Campbell County needs...

[logos]

I just wanted to start a thread where everyone who has a suggestion for Campbell County can post it in here and discuss it.

I'll start with this suggestion. It is funny that we are one of the top two counties, out of 95, for drugs - and we dont have one rehab center. Knoxville is the closest place, and their programs are so strict you either cannot get in, or get kicked out of them for something that is practically their fault.

For instance, one of my clients told me that when they do the intake in Knoxville, they determine your "need level" and then they purposely give you a FRACTION of it to help "ween" you off. Then if you come in, and your urine test is higher than what they have prescribed you, they kick you out of their program.

Let me ask you something - if you have someone used to intaking say 4 - 80g doses a day, and then cut them back to 50g what are they going to do? They are going to go out and get more to subsidize and then get kicked out of the program the next day.

It sounds like these clinics do not understand the nature of addiction and what kind of control it has on these people. The closest clinic that does not do that is in Chattanooga - and who can afford to drive to Chattanooga everyday with gas prices this high?

I dont know, I just think it would benefit this county greatly to get some kind of rehab facility, but that would probably fly about as well as the Juvenile Justice center that should have been built.

But that's a rant for another time I suppose.

[xanth]

I'm of the opinion that Campbell County needs competent leaders. When I was a kid, Campbell County had 4 Department stores, and many other clothing stores etc.... Now they have a super walmart and one other department store 20 years later. That is not progress. I feel a few people who owned land by the lake put their interests ahead of the interest of their constituents and sold Campbell county out to make a lot of money.

[logos]

I totally agree that Campbell County needs a stronger economy and new businesses. The leadership - eh, I think America needs that in general.

Specifically, CC needs more than another Bank or Pawn Shop. I am tired of hearing these people that say "Well, the more banks we have, the more competition it creates for loans and blah blah blah" or "The more competition in gas stations, the lower the prices drop"

Well, hey I got news for those people, how are these people supposed to pay back the loans they take out if there is no industry or decent jobs to get? Also, how many gas stations do you see "competing" for their gas prices? To me, they all say the exact same price. It isnt the quantity of banks or stations that makes the rates - it's the general market! Banks wont hire the average Joe, and gas stations pay about minimal wage at best.

Places like Lowe's is a great addition to our community. It has created a lot of jobs, and offers great benefits packages to their employees while offering above minimal wage. We need more industry like Lowe's here.

I would also like to see some factories come in here. (I think this is where xanth was going) The leadership here needs to realize that we must give incentives to businesses in order to get them here. As the profits for those businesses develop locally, then we can taper off and everyone benefits.

With the rising cost of food and the increased devleopments of Ethanol, I could also see some more agro programs being started here. I think that would help a lot. According to an article I read in the latest "TIME" magazine, it is estimated that the world needs 40million farmers to keep up with the rising need for food.

Now I am sure that is somewhat exaggerated (somewhat), but we could get a lot of agro going right here in TN. We have an entire valley BEGGING to go back to agro-development. But we need the market for it, and the farmers need the assistance to get it rolling.

There are so many things I could see this county doing, it would take me a week of typing to get it all on here.

[lothar]

It is hard to blame folks that open banks, pawn shops, and gas stations if they are proven money makers.
I agree we need some more shopping options but for so long people had the "we would rather shop in Knoxville" attitude that it was hard to keep anyhting open here. Rising gas prices should start to change that attitude though.
I know there is ample industrial park space in the county, at least I know there is in Caryville on the next exit. Hopefully we can get something related to Chatanooga's new Volkswagon plant here.

[logos]

Well I am not "blaming" them for anything, I am just saying we have plenty of them! Do you realize we have more banks, pawn shops and gas stations than most cities four times our size? There is a point where you have to say, that enough's enough.

If we dont start opening shops like that here, how are we supposed to get around the "I would rather shop in Knoxville" attitude? If we created appropriate competition with shops in Knoxville at the same time the gas prices are going up, we would eliminate that attitude, develop our economy AND raise employment. It's win win win.

[lothar]

Oh I would love to see that attitude eliminated. I am hoping Lowes stimultes the local economy and brings a few more retailers to town.
In fact I am wondering how long it will be before we get a Home Depot since they tend to open wherever there is a Lowes.
I would love to see us get more industry to but our infrastructure kinda sucks here and that is one thing they look at. I think that would be one of the best places to start. Also our schools are subpar which raises flags when compamies are looking at places to locate. I hope this new director of schools can change that.

[logos]

Well stated lothar.

I think there would be two main concerns for Home Depot coming to the area: 1) would be location; and 2) supply and demand.

The local area may not be able to support another home development center unless they purchased a place like the old Walmart, and I dont think they would want to build too close to Lowe's - to purchase say the old Ingle's building. Also, if Lowe's is here first, they may have the local market cornered to the point that Home Depot would lose money by coming here.

I dont know though, that is an interesting setup. Because with such limited space, I could also see reasoning to think Home Depot would want to come in and they both would be constantly trying to undersell one another.

I think we could get some companies on board to support our local school systems if the BOE would put forth the appropriate proposals to them. However, the County is torn between improving our school system and losing the grant money we get for being "subpar," or keeping the schools subpar but retroactively keeping businesses out. Ideally, one would think the County would do the "right" thing and snub the grants and improve the schools by proposing to the big companies to subsidize the loss of grant money; but that requires effort on the behalf of the county.

It's a big mess.

[thepat24]

LOwes and Home Dpeot seem to do well most places against each other, much like Walgreens and CVS. Admittedly the pharmacies operate on a much smaller scale than the big home improvement retailers but tend to ahve way more local competition.
I can see Home Depot trying to find somewhere in Jacksboro to locate and I can see Jacksboro being smart enough to grant them insentives to locate here.

[logos]

Where do you think it could fit though? Home Depot is quite a big place.

[lothar]

That is a good questionon location. The only place in Jacksboro I can see something that big going is in the field across from Wal-Mart next to Jacksboro Body Shop.

[logos]

Yea, that would work.

Or, if we could get our agriculture working again, I could see it fitting in somewhere in the valley. That way Lowe's has the market for western Lafollette to Caryville and Home Depot would have eastern LaFollette to the Speedwell area with each place competing for the middle ground.

[thepat24]

I could see it going in somewhere near Food Lion. The City of LaFollette could easily grow that area for business as folks from Claiborn County have to go to Middlesboro or Morristown for many of their shopping needs.
That part of LaFollette is starting to grow and it is a fairly slow growth which is good and easier to sustain. I used to live up the valley and it was awful having to go get anything. Now there are at least some eateries up there. Some retail in or around the Food Lion area would be great.

[logos]

I have often wondered about the development of the "valley area." The post office moved closer to the valley recently, and when government institutions move there is a developmental reason for it. Schools, Post offices, Court house annexes - all are signs of an expanding town.

The only thing I wonder about though is how the landowners in the valley would respond to commercial development up that way. Property taxes and values always change when you have to zone things different and I am not sure how it would affect them. If it is negative there is going to be a significant group not wanting it to happen.

I honestly think before we start looking to develop the outer rims of the city, we need to redevelop the core and strengthen it. A city is like a fruit tree - when you take care of the tree it produces good fruit and the people are nourished. When the tree's core starts to rotten, the tree stops producing fruit and the people starve. We need to take care of our tree or we are going to start starving. In order to do that, we need to prune its branches by using and redeveloping the land and resources within the city before going elsewhere.

[hiram616]

I agree, before they look outside the city for growth they or at least the County should utilize the existing Industrial Parks to their potential. they pretty much lost Aisin Motors a few years back to Clinton. More industry needs to be here.

[lothar]

Alot of the space in downtown LaFollette is full. It is just that it is full of businesses I don't frequent. It is all pawn shops and furniture stores.
I rarely leave Jacksboro if I need to shop in town.