Our story in today's N&O got cut for space, so please read the longer version coming in Sunday's Chapel Hill News. Here is more of what people are saying in response to the resignation of Orange County economic development director Bradly (that is how he spells it) Broadwell:
County Manager Frank Clifton: "Brad raised some good issues when he was here. Every situation requires the right person at the right time. Right now we don't have a clear idea of where we're headed."
Orange County Commissioners Chair Bernadette Pelissier: "He may have been taken a little out of context. He was new and he might not have understood all the political ramifications and probably should have been more careful."
Chapel Hill-Carrboro Chamber of Commerce CEO Aaron Nelson: "He really pushed. He pushed hard both publicly and privately ... He brought an outside perspective and sometimes spoke truth to power. He was very direct."
Broadwell hasn't returned our calls, so it's hard to know the full story behind his sudden resignation. Clearly he pushed Orange County closer to where it is now, more focused on economic development. Did his plain spokenness hurt him? Two years ago we called him "the John Edwards of economic development" for quotes like this: "I don't see populist economics being discussed. I see Ph.D. economics being discussed." The Edwards comparison stings two years later, but Broadwell said what he thought, even if he didn't always check with his superiors before opening his mouth. His views on job growth and retention questioned the status quo.
Comments
As we move forward with our
Mon, 01/03/2011 - 13:38 — anitabadrockAs we move forward with our eocnomic development efforts, there are some things we can do RIGHT NOW to help us. These actions are simple and effective, and they don't require fancy computer software or expensive consultants to execute--just a person who is willing to make appointments, show up, ask good questions, listen, and report.
We hear lots of anecdotes--but let's have an official economic development repesentative visit these companies and compile a professional report. I would think any experienced ED professional could do this work. We might be surprised by what we hear.
We also need to be sure we understand from an operational aspect what we are supporting. For example, many of us are quite excited about opportunities in solar and wind energy, but are we really ready to let solar and wind farms build in the local landscape? Are we ready to have a large scale solar panel manufacturing facility in our county, with all that it will require to be successful? I think what I am trying to say is that we need to understand not just the theory of these ideas, but how businesses are actually doing business in these sectors and what the impacts are. It was very telling to me that Cape Cod, for all its progressive policies, at the end of the day refused to let a wind farm be erected in its community because of aesthetic concerns. .
It would be incredibly unfortunate to invest a lot of resources, research, and effort into industry sectors and clusters that at the end of the day the community will not support in their finished operating format. If we start, we should be prepared to finish.
I also think its very important to keep businesses that are already here throughout their expansion and life cycle. We've lost the Quntiles and RHO's of the community. I'm sure we could get an appointment with someone there who could help us understand why those businesses moved out of Orange County and if there was something that could have been done at the governmental level to keep them local. Same with BCBS--although they still have their "blue building" here, it's clear that their future expansion does not include Orange County. Somebody needs to be asking them why they are concentrating their growth in Durham--and instead of getting defensive about what we hear, we would be better served to just listen.
An economic impact analysis of every proposed project should be part of what is presented for consideration when a project is up for approval and review. We do this better than we used to, but we still have a long way to go.
Other voices?
Fri, 12/24/2010 - 17:24 — CitizenWillMark, who else was asked about economic development and Brad's proposals?
Enlightening
Fri, 12/24/2010 - 16:09 — elvisboy77The comments you provide speak volumes. My guess is that he was serious about economic development and realized that Orange County is not. It is so much easier to raise propertyy taxes, after all than allow an evil big box store or mall into their little socialist heaven. How Could Pelissier have a clue about ED? Her experiences in Prisons for crying out loud. Why quote her on such a topic?