What's Happening To Giles County?
This subject was requested by one of the readers. I have posted it just as it was submitted.
Several of the few factories we have left in Giles Co are reducing staff by early retirement, closing some shifts, closing for a week at a time, etc. Why is this happening here when Lawrence Co is adding industries and has active stores, etc. Same thing goes with Fayetteville. Those squares and stores are buzzing with shoppers while downtown Pulaski, even on a Saturday is dead! Persons who asked me to pass this on are suspecting for some reason we are not hearing about it in paper so asked that it come up for discussion on blog.
Several of the few factories we have left in Giles Co are reducing staff by early retirement, closing some shifts, closing for a week at a time, etc. Why is this happening here when Lawrence Co is adding industries and has active stores, etc. Same thing goes with Fayetteville. Those squares and stores are buzzing with shoppers while downtown Pulaski, even on a Saturday is dead! Persons who asked me to pass this on are suspecting for some reason we are not hearing about it in paper so asked that it come up for discussion on blog.
posted by Allen Barrett | 10:59 AM
26 Comments:
Pulaski and Giles Co. doesn't get the the "Big" stores because of population and personal income. Remember Lawrenceburg and Fayettville are much larger than Pulaski. As for the factories, the day of the large factories has gone. I hate the lay-off's but it's better than closing up for ever.
Pulaski doesn't get the facotries, stores or any other business that wants to locate here unless Dan Speer says it's okay. Than they have to pay what he will let them pay. He needs to go!
From the 2007 census numbers Giles population was 29,024 a decrease of 1.4 % from the 2000 census. The median household income was $37,767.00.
Lincoln County population was 32,731 an increase of 4.4% and the median household income was $41,536.
Lawrence County population was 40,887 an increase of 2.4% with a median family income of $35,762.00.
Property Tax rates for Giles 3.07; Lawrence 3.02; Lincoln 1.79.
Why is Giles one of the few counties in the state that is shrinking in population and jobs while most every other county is increasing in both?
We're paying almost $100,000.00 a year for an industrial recruiter and all we have is a bunch of empty buildings. Allen Barrett
The root of the problem is that Pulaski is not growing. That brings the question of why. Lawrence and Lincoln had growth. Giles no. What is it that makes people not only choose not to locate here. Why do some who are here leave? Counties next door are getting new jobs. While we can't hold on to what we have. The Lincoln County tax rate is amazing. How do they have better schools and facilites than us? What is the secret.
Surranding counties have a very large wheel tax. Maybe, just maybe if we'ed had a wheel tax years ago we wouldn't have as large of a property tax.
Thanks for the stats Mr Barrett. I cant help but wonder how competent the Giles Co. economic director is. Does he have any special marketing skills that landed him the job?
1:24 Thanks for the accurate info.
1:46 The 'secret' is GOOD management! Giles problem is little people in high places do little! Except line their pockets.
Better schools you say?? WHO would work in Giles County knowing educators have received NO RAISE of ANY KIND from the board of education THREE years straight! That means when the cost of living goes up...the educator's salary SRINKS or should I say STINKS! However, the 'management' got 'his' usual pay raise EVERY YEAR!
5:02 Yes, the Giles Co. economic director DOES have 'special' skills. He can talk out of both sides of his mouth and at the same time reach in your pocket to GRAB your hard earned dollars without you even knowing it...until it is too late, that is.
You should check the population figures for Giles County from 1860-to the present-the county has been on a downward spiral since the end of the Civil War.
Don't think that these same people have been in office quite that long. There must be a basic problem here that needs to be addressed. The problem might be that a lot of people here do not accept those who move into our community unless county people have known the new comers parents, grand parents, and great grand parents. Sort of like a closed community and this attitude seems to spill over into the industrial recruitment done by locals---not just the "man himself".
To Monday, March 30, 2009 1:02:00 PM
There you go again!
Spear, Spear, Spear. by the way, it's S-P-E-E-R , you idiot!
Thanks for the ignorant chatter you provide, always makes me laugh.
746 - have you checked Campbell's birth certificate? is? Remember, it ain't changed in 200 years
notice that the new job opts have decreased since this blog started? mmmmm, could it be that old and possibly new businesses have been on here, read some of the insane comments and decided not to locate here or to leave??? It would certainly put a bad taste in their mouths.
The last industry we had planning to come to Giles County, was treated terrible by some born and raised residents of Giles County. When we have a small group fighting any change how do you expect our county to grow?
11:43 - What last industry are you speaking of?
I was told by someone who was in the meeting when Home Depot met with Dan Speer that they wanted to pay more and he told them if they did they could not come to Giles County. Be it true or not from my understanding they are not the first business to want to come here and were told what they could and couldn't pay. There have been several restuarants they were suppose to come where are they? We were suppose to get a Shoney's where is it?
Dan Speer is the problem-our children have no where to work they have to go out of county to find jobs but yet we have a shop Giles county program-where is there to shop that you can actually afford?
I think the correct name was Ice River Springs.
8:08 Which is exactly why people start out at $8 per hour with little or no benefits.
I heard a year ago we were to get a Wendys and possibly Arbys. What happened to those? Its about time the commissioners started questioning Speer and not just accept that for his highly paid job he has sent out so many brochures each month. His office worker could do that. Maybe we need an all around uprising!
8:11 Ice River Springs industry was their benefit only. It was stated they would need one employee to run a filtration plant. Perhaps a max of two people. Not worth our loss of the valuable Campbellsville Spring and their gain. Glad Ice River Springs didnt get to come but it was no thanks to Speer or Stoney Jackson but to a group of people rallying against it.
March 30, 9:08 You idiot! S-P-E-A-R IS correct! Spear 'sticks it to' everyone he can.
Here, here, cheer & a beer
for the spear!
I wonder if he hangs out near the railroad tracks with a roll of rope
waiting for poor Pauline...
Who is Pauline?
To:Tuesday, March 31, 2009 8:33:00 PM
Of course I know you are attempting to be humorous and intelligent. Not doing very well at it, but at least you are trying.
Lets be realistic here. Its impossible for Giles Co to ever recover from the losses in industry that have occurred in the past 2 - 3 years. World and national economy will never be what it was. Our city and county governments which fund the economic director position and office, need to look at reducing averything associated accordingly. Whats wrong with a part-time position at half the salary. It would still be way above the average being paid in Giles.
4:58
I think maybe you are right.
10:06 Got you beat...
Poor Pauline so thin and lean
Used to work in a factory
But got 'speared' by the mean
Money grabbing machine....
Being from the "outside" now the "inside" of this community the downward spiral is due to a lack of acceptance. The inability of the community to give up on what was and look for creative ways to make what could be happen. Fayetteville has an active downtown in antiques and specialty shops. They also have a larger pool coming in from Huntsville shopping there. Lawrenceburg has the Amish draw plus industry and is close enough to Nashville for retirees. Giles County has ignored their assets and allowed friends of friends and kin to take a higher position then they are capable of managing. If they do poorly the area does not protest enough or hold the money line. How we got a Home Depot is beyond me? And, how this area has hit the tax payers with every possible tax known to man to keep pace with their dillusions of grandeur. We're asked to stop being so negative and embrace the YES WE CAN attitude. Forget recession and inept leadership and embrace throwing money at the problem until anyone with common sense moves away. How did Madeoff get away with all that money? He knew someone who knew someone who thought he knew what he was doing. Time to step up and elect someone who is capable of staying within the counties budget while promoting what is RIGHT about the area. Good people, honest hard working, and a place that is steeped in natural beauty that can produce food. This is a time when this county should be booming. Get back to the basics and gear the products from farming and how to for those who have left that for industrial wastelands. And, no I am not a farmer. Or, manufacture a "do it yourself" product which is really what people are doing more of these days. The last thing they need is to live in an area that shrugs and whines without purpose of direction.
Pulaski seems to be busy enough that you can't get a parking space.
Have you noticed that there are more vacant buildings on and around the square in Fayetteville than there are in Pulaski.
Maybe the cup here is half full instead of half empty.
What Fayetteville were you at? There are plenty of parking spaces on the square except on court days. One reason there are so few parking spaces is so many are reserved for courthouse people.
As far as I know there is only one Fayetteville close enough around here to bother to compare it to Pulaski.
If it weren't for the antique businesses there business wouldn't be much there at all. Maybe we need some good atique businesses here.
Come to think of it we did, but for some reason the lack of business forced then to leave. Maybe because they were "furiners" and we didn't know their grandparents and wouldn't trade with them and that sent them packing back up north.
The community needs to come to some decisions about what we need to center our business interests around and really support it instead of pulling into our little cliques like little children.
Who knows what could be accomplished with a little true unity.
Post a Comment
<< Home