Gentlemen (Dear Commissioners, September 10, 2012) | Eastern North Carolina Now

   Publisher's note: Warren Smith still is relevant on this one subject that he understands better than most of the Beaufort County Commissioners do themselves.

Gentlemen,

   In the last year of EDC activity the Beaufort County lost 284 jobs (June 2011 through June 2012). We gave away over $1,250,000 in expenses, salaries and crony capitalist subsidies and guarantees between June 2011 and June 2012 while maintaining and funding an empty QSII, an undeveloped Folly on Frederick Rd, and an unoccupied Skills Center.

   By the EDC own undocumented and unverifiable count, the jobs census claimed by the EDC dropped over the period between December 31, 2008 and December 2011from a beginning 1019 jobs to an ending 903. This drop in EDC credited employment coincided with the local countywide jobs census increasing from a beginning December 31, 2008 level of 18,632 to an ending December 31, 2011 of 18,764. This is a net increase in countywide jobs despite the losses in EDC job projects. Frankly, we would have been better off without the EDC.

   The EDC efforts on behalf of its pet projects and carefully chosen friends was a dead weight loss totaling millions of dollars in wasted tax receipts. Is anyone surprised that draining Beaufort County of millions of dollars by sending salaries to Craven County, chasing ethanol fantasies, buffering failing enterprises and building useless projects has contributed to depressing economic growth?

   We need a "do over" and a final year end report from EDC.

    Regards,

    Warren Smith

Civilian Labor Force Estimates

for Beaufort County