the interstate area. When I say new, I really mean relocated from close by and that could be a problem. We need tax money. I know, I know, we need jobs too. I hope the Commissioners ask some real questions before handing out this abatement. Are they bringing most of their employees with them, since they are a reasonably local company? Will there be a roll back in case they decide to up and leave after the end of the abatement period? Because it is much easier to leave a car center than relocate a large manufacturing company. Just look at the vacant car lots littering the road to Morristown. And, of course, it begs the question- “Can everyone get a tax abatement?” or “Can I have a tax abatement because I have had a successful car lot in Jefferson County for a billion years?” Whatever the County Commission decides to do, they should give this one careful consideration. There are guidelines already set for companies seeking tax abatement and if they meet the guidelines then that it great. If they don’t then they don’t. It really should be that simple but I am betting that it won’t be.

And then there is the situation at Rush Strong School. Geeze Louise, we have been turning our heads to questionable air quality in several schools for years but now we have moved on to polluting the Holston River. I understand that, um, stuff happens but four years is a little long to ignore the certified mail. And now we are on the federal radar, which is not a good place to be. Expensive, yes. Good, no. All because we were missing an “apparatus” that would make our system work properly. Apparently, we never had this apparatus. Really. Are they kidding me?

Maybe we do need to give that abatement to the car dealership. Then we can all just jump in our fancy new fords and hit the road. Because we certainly don’t want to travel by boat or inner-tube. Especially not on the Holston.