I recently found myself across the table at historic Herman's in Fayetteville sharing lunch with Chamber of Commerce Director Steve Clark.
It seemed natural to ask what a person in his position sees as Fayetteville's biggest challenge. "A lack of talent in various industries," he said without missing a bite. "I talk to businesses and industries here all the time who for various reasons have trouble finding the employees who know how to do the jobs they have available. Most of the need involves skilled labor."
For example, he told of one company that had searched in vain to find a trained forklift operator. Anyone less than a seasoned driver might risk damaging inventory and fellow workers.
"That's only one example," he said. "With Northwest Arkansas being projected among the nation's three fastest growing regions in coming years, it's critical our area has enough talent to staff the arriving companies."
He said the completion of Interstate 49 also leaves the region in great shape for continued growth.
Opening the badly needed flyover overpass from College Avenue onto the Fulbright Expressway and the mall will become a huge factor in the city's business development, Clark believes.
"The new flyover is the sole reason Whole Foods is opening a market here. That national market chain made it clear they wanted a location where motorists could be off of I-49 and in their parking lot within five minutes, and the same for their return trips. With Whole Foods building across from Superior Nissan, that's what they'll have. Access opened by the flyover has made all the difference for them, and it will for other businesses."
All for what?
Meanwhile, back at the swelling public controversy over SWEPCO's proposal to run a massive transmission line for 50 miles across Benton and Carroll counties: Four researchers with the University of Arkansas at Fayetteville have completed a study with the exhaustively tedious title, "2014 Arkansas Energy Policy Survey (Phase 1): Assessing Local Policy Elites Opinions on Arkansas Policy Issues." They found most of those "elites" surveyed believe there are risks to approving this 345-kilovolt line through the Ozark Mountains.
By elites, they apparently are referring to chambers of commerce and city council members and others in influential positions related to public affairs.
Seventy percent fear loss of property values; 66 percent fear there could be environmental degradation from clear-cutting a 150-foot-wide swath for rights of way. Sixty-five percent feel the lines will be a threat to tourism and other related industries. Sixty-four percent say the use of herbicides and pesticides on the rights of way could prove damaging, and 51 percent believe the electromagnetic fields emanating from the enormous line will cause potential negative health effects.
Those determined folks at Save the Ozarks, a broad-based coalition of land and business owners and concerned citizens, issued a statement saying that the Public Service Commission recently confirmed the group's contention that American Electric Power and its subsidiary SWEPCO failed to show a public need for their transmission line and ordered the utility to carry out an extensive re-evaluation of its plan.
So if I have this right, influential leaders have identified their very real concerns and the commission has indicated the need for this power line still isn't proven. Many folks in Northwest Arkansas are asking to be released from the ordeal and protected from further inappropriate development. And the commission and SWEPCO want to take yet another swing at proving its supposed need.
Trust yourself
I remind readers to always trust their own judgment these days when sifting truths from all the deceptive words.
If you can see the sky is blue, yet a group of agenda-soaked partisans insist it's gold, always trust your eyes.
There are far too many nowadays who lie for their own advantage and are readily assisted by mass-media sycophants who spread the deceptions. More than ever, we are handed lies and omissions, hoping we don't possess enough sense as rational adults to see what's truly happening.
If, for instance, an untrustworthy elected official is caught flagrantly lying time and time again, of using words to mask reality for his benefit, then if you buy into the malarkey, you can fault only yourself for continually falling into the same hole of gullibility.
Gravis: GOP leads
You may have noticed the latest Gravis Marketing survey of 987 registered voters (with a 3 percent margin of error). The telephone and Internet polling company offered some numbers I found unsurprising.
As of last week Gravis reports: U.S. Senate--Republican Tom Cotton led incumbent Democrat Mark Pryor 51 percent to 44 percent; governor--Asa Hutchinson led Mike Ross 49 to 46; and attorney general--Leslie Rutledge led Nate Steel 51 to 41 . Say, ya suppose it's time for the Democrats to call in President Barack Obama for a supportive speech, perhaps accompanied by the party's national leaders, Nancy Pelosi and Harry Reid? On second thought, maybe not.
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Mike Masterson's column appears regularly in the Arkansas Democrat-Gazette. Email him at mikemasterson10@hotmail.com. Read his blog at mikemastersonsmessenger.com.
Editorial on 07/20/2014