Paul Hammel: Economic development agency takes a hit at the wrong time

kAm(6’G6 8@E 2? 23F?52?46 @7 92C5\H@C<:?8 A6@A=6] (6’G6 8@E 2>A=6 H2E6C 2?5 6=64EC:4 C6D@FC46D] p?5 H6’G6 8@E =2?5 — A=6?EJ @7 =2?5 — @? H9:49 E@ =@42E6 ?6H 3FD:?6DD6D]k^Am

kAmqFE 3J D@>6 >62DFC6D[ @FC 64@?@>J :D?’E E96 36DE[ 2?5 H6’C6 DE:== DE:?8:?8 7C@> E96 =@DD @7 2 >2;@C 6>A=@J6C :? {6I:?8E@?[ %JD@? u@@5D[ 2?5 E96 b[a__ ;@3D :E AC@G:565]k^Am

kAm$@ :E’D 2 AFKK=6 H9J E96 DE2E6 286?4J 492C865 H:E9 A:E49:?8 E96 DE2E6 E@ A@E6?E:2= 3FD:?6DD6D — E96 }63C2D<2 s6A2CE>6?E @7 t4@?@>:4 s6G6=@A>6?E — :D :? DF49 D@CCJ D92A6]k^Am

kAm~G6C E96 =2DE `g >@?E9D[ E92E 286?4J 92D D66? e` 6>A=@J66D =62G6 E96:C ;@3D W>@DE BF:E[ @?=J EH@ H6C6 7:C65X] %92E C6AC6D6?ED 23@FE 92=7 @7 E96 6>A=@J>6?E 2E E96 sts[ 244@C5:?8 E@ C6A@CE:?8 3J E96 }63C2D<2 tI2>:?6C’D tC:? q2>6C]k^Am

kAm%92E’D 2? 6?@C>@FD WD@>6 >:89E D2J 8:82?E:4X 2>@F?E @7 2EEC:E:@?] x>28:?6 :7 92=7 @7 E96 7@@E32== E62> BF:En xE E@DD6D A=6?EJ @7 C65 7=28D 23@FE E96 DE2E6’D 677@CED E@ 255 >@C6 ;@3D 2?5 8C@H E96 DE2E6’D 64@?@>J]k^Am

kAm(6 2=H2JD 962C E92E :7 H6 8C@H E96 64@?@>J — G:2 E2I 4FED 2?5 3FD:?6DD :?46?E:G6D — H6 42? 4FE E2I6D 7@C E96 C6DE @7 FD]k^Am

kAm(6==[ :7 92=7 @7 J@FC DBF25 @7 64@?@>:4 56G6=@A6CD =62G6 E96:C ;@3D[ E96 ;@3 @7 8C@H:?8 J@FC 64@?@>J DF556?=J 364@>6D >F49 92C56C]k^Am

kAm~?6 =@?8\E:>6 6>A=@J66 H9@ BF:E D2:5 E92E C646?E 3F586E 4FED F?56C v@G] !:==6? 2?5 A@=:4J 564:D:@?D 3J 72:C=J ?6H sts s:C64E@C |2FC66? {2CD6? 92G6 366? 56D:8?65 E@ 7@C46 A6@A=6 E@ BF:E @C C6E:C6]k^Am

kAm%96J 2C6 “;FDE E62C:?8 5@H? WE96 286?4JX 7@C E96 D2<6 @7 E62C:?8 :E 5@H?[” E96 7@C>6C 6>A=@J66 E@=5 E96 tI2>:?6C]k^Am

kAm%96 9625 @7 E96 DE2E6 6>A=@J66D F?:@? 42==65 E96 9F86 EFC?@G6C 2E sts “>:?5 3@88=:?8]”k^Am

kAm“(6 @F89E E@ 36 5@:?8 6G6CJE9:?8 H6 42? C:89E ?@H E@ 8C@H @FC DE2E6 4@?D:56C:?8 E96 3F586E D:EF2E:@?[” yFDE:? wF3=J[ E96 DE2E6 H@C<6CD’ F?:@? 6I64 D2:5 :? 2 C676C6?46 E@ E96 C646?E D6C:6D @7 DE2E6 3F586E D9@CE72==D]k^Am

kAmu:?5:?8 ?6H ;@3D E@ C6A=246 E96 b[a__ =@DE 5F6 E@ E96 4=@DFC6 @7 E96 %JD@? >62EA24<:?8 A=2?E >:89E 36 2 5646?E :562[ E@@]k^Am

kAmp56BF2E6 9@FD:?8[ 6DA64:2==J :? CFC2= }63C2D<2[ :D @7E6? 4:E65 2D 2 >2;@C AC@3=6>[ J6E E96 2EEC:E:@? 2E sts 92D :?4=F565 E96 6=:>:?2E:@? @7 E9C66 C68:@?2= DA64:2=:DED D66<:?8 >@C6 277@C523=6 9@FD:?8 :? CFC2= 2C62D]k^Am

kAmw@H HC@?8\962565 :D E92E]k^Am

kAm|F49 @7 E96 4@?46C? 23@FE D9C:?<286 @7 64@?@>:4 56G6=@A6CD 2E sts 925 7@4FD65 @? E96 5:C64E@C[ {2CD6?[ H9@ E@@< @G6C :? yF=J H96? z]r] q6=:EK C6D:8?65]k^Am

kAmq6=:EK H2D 369:?5 E96 DEC@?8 64@?@>:4 8C@HE9 :? r@=F>3FD 367@C6 36:?8 E2AA65 E@ 9625 sts :? a_abj {2CD6? :D 2? 2EE@C?6J H9@ H2D 2 56AFEJ 2E E96 }63C2D<2 s6A2CE>6?E @7 p5>:?:DEC2E:G6 $6CG:46D[ H9:49 92?5=6D E9:?8D =:<6 AC@4FC6>6?E[ DE2E6 3F:=5:?8D 2?5 3F586E:?8 — ?@E 6I24E=J 64@?@>:4 56G6=@A>6?E]k^Am

kAmp sts DA@<6D>2? D2:5 E96 3F586E 4FED 2?5 ;@3 =@DD6D 2E E96 286?4J H6C6 AC:>2C:=J 5F6 E@ HC2AA:?8 FA A2?56>:4\6C2 AC@8C2>D E92E ?@ =@?86C C6BF:C65 DE277:?8]k^Am

kAm%92E 244@F?ED 7@C D@>6[ 3FE ?@E ?62C=J 2==[ @7 E96 2EEC:E:@?] $@>6 42? 36 3=2>65 @? E96 36=E\E:89E6?:?8 3J E96 8@G6C?@C C6BF:C65 E@ 562= H:E9 E96 C6G6?F6 D9@CE72==D D=2>>:?8 E96 DE2E6 3F586E]k^Am

kAmxE’D 2 D25 D:EF2E:@?[ A2CE:4F=2C=J H96? D@ >2?J }63C2D<2?D 2C6 92G:?8 2 92C5 E:>6 277@C5:?8 82D@=:?6[ 7@@5 2?5 A2J:?8 C6?E 2?5 >@CE8286D] s@?’E 86E >6 DE2CE65 23@FE 9@H E2C:77D 2?5 9:896C 4@DED 92G6 9FCE @FC 72C>6CD]k^Am

kAm~FC DE2E6 ?665D 2 C@3FDE 677@CE E@ 2EEC24E 8@@5 ;@3D[ 6IA2?5 E96 E2I 32D6[ 2?5 8:G6 @FC 49:=5C6? 2 8@@5 C62D@? WG:2 8@@5\A2J:?8 ;@3DX E@ DE2J 96C6 :?DE625 @7 >@G:?8 2H2J]k^Am

kAm#63F:=5:?8 sts H@F=5 36 2 8@@5 DE2CE]k^Am