TEAM should stay put

A recent TEAM Santa Rosa Board meeting confirmed our fears in more ways than one.

Our county leaders are hell bent on hooking up with Escambia County for economic development.

Commissioner Bob Cole, came out and admitted he wanted TEAM to partner with Escambia County

Why, we ask, should Santa Rosa County partner with Jim Hizer and the folks he represents in Escambia County?

Hizer came here licking his chops and salivating over the industrial prospect inventory we have in Santa Rosa County. Our county, does, in fact, have quite a few holdings for economic development. There is the I-10 Industrial Park (Pullum Property), the Whiting Field Aviation Park, the Santa Rosa Industrial Complex in East Milton, and the Industrial Park in Jay just to name a few.

And just think folks, we haven’t erected a speculative building for companies to move into like some other communities have.

If the truth be known, we would be happy to wager there are more people than Hizer who are salivating, but unfortunately our leaders can only look to Pensacola.

TEAM Santa Rosa should put on their dancing shoes and partner with whomever comes to dance.

To our north there is Brewton, Ala., and those who are trying to bring economic development to Escambia County, Ala.

There are several Santa Rosa County residents who travel north to work in the Brewton area as well as residents from there that are driving here to work.

Secondly, let’s look at Okaloosa County.

It has dealings with Boeing and other aviation groups - thanks to Eglin Air Force Base and the installment in Valparaiso, Fla.

We feel sure they would love to bring prospects or work in a joint partnership with our residents when you look at how Highway 90 and Highway 98 are major arteries to the east.

With our I-10 connection, we feel strongly about the I-10 Industrial Park and the Whiting Field Aviation Park. Both would prove quite attractive.

Now that we have looked at the east and north, let’s hopscotch to the west where Mobile and Baldwin County, Ala., are sitting.

We jumped at the EDS tanker project with Northrup Grumman and even launched an aeronautics site for prospects before the political wrangling in Washington, D.C. stole that one away from us.

We were looking at bringing companies associated with the project to Santa Rosa County.

There appears to be some other developments for our area coming in the near future. We say this because of the national and international attention this has all created.

It doesn’t take a rocket scientist or an expert in economic development to realize this and to note that we, as a community, could be on the cusp of some big things.

So we have to ask, just what has Escambia County done for us lately?

If scan the history of Santa Rosa County, we were a part of Escambia County, but a feeling of neglect led many to talk of breaking away.

That was strike one against this idea.

Then let’s look at the efforts of those on the Florida-Alabama TPO who continue to earmark projects for Escambia County.

If these political dolts had been truly concerned about Santa Rosa, Avalon Blvd. would have been widened a decade ago. Instead, Santa Rosa had to wait for a grant from the Federal Government (part of a stimulus package) to get the project off the drawing board.

And must we remind folks how Escambia County Commissioner Gene Valentino came to the Santa Rosa County Commission with hat in his hand wanting to form a partnership with road dollars to do more projects in northwest Florida?

Then there was the Department of Defense payroll center move – back during the Clinton administration.

Escambia County wanted to partner with Santa Rosa County, but then decided to build the thing so far west it would have been of no use to Santa Rosa residents – despite the fact they were going to pay for half the facility.

Seeing how we were being treated, leaders decided to put their own proposal together. Santa Rosa citizens even voted a tax on themselves to pay for it, but the project was quashed due to a change in leadership as the Bush Administration came into power.

We resurrect all this history only to say, if Escambia truly wants to create a partnership, it’s time for them to bring something to the table other than their wishes.

We would be foolish, stupid, and unwise, if we were to allow our county leaders to take us down this path of destruction.

Santa Rosa County should be ready and willing to work with any city or county bringing an idea of merit and offering proof that it will help both sides.

It shouldn’t just be with Pensacola/Escambia County.

Santa Rosa County should work with all of its neighbors and the only way we can do that is by remaining independent and open for business.

We have heard the ads from Escambia County regarding 4,000 jobs in 10 years through their economic development.

Well, in Santa Rosa County in the same 10 year period there were roughly 4,000 to 5,000 jobs created here.

Neither of these numbers include the losses of employment due to the downturn of our economy, but the jobs were “brought here” nevertheless.

That is the job of these economic development groups.

Regardless of it being Cindy Anderson, Hizer, or anyone else, none control the economy, no matter how much we might want them to.

The only thing that would be in our future for Santa Rosa County if our leaders take us down the aisle to join Pensacola/Escambia County in a marriage in the name of economic development is a downright messy and ugly divorce.