It's a horrible idea for the county to spend $15 million dollars on 'luring' Bass Pro Shops.  It's an example of the county 'picking winners and losers' as national politicians are fond of saying.  What I mean by that is that the county is giving preferential treatment to a national company which will cause local competing businesses (who do not receive the same preferential treatment) to fail.

So yes, Bass will create jobs, but people will lose jobs when the local businesses where they work get undercut.  The jobs that would be created would be minimum wage jobs and, because it's retail, nothing is being produced.  So what that 400 low wage jobs may be created?  When you consider the millions of people who live in the Tampa Bay area, 400 is nothing.

That money would be better spent on building infrastructure and environmental development.  Also, if Bass is such a great company, why do they need to be given taxpayer money to help them do business?  It sounds like corporate welfare/extortion to me. 

On 3/16/[masked]:16 AM, Rab Beverly wrote:

I think it's a waste. If a national big-box wants to smother out local businesses, at least they should have to pay for it themselves. And most of the jobs will be minimum wage... I guess all the people they drive out of business will have to work for them - that's "job creation" for ya.

Rab

On 3/15/12 4:25 PM, Brenda Young wrote:

This is an issue that should be near and dear to the hearts of everyone on this list. How many people with great ideas who could implement quickly and successfully have we seen over the years who struggled to get funding?

...and seriously, retail jobs from a company that would probably come here anyway? They can't even hide behind calling it a 'safe' choice. This is just mindless and clueless on the part of people who should be focused on high-end jobs that create 6 additional jobs.

-Just my $0.02  -- What does everyone else think?

--Brenda

On Thu, Mar 15, 2012 at 4:18 PM, Peter <[address removed]> wrote:

So Hillsborough Count is dangling a carrot in front of Bass Pro Shops.
A $15 Million carrot to get them to open a store in Brandon.

Not for nothing, but couldn't that $15M be put to better use?

Is there really the jobs we want? Chain Retail stores and call centers?

$50,000 grants or loans to 300 start-ups would create 600 REAL jobs immediately!

Nice editorial about it here:
http://www.tampabay.com/opinion/editorials/article1220078.ece

Could you contact your County Commissioner, please?
http://hillsboroughcounty.org/bocc/

Original article:
http://www2.tbo.com/news/breaking-news/2012/mar/14/memeto1-county-casts-15m-to-lure-bass-pro-ar-368910/

Thanks!

Peter



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