Princeton Company Gets Develpment Loan for Green / Historic Project

The $5 million dollar loan from the West Virginia Economic Development Authority will assist the company in adding nearly 40 new jobs. This counts as a "tripple word score" for the area, as the increased employment will take place at the historic rail yards of Princeton, WV and will encompass the restoration of several buildings on the National Register and the installation of new equipment capable of reclaiming 90% of dicarded metal.

Full Story here.

Economic Development? Not for Everybody

In an editorial in today’s Charleston Daily Mail the massive upgrades to AEP facilities in Putnam and Mason County and the Toyoda plant expansion in Putnam County are emblematic of economic progress in the State of West Virginia. Indeed, the article likens news of the investment to “cool water in the desert.”

This is a classic misunderstanding of how West Virginal really works.

You see, the Charleston / Huntington corridor and Mason County are not the economic deserts of West Virginia. Are they the hot development areas of Northern Virginia or Atlanta? Of course not, but most WV communities would sacrifice the residents of the local animal shelter to have the economies of these areas.

If you want to see real economic deserts, come take a look at Williamson, or Bluefield, or Welch.

This editorial just reinforces the notion that most people in our state think that WV’s southern border ends at Beckley. In fact, I have heard public officals in Southern WV claim that the Economic Development office in Charleston has actively discourage small business owners from opening business in places such as Bluefield. (Of course, many northern West Virginians think Charleston is in Southern WV. Puleeze.)

I have suggested, tongue only half way in cheek, that southern WV should auction itself off to another state. Surely, some state out there needs a slightly larger population for an additional Congressional seat, in exchange for real economic investment? Or maybe, as a protest, it should secede from the U.S., declare war on the U.S., and immediately surrender and apply for economic aid as a “defeated” country.(Much like the Conch Republic tried some years ago.) I am sure we could do more with the tens (hundreds?) of billions wasted in Iraq than the likes of Halliburton have.