Need something else!

[GoodWitch58]

because, Mango, without going into all the gorry details...it is a designation in name only. The "powers than be" do not take advantage of the designations and the Economic development assistance that is available. When questioned about it; they say, Tourism is enough....Makes me crazy!

 

[Mango]

because, Mango, without going into all the gorry details...it is a designation in name only. The "powers than be" do not take advantage of the designations and the Economic development assistance that is available. When questioned about it; they say, Tourism is enough....Makes me crazy!

I am wondering though, let's just say for arguments sake, that the Economic Development office sales person (if they have one) went out soliciting technology, manufacturing, or agricultural types of business armed with the State tax incentives, and possibly local ones in addition too (I don't know what is available locally, if any) and demographics and housing data,( now someone would need to tell me what a modest home in Freeport or Defuniak costs) aside from living in a pretty place close to the beach, don't you think that there would be some resistance due to possibility of lost revenue when you consider the insurance costs relative to bringing a business to an area where there is a stringer possibility of catastrophic loss due to hurricanes and the like?

 

[GoodWitch58]

No, because the people in Escamba, Santa Rosa, Okaloosa, and Bay counties...the ones closest to Walton ALL have industries that are clean, high tech, and offer well paying jobs...and they all have the same (if not more) risk from storms than Walton does.

 

[scooterbug44]

I think hurricanes, while a costly factor of business here, are not the main reason Walton County isn't the technology or manufacturing center of the US.

 

[Mango]

No, because the people in Escamba, Santa Rosa, Okaloosa, and Bay counties...the ones closest to Walton ALL have industries that are clean, high tech, and offer well paying jobs...and they all have the same (if not more) risk from storms than Walton does.

Respectivefully goodwitch, the jobs you speak of are mainly with the defense industry.

 

[GoodWitch58]

that's my point..there are many good clean (energy-wise), well paying jobs that support the defense industry, but are not government jobs....the other counties have them, but not Walton.

I worked in the Econmic Development business ( at the state level)for years...Walton is one of the few counties in the state that does not participate in the available programs

 

[GoodWitch58]

that's my point..there are many good clean (energy-wise), well paying jobs that support the defense industry, but are not government jobs....the other counties have them, but not Walton.

I worked in the Econmic Development business ( at the state level)for years...Walton is one of the few counties in the state that does not participate in the available programs

 

[Mango]

that's my point..there are many good clean (energy-wise), well paying jobs that support the defense industry, but are not government jobs....the other counties have them, but not Walton.

I worked in the Econmic Development business ( at the state level)for years...Walton is one of the few counties in the state that does not participate in the available programs

Interesting. Since you have experience with this, Is that market saturated now in the other counties? and I have never investigated home prices in NoWal, but wouldn't they be more expensive than the other counties for employees to find housing? do the other counties have 40% dedicated forest preserve? Isn't that one of the aspects that makes us unique?

 

[Busta Hustle]

one program the county did spend time on arranged a 5 million dollar state grant to build "affordable" housing called wolf creek next to windswept.
Those houses will start at 84 grand and go to 125 and be for in part teachers and the like and the rest for other folks mostly walton service workers i guess...only problem is finding banks to offer loans on these type of properties with so many strings attached...meanwhile lot prices in freeport have dropped to about 70 grand and houses to 189 in the swankiest of freeport neighborhoods...looks like our commisioners have found a way to get affordable housing here and all they had to do was work on residential issues for the last decade while ignoring other little things like infrastructure and commercial investment...but hey our school board has an almost $20,000 per student budget so those kids should be Harvard prepped if they care to leave...if not they'll have plenty of ops in retail and some affordable cribs to hang their hats...everyone deserves a medal in my book...

 

[Matt J]

Respectivefully goodwitch, the jobs you speak of are mainly with the defense industry.

Not too mention the fact that all of those counties have military installations in them. I know quite a few people that live on 30A that commute to those jobs on a daily basis.