"You can’t borrow yourself into prosperity." —irony from VLCIA board member

Member of big-borrowing business board bashes borrowing.

A David Rodock story in the VDT 5 July 2011 included this quote:

Included among the guests was George Bennett, Valdosta-Lowndes County Industrial Authority board member.

“I think it’s time we hold the elected officials accountable, whether they are Democratic or Republican,” said Bennett. “You can’t borrow yourself into prosperity. We need to talk with the legislators at the national level and get them to come around do what America is all about.”

I'm guessing this was G. Norman Bennett. Anyway, that's quite the irony coming from a director of an organization that raised $15 million in debt

on top of its $3 million a year in taxes and got Lowndes County to hastily agree to a contract that forces the county to raise taxes if necessary to cover VLCIA's profligate borrowing!

While I do recommend VLCIA sell off some of its hoard of wasteful acres, I don't think that selling it for use as a biomass plant in the latest of a long series of surreptitious special called meetings is the best way to go about it.

How about local legislators such as the appointed VLCIA board come around to what the local community wants, which is jobs through renewable and sustainable energy?

-jsq

Comments

[Karen Noll]

The industrial authority's spending of money seems to have no end. They don't seem to budget appropriately or have a long range plan for the land they have acquired. Yet another industrial park when the Hahira park is still without any leasers.
This looks like gambling with my tax dollars. I don't gamble with my own money for the reason that I am likely to loose. The board & staff feel no responsibility to the taxpayers. so, it is clear that they would ignore our demand for a no biomass clause and support of clean air for our families.