Dear Commissioners, February 15, 2013 | Eastern North Carolina Now

    Last year on March 19, the then executive director of the Economic Development Commission presented his report for 2011 and his assurances for EDC's coming achievements in 2012.

    A review of the report, as of one year later, reveals no surprises. Mr. Thompson's promises have come to nothing. His record of failures remains intact. His degree of consistently meritless self-promotion is absolutely astounding.

    • Quick Start II, which was regularly announced as sold since its completion in 2007 has yet to close. Taxpayers continue to bear its ongoing costs.
    • A&E Manufacturing has not yet broken ground.
    • The 38 jobs that the A&E grant was to create at the Washington Industrial Park do not exist.
    • The Spinrite/National Spinning group has not yet met the grant stipulations that will be required from the firm for the disbursement of any actual cash.
    • Employment at the Spinrite/National Spinning facility is down from the date of their merger and additional grant funding has been requested.
    • The River Road grants failed to create anywhere near the jobs contracted for and have resulted in a $500,000 "claw back" penalty being levied on local taxpayers.
    • Brooks Boat Works has closed their operations and sold off their building at the Washington Industrial Park.
    • XS Smith has their building at the industrial park posted for sale.
    • Flanders has been sold off to an out of state venture capitalist.
    • The Skills Center is nearly unused.
    • Weir Valve has announced its pending shut down.
    • The Chocowinity Industrial Park, "The Folly on Frederick Road," is still a meadow.

    Amazingly, there is not a single benefit, besides his welcome departure, that grew from Mr. Thompson's $6,500,000 boondoggle and its $4,000,000 in administrative costs and penalties. The report is a landmark for empty puffery. It is an understatement to call the entire program a total waste.

    I realize that there are not more than a half dozen people in Beaufort County who do not realize that the Economic Development Commission and the industrial park's strategy of industry ready buildings were an unmitigated disaster. Sadly, one or two of those folks are on the county board and I hope that revisiting the record will keep the county's economic development record in perspective.

    You are administrators and regulators, not venture capitalists. Please, quit trying.

    Regards,

    Warren Smith
     Beaufort County, NC