VDT on VLCIA biomass "Forum" expenses

David Rodock writes in the VDT, Report on funds spent by Industrial Authority during biomass conference:

An open records request led to the Valdosta-Lowndes County Industrial Authority (VLCIA) publicly releasing the detailed costs associated with hosting a panel discussion to answer questions about the Wiregrass biomass plant at the Rainwater Conference Center on Dec. 6, 2010.

The total cost for the event was $17,534.36.

LAKE posted the detailed expense documents Monday 20 Feb 2011.

The VDT article quotes Col. Allan Ricketts as saying:

“These costs included renting the center and providing refreshments. We view these costs as due diligence because they relate directly to our community. We need to make sure that a project is a good fit for our community and that it won’t do harm to our community,” said Ricketts.

“You would want to insure that you going provide the best information available - they are the most qualified professionals you can find. You’d expect to pay them and they expect to be paid for their services.”

If they were so qualified, why wasn't the VLCIA willing to have local people who would have charged nothing sit on the panel and debate them? Perhaps it's because so many of the paid experts' points were so easy to refute, as we know because so many of them have since been amply refuted?

-jsq

Comments

[matthew richard]

for sale: Lowndes County . . . we don't value our air, our water, or our citizens for that matter . . . because we've no creative solutions and we need revenues, how 'bout we make this biomass deal? it's a get-rich quick scheme that ignores all health advisories . . . if you have a child with asthma, it could get downright scary according to the american medical association . . .

[Karen Noll]

These monies are our tax dollars. What would $17,000 buy for our schools? Much more than an evening of power points. It would be field trips for school kids. $17K would pay for a few computers, new gym equipment, good behavior prizes for 3 or 4 schools, or books for the library. I thought Sterling Planet viewed our our community as worth investing in.Why didn't Sterling Planet pay for this event?
So, they get a tax abatement(local taxes), tax credits(federal taxes), and Public Relations from the VLCIA (local taxes).What do we get? Oh, yeah, asthma, lung disease and heart attacks. Wow, great use of tax dollars.