Lee County's "Growing Pains" Makes Me Hurt!

Growth does seem like not such a problem doesn't it? The Opelika-Auburn News points out that "A region with little hope for growth is a region in despair." This is true. Steve Dean of the Randolph County Chamber of Commerce offers up merely prayers in response to the sale of local enterprise Propex to Mohawk Industries but also something that is actually useful when he writes,

"While we are in the tier two and three bands possible location of industry, I believe we will find ourselves a "bedroom community" where people will live, play, and spend their hard earned money. With these new challenges comes great responsibility. As I encouraged last week, lets work together as a team of Randolph County Citizens to present ourselves with pride to those who will be searching for a new home."

"New home" prospects hardly will have downtown Roanoke entice them, as would many, many features of this community. A great number of people would rather pay more to live in Auburn with their solid schools, growth, eclectic communities, good roads, rising housing markets, entertainment, shopping, alcohol sales, educated neighbors, youthful population, an active social scene, moderate churches, Progressive leadership, bookstores, recreation, ... than live here. East Alabama is becoming "Auburn centered", and rightly so. With our abundant land and relatively low living costs we can be "close enough" to attract some families that are seeking a more rural setting but to get more of the top drawer prospects we've got to attempt radical changes for our locale. Simply having more "transitory workers" drop anchor here for the time being is hardly ideal and perhaps contrary to our best interests. Peace ... or War.