To: The Editor
Washington County’s #1 export, it’s not what you think.
Most places are known for something.
The possum festival, the watermelon festival, rodeos, and much more.
Sometimes, it is what they produce, at times a place is known for its failures more so than success.
The tri-county is a unique place.
On the one hand people are moving in making us think that we are growing.
There’s always a new dollar store, fast food joint, or some small business popping up that seemingly makes us think the place is headed in the right direction.
It gives the illusion that everything is ok.
We are not, OK.
On the other hand, we have no industry to speak of, no production plants or industry to support the custodian wage of 20 dollars per hour.
It seems for one reason or another these places simply pass us by. Why?
When there is no industry, manufacturing, or production facility we are left with very few goods and services that travel out into the rest of the world.
Without these economic factors in place, we are left with very few, if any resources to export.
So, what we ask, is our #1 Export? Our youth!
Our children are leaving us in droves! WHY?
I’m going to attempt to break the typical thoughts down on our graduates as best I can.
For sake of condensing this collection of thoughts, if you will, I’ll categorize our youth into 3 groups:
1. The explorers!
Some kids want to experience their own new horizon setting a new trail, going where no one has gone before.
Liberty, freedom, wanderlust, and even leaving the bad childhood behind; it seems can only be gained by traveling temporarily, permanently, abroad, or wherever, to find their own peace far away from this place to make way for their new life and new home.
Establishing their own identity and career in the most populated or remote regions far from anywhere but from where they came.
2. Home is Here!
The young people that want to call here, Home.
These kids usually have generational futures that they are excited to get going.
The family Farms, Welders, Small businesses their parents have waiting for them and will one day be passed on.
These young adults get lucky, or they have equipped themselves young to have a place lined up to start their career.
These are a relatively small portion of our youths as job placement is infrequent, small business is hard, and when I say it’s hard, believe me, it is tough.
3. The I have no idea.
This group does not outshine or dominate the previous two but, this is a real group and possibly the most concerning.
They know they want to do something; they are just not quite sure yet, what!
Kids that do not know what they want to do are well, dangerous.
Dangerous is a great word for this group.
They can reach the highest highs and fall to some of the lowest lows.
No doubt, no one feels this more than the concerned, sleepless parent of this child.
They want the security of knowing the child has a direction, and that it’s a good one.
To the kids that become adults and manage to end up doing something special regardless of what it is, Congrats!
I feel I was one of you, I had no clue what I wanted to do when I was young but, I knew I was a lover of shiny things, fast things, dangerous things, so I had to do something to equip myself in this life.
To the kids that become adults and find their peace and desire no more than to sit on the creek bank, and get by with their loved ones, you have my utmost respect. I think you have this life figured out far more than many, myself included.
If I envy anything these days, it is a life without a cell phone, email, and the stewardship of many.
To the ones that miss the road of satisfaction and or ambition, this can lead to financial burdens of self and the loved ones that try to keep them going, healthy, & rescued.
The dark path of drug abuse, alcoholism, violence, domestic or otherwise, and homelessness are real.
Not to say that all the above groups are not subject to these same types of circumstances but, just to state the facts, statistically this is a real issue.
So, we better ask, how as a body of citizens can change this? At least I hope that is what you are doing by now.
My hope is to rattle and shake your worldview, psyche, thoughts, at least to the minimum; the point of conscious awareness that we do have a problem.
Bonus points if it provokes you to action and take it very personal that our county is dying.
It is very easy to sit back and say we have people hired to take care of things like this but, you would be mistaken.
The body of citizens still have far more weight and influence on what goes on around here than the few appointed, elected, paid, or unpaid volunteers of this county.
Our voices direct them more than we think.
I do not use talking points. What is actionable? What can we do? They are one in the same. It’s actually very simple.
We need to acknowledge that, we need!
We need relevant, modern, solid industry, and manufacturing to come to Washington County.
Some might say, it will never happen. To those voices, I say yes, you are correct!
In the current state of this county, we are one of the least favorable, low nutrient cultivation sites for any new influx of industry to even take a second look at us. We are done for!!
I’m not going to use names but, our chief recruiter for new business has never had an honest shot at measured success to bring new business into our county.
I do not speak to this person about business because I know for sure that he is asked far too much why anything isn’t coming to Washington County.
In addition, I do not ask because frankly, I already know the answer.
We do not have the accommodations or infrastructure for such a major industry to come here.
What do you mean, that’s a horrible thing to say about your home, aren’t you ashamed of yourself?
Yes, I’m ashamed I have not been more active to procure a good future for our youth!
I am sad that it might be too late!
We have:
• Lack of infrastructure
• Lack of favorable dining establishments
• Lack of hotels that have full features, conference rooms to hold large events
• County Recreation Center for events, venues, concerts, rain proof activities
• Housing availability, especially affordable housing
• The city and county earned and retained revenue to offer new businesses incentives to come here.
So, these are just a few of the problems.
Please do not think that any one item is the end all, be all. It isn’t.
However, to have all these things we need one thing.
We need a revenue source for individuals, whether corporate or sole proprietor and they must be able to build major things and expect a decent return on their investment.
I’ve heard it said that only the rich will benefit.
Foregoing the fact that this sounds an awful lot like envy, let’s take this road for a moment.
Love them or hate them, entrepreneurs earn more than some of us.
You can hate them because they are perceived rich or you can love them because they provide people with a career or add to the community but, at minimum you should be neutral with these people, they are the people trying to sow for others as well as themselves.
People like this stick their neck out and risk it all just to lose it and then do it all over again!
They sponsor your child’s team, events, world series, etc.
Small businesses get hit multiple times per week with the need for donations, jerseys, sickness, fund raising, you get the idea.
All the while working typically 24 hours a day in body, mind, and spirit on how to keep it all going and growing to provide more for themselves and their community.
These people lay the foundation for bigger things.
Higher quality restaurants, gyms, promoting concerts, and other things not thought of will happen.
The local government will benefit from this and be able to fund recreation centers, new roads, infrastructure underground to support industry.
So why is this not happening now? Great question!
The foundation for bigger things happens we have the environment of the status quo changing.
We need these new restaurants, hotel venues, and other items.
How is that done? Well, another excellent question.
Take Sally, Sally wants to build a fine steak and seafood house.
Sally looks at the whole picture and sees that her dream will take 2 million dollars.
If you want to take a break and do the math on a 30 year amortization on that real quick, I encourage it.Sally then uses her calculator working the math in reverse and sees that under current market conditions, she will go bankrupt.
Why? I mean after all; we need a good restaurant, right?
One more, take the hotel owners. They need an income other than a head in the bed.
They should be able to offer their guests traveling on the interstate and passer byers with a nice meal and a beverage of their choice while dining.
In turn the hotel owner can improve his establishment making it modern enough for executives to enjoy their stay even in a small town such as ours.
To make these kinds of investments work you need items on the menu that are of higher profit margin so that they can make their investment back before items start to break and need replacement. It’s a fine line.
Oh boy, here comes the alcohol pitch.
Folks, alcohol is here. It’s literally already in your neighbor’s home, your favorite grocery store, and a good number of restaurants.
The liquor stores in Holmes and Jackson counties are minutes away. 10 minutes max if you Sunday drive.
That is the unaltered raw truth.
Just like illegal firearms are here killing people, just like illegal DUI’s are committed each night.
They are here and being an ideologue will never change that truth.
If you hate alcohol, I know you have a valid and true reason.
Alcohol used incorrectly can destroy much. It is already, it has already, or you would not hate it as you do.
The alcohol you hate is closer than 1 mile from you in any direction in people’s homes, gas stations, & restaurants right now.
Your hate does not change how many dui’s, deaths, injuries, broken homes we have.
I know that is hard to hear. I am not asking you to hate alcohol any less.
There are things that I hate.
I hate that people use things incorrectly, drugs, pills, plants, money, violence, and yes alcohol.
However, I acknowledge that these things will always be and helping people is all we can do.
Either by prayer, intervention, or both.
Prohibition failed. Washington County is already wet.
Anyone that wants alcohol in their home or belly has it there, right this moment.
Do you want Washington County to die?
That is really the only question before us.
It is a very simple question. It is the only question.
We are one of three dry counties in Florida left.
If we vote this county dry again, we are making ourselves an island.
Everyday, this island will receive less, and less supply, be it money, industry, jobs, whatever you want to imagine, we will have less.
You will start seeing more small businesses close, service companies roll up, and yes, you will see churches close eventually.
Churches need money and it’s not rocket science.
There is a business side to any non-profit like it or not.
As more people leave this area for the next life, leaving earth for the afterlife or leaving town, revenue will decrease.
I want this community to prosper. I desire new industry, factories, manufacturing, to offer high school grads, technical college grads, and college grads the ability to find job placement right here at home.
It can happen but, we must change in a way that encourages growth.
Our community is changing. Change is the only constant thing is this life.
We have the collective power to change the direction of our dying county. It is up to you!
You can allow yourself to focus on your hate or you can focus on the happy thoughts and the real potential that maybe you can see your kids and grandkids more often because there was opportunity for them right here in your own backyard!
