Governor Deval Patrick shook hands with Mascoma president Colin Smith after he signed the Clean Energy Biofuels Act last year at the company’s former Boston headquarters. (David L. Ryan/Globe Staff/File 2008)As the City of Fall River struggles to create jobs and the unemployment rate shows no sign of decreasing, the residents of Fall River have been promised by our new mayor-elect Will Flanagan that he will create good paying jobs in the nation’s leading emerging industries. He spoke of creating a “Green Park” and attracting green companies to Fall River. To the unemployed of the City it comes as good news, for they are in desperate need of employment, but the question remains, is it feasible?
As I read the Boston Globe online yesterday I came across a very interesting article titled “Michigan luring Bay State business; Incentives, breaks on tax raise ante”. The article speaks of how Michigan has been able to allure companies that started in Massachusetts to move to Michigan. Our state is known as the birthplace of emerging industries but it seems to have a problem retaining these companies. Below are an excerpt and the link to the article.
“During the last three years, Granholm has persuaded A123 Systems, the Watertown battery company, and Evergreen Solar, the Marlborough-based maker of solar panels, to build factories in Michigan. The projects from A123, Evergreen, and Mascoma combined are expected to create thousands of new jobs and generate millions of dollars in the economically depressed state. Those are jobs and revenue that Massachusetts won’t have.”
So how will this affect Will Flanagan’s plan to create a “Green Park” you ask? Well, how will Flanagan accomplish his campaign promise if the State, with greater resources and funding than Fall River, is having difficulty retaining or attracting “Green” industries?
I believe that a “Green Park” is a long term plan that the City needs to work on, but it would be a huge mistake for the City to once again only attract a single industry like they did with the Textile Industry. I personally believe that first the City needs to find ways to help our current businesses grow. Being able to show that business can thrive in our City is the best way to attract new companies. It is great to hope that high paying jobs in leading emerging industries will be available in Fall River in the next two years, but we need to be realistic. We need to find a balance of manufacturing, green, and biotech businesses to better satisfy the needs of our workforce.
Unfortunately it seems that our new mayor-elect will have a difficult task creating good paying jobs in the nation’s leading emerging industries. This might be one more campaign promise that might not be fulfilled.
42 comments:
You are not wasting any time, where are your facts and the objectivity? He has not even taken office yet, are you going to even give the mayor elect a chance to move into the 6th floor?
set the record straight
6 days ago
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A four year term for Mayor and term limits were part of Eric Poulin's platform in 2007. If only people had listened to Eric in 2007. Poulin for Mayor in 2011.
To Anon 5:18; There is no better time than the present. The election is still fresh in everyone's mind and I don't see why we cannot discuss Mr. Flanagan's campaign promises. As we all know he did not go into very much detail himself before the election. As far as waiting for him to move to the 6th floor, didn't he say that he was going to be a "street level" mayor. Last time I checked street level is the 1st floor.
Also can you look into a few names that work at umass for us?
to Anon 5:28; Yes I made the comment that a four year term for Mayor and term limits were part of Eric Poulin's platform in 2007. That's a fact.
As far as the "Poulin for Mayor in 2011" Why not? I believe he would make a great Mayor.
Also if you remember in the same comment section Paul Walnuts(a Flanagan supporter)wrote "Congrats to everyone who took part today. Tomorrow we kick off the official campaign season for 2011. Vote Flanagan!"
How is that different than my comment?
To Anon 6:10; Please email me the names from Umass that you want me to look at.
Goverment Ctr evidently called the polling location. You can verify it with the elections office.
To Anon5:18; The fact is that many so called "Green companies" are leaving the state. I believe that it will make it harder for Mr. Flanagan to fulfill his promise to create good paying jobs in the nation’s leading emerging industries.
It looks like this blog is ticking off the Flanagan supporters. Its going to be a very entertaining two years.
To Anon 6:17; I will contact the Elections Office tomorrow morning. I have no problem exposing it no matter who it is. Thanks for bringing this to my attention. Please feel free to email me at fallriverundercover@gmail.com if you have more information.
If the Boston Globe is accurate it looks like the state of Mass needs to offer more tax breaks and incentives for green companies to come to the state. The question is do they have the money to do so?
Please email me when you have an issue that you want this blog to look into. If you just drop names I will have to delete your comment. I will not let these comments get out of hand like the Herald News does.
Isn't that land already going to be used for a Bioteh Park? Wasn't funds granted for that purpose? If so can the city decided to abandon the Biotech Park for a Green Park?
Maybe the blog owner should moderate comments. It is unfortunate that that may be necessary, but some people can be so childish.
Looks like "set the record straight" has pissed off a few people.
I like it.
I would like to see more manufacturing jobs. Thats the job that people in Fall River know how to do.
There needs to be a short and long term approach to jobs in Fall River and creating a better life for upcoming generations.
Yes, manufacturing jobs are needed for the right now, however, the only way to better this city is to work for the future now. Giving our children an excellent education is the only way to ensure a future for this city.
I believe that green jobs is just a smokescreen. Green technology is still to expensive for the average person. How many people do you know that have windmills or solar panels in their house? We need to find jobs for all the unemployed people now. Then worry about the so called green jobs later.
The nature of modern manufacturing has changed....it is much more capital and technology intensive than labor intensive. Such skills require good, solid educations. If you are only graduating 50% of the students in Fall River, I'm sorry, the simple fact is that no serious employer will want to move here or expand here until that changes. There simply won't be a worker base to be adequate to their needs. You will find some industries that could utilize the existing base of job skills, like those of sewing arts, or textile milling, but overall, anyone who fails to tell you the truth has to be avoided like the plague. Until the City's record in preparing an intelligent young workforce improves greatly, very few new businesses will relocate here Why in God's name would someone with a masters degree in engineering from a great university take a job in Fall River and move his family from, say, Ohio? Is this a great place to raise your kids at the moment. Excuse me, but not everyone is going to give a rats rumplestiltskin about what a jewel the Waterfront MIGHT someday become if they didn't grow up here!
Maybe we'd be more green, and save some money, if they stopped signing every piece of paper at the State House with a different pen...
Just sayin...
Where are all the big results from the blog investigation and exposure.....maybe emailing govt ctr is not the way to look into things.
To Anon 1:23;
I am not sure what you talking about please email me at fallriverundercover@gmail.com
I like this blog because it holds people accountable. One thing is to TALK about doing things another is to actually MAKE the hard decisions.
Since it looks like we will have Casinos in Mass and possibly RI, why don't we go after the companies that supply and support the casinos? Also, how about companies that supply and support the fishing industry in New Bedford and Gloucester Ma?
LOL Anon 12:48...
Is a consultant considered a full time job?
A consultant should fall in the category of a contractor. Traditionally a company does not pay a consultant any benefits, like insurance and retirement. Also at the end of the year a consultant usually receives a 1099IRS Form, instead of the usual W2 IRS Form that an employee would receive. Why do you ask?
Why don't u people give flanagan a chance. He will be a GREAT mayor. Flanagan all the way baby
Willie boy will say that it's the governor's fault that he couldn't create the green jobs. The sad part is that the buffons of the voters in this hell hole will believe his crap. I guess that is going to be politics as usual.
Can't everyone sing Kumbaya, and get along?
I'm giving Flanny a chance. I gave Bob a chance for his first few months. Then he bent us all over and rammed a huge steel rod up our asses, but I still gave him a chance at first. So as long as Flanny keeps his rods out of my ass, we'll be fine. There are bigger fish to fry than him.
He has a potential to do great, and I'd like to see it happen. But, don't think for a second that I won't call him out if he does something stupid, or returns favors to his backers. All's fair in love and politics.
I would give him a chance if he had given details of his platform. I am more convinced now that he was just an empty suit candidate.
Why aren't you exposing what is going on right now not in January?
Bob is making moves right now??
CharlotteDespard
BTW love the empty suit comment cav!
Hey Carlotte the truth hurts doesn't?
if you managed to find the truth it might.
if you managed to find the truth it might.
Right Dan?
Right Dan?
Right Dan?
Christ folks, we got 6 more weeks of Ol Hamhocks tyranny to deal with...he's still trying to ram things through, turning the School Department upside down on his way out, with MMB's help, replacing real teachers with substuitues who are not subject certified for the rest of the School year, and the Durfee principal wants to use the saving for new computers , while they have overspent there budget for six months by the time ol fatass leaves. He's still screwing this City...LET'S ALL KEEP THE EYE3S ON THE PRIZE FOLKS...CUT wILL SOME SLACK, PLEASE. look, if he screws up, they'll be plenty of time, and no shortage of rope, I am sure, to hang him. At least let him start before he's thrown to the wolves.
Hey Laz, why do you keep sucking up to Flanagan?
To Anon 6:25; Who is Dan? And why do you people want to know the real identities of the local bloggers? I find it ironict that when the same bloggers were exposing Bob Correia you all were applauding them. But now that they are doing the same to your boy Flanagan, you are all wanting to know who these bloggers are. What ate you afraid the bloggers will expose about Flanagan?
To Laz: I am ready to give Will a chance, because if he is successful then the city will be better off. The reason why I wrote the post regarding the Boston Globe article is to show that solely relying on green jobs will be a huge mistake. Also I am not sure that the city has the resources to be able to attract such jobs. In any case I wish our new mayor good luck, and I am willing to do my part to help him in any way that I can.
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