A very busy week has finally come to a close, not to mention dealing with 16” of fluff needing to be cleared from our driveway, including three berms left by the Public Works department on successive trips up our road.
We’re hoping to get back into the publishing groove very quickly, and we are way, way behind on reporting the news from Lake Basebegone.
We’ll quickly offer up this “fast food equivalent” of news on the subject, which should serve as a reminder that the “nutrition level” of the all you can eat buffet served up by the MRRA and friends (FLee, are you there?) may cause severe indigestion.
A recent news report from Massachusetts is a perfect example of the political entrepreneurism syndrome that is quickly becoming the norm in our economy, especially in desperate situations like ours here locally.
Patrick announced the expansion of Evergreen Solar at the former Army base in Devens to great fanfare in 2008 when the company pledged to double the size of the manufacturing plant it was constructing and triple its workforce to 1,000 employees.
The company accepted $58.6 million in grants, loans, land, and tax incentives over the last few years as incentive to expand in Massachusetts and add at least 350 new jobs to the economy.
Patrick, however, was forced to defend his decision to invest public dollars in the company during his re-election campaign last year after Evergreen announced in late 2009 that it intended to move some of its solar panel production to China.
Note that the subject here is green energy jobs, the same grand concept being touted as the answer to Lake Basebegone’s woes.
We particularly resonate to this comment in the article:
House Minority Leader Brad Jones (R-North Reading), said the loss of jobs at Devens highlights the risk of investing in particular industries instead of working to create general market conditions that would foster growth and job expansion.
We have long felt that if authorities did the right things for our economic and regulatory climate, companies would be tripping all over themselves to come here, rather than needing to be bribed, or if you prefer, tempted with taxpayer funds.
How old school, we suppose, in keeping with Other Side’s normal view of things.
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