Friday, Dec. 22, 2006 | Rachel Laing’s over-the-top name-calling and comments (“The Timeworn Story of the Evil Profiteer“) are very disheartening when you consider she’s with the chamber. It seems that in her world the developers are being unfairly painted in the press as villains when all they want to do is make things pretty and make some money while doing it. In her world the real villains are the “concerned citizens” whose dishonest motives are their “own greed/insanity/publicity seeking.”
It is obvious Laing has not had first-hand experience with the whole “declare blight and redevelop” scheme. These projects are quietly launched by a council member and a few cherry picked individuals who call themselves a committee. They aren’t in a smoke filled room at Dobson’s only because they gave up smoking. The developers are never merely providing the “specifics, the capital, and the execution.” It is very much a Goliath taking from David. The developers are never at a disadvantage. Just look at Grantville.
The agitators aren’t the villains. The agitators are truly the ones who are keeping us informed.