Anonymous wrote:

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I think the point with the trailers here is a big picture issue, the last poster is looking at this move from a small picture. The question i would have is this a top priority and what is the value to the tax payers other than something to hall chamber junk around in?

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Are you retarded? The chamber gets dues from it's members. It is not taxypayer funded. That being said, the rest of your long-winded rant is moot.

 

The last poster is correct, it's mr haney from green acres at it again. The retarded comment is exactly the intellect we are talking about, the b-team. My guess is the ceo of american airlines would say "just leave the pizza on the table".

Were losing 300-400 jobs at a time and the chamber is busy working the trailer issue, again, these folks in command are the b-team and have not made any attempt to bring industry or anything else in. They could not even convince the local mom & pop stores to join the chamber much less talk with major companies.

As the last poster said "get your facts straight".

How many companies has the chamber & industrial development folks contacted about coming to corbin, who have we talked with? who are we going to talk with, what roi are we going to see from our investment in the chamber & industrial development leaders.

How many new jobs has been created in the last 12 months? What wage rate do these new jobs pay? Have we created any new jobs? Have we lost jobs?

How many contacts is the industrial development leader required to make? How many has he made? How many contacts and new members does the chamber have?

Is the mayor & commission measuring these metrics to see if we are getting our monies worth from these full time positions. How much are we paying these folks vice the return on new business.

Will the purchase of these trailers bring in major companies, add members to the chamber? Whats their plan to meet their performance metrics in 2008. What does the city require from these leaders and full time positions as far as performance against money we have invested?

Waste Management

Anonymous wrote:

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So, you are saying that the Chamber gets absolutely ZERO funding from the city? ZERO? The city doesn't support the Chamber annually with any funding?

I do know it received $25,000 in taxpayer money from Tourism for the 2007 NIBROC, so you might want to get your facts straight before you post.

 

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I think you are being a little misleading with this. Nearly every type of business or organization around receives grants or gifts from government sources, but it does not mean they are directly funded by taxpayers. No one is forced to pay taxes directly to the Chamber. So, in that sense, they don't really have to answer to the whims of hotheaded people like "Waste Management" who want to criticize the Chamber at every turn.

If you have a problem with the $25,000 Tourism gives the Chamber for NIBROC, which is what I think you are really miffed about, then complain to Tourism about it. They are the ones your tax dollars go to. Show up for one of their meetings or contact some of the members, tell them who you are and why you are angry. I'm sure you will do this.

Regardless, the money being used to buy the trailers comes from dues, not taxpayers.

My guess is that you and others on this board are constantly looking for any reason, no matter how small or insignificatn, to pick away at the Chamber because you have an axe to grind over something petty. Grow up and get over it.

 

More BS from the outside looking in. Again, you people are green with envy over the current elected leaders. You spend time typing out lengthy BS posts in an attempt to puff up your own deflated egos. Your opinions are self serving and hardly anyone listens to them. This is made very clear by looking at the large number of things in Corbin that are not going your way right now. You definately play the game in the loosers bracket.

Anonymous wrote:

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More BS from the outside looking in. Again, you people are green with envy over the current elected leaders. You spend time typing out lengthy BS posts in an attempt to puff up your own deflated egos. Your opinions are self serving and hardly anyone listens to them. This is made very clear by looking at the large number of things in Corbin that are not going your way right now. You definately play the game in the loosers bracket.

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You at least keep everyone laughing. "Outside looking in" and "green with envy"? If it wasn't so funny I'd say you take yourself a bit too seriously.

Unlike some of the other posts you complain about, your posts are not lengthy because, just like the above post, there are no facts in them. If you understood business and politics you might be able to debate instead of posting a bunch of empty comments.

I personally like our mayor and commissioners a great deal, voted for all of them. I still get to disagree and question things that happen though, that is the way electoral process works. Sorry you have a problem the U.S. political system.

Hey, it was just confirmed on one of the city's 12 websites: Denzel Washington, Rudy Giuliani, Japaneese President Mahinda Rajapaksa, Angelina Jolie and Brad Pitt, Shaq, Fonze and 3 Dog Night are jetting in to Corbin/London International to hang with the "Insiders" at the Depot this week. Darn, I'm so green with envy. I wish I was on the "Inside".

Well Well

I see our friends have used their usual ignornant replies like"retarded" "Hotheaded" but did not answer a single real question that effects the people that live in this area. Notice there are no figures on job performance? How much industry we have brought in?

No answers to any of the important issues as far as creating jobs and expanding the city. You can pretty much bet if they had anything of value they would answer and market their success, but, there is nothing to report, no improvement just crying about other people that may not like them or how london has smoked our tails.

Don't forget guys, in between drinks at the depot and stuffing yourselves at the local buffets we need to create jobs and better the city.

You are correct on one thing, the color is green, it's in the face of the poor people of this area who can not find a job and have to leave a beautiful area, remember that when your downing that 15th Bloody Mary on friday night and your shadow at the chamber has stuffed down that last turkey leg.

The mayor & commission again should look at job performance & results, if the metrics and performance measurables are not being met its time for the varsity instead of the b-team. Some of the best business people in the world reside in corbin and the local area, don't feel bad about hurting the feelings of few loafers who only slob around.

Remember mayor, you can't polish a turd(s) so don't invest in people that will return nothing, see what their really giving the city.

Johnny
The "Baby Seal"

Anonymous wrote:

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Anonymous wrote:

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No answers to any of the important issues as far as creating jobs and expanding the city. You can pretty much bet if they had anything of value they would answer and market their success, but, there is nothing to report, no improvement just crying about other people that may not like them or how london has smoked our tails.
"

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I've lived in London all my life and I just found this message board yesterday after a google search.

After reading many of the threads, I notice there is a trend among many of you. You seem to think London is wonderful and Corbin is falling to pieces. I think many of you have lost your perspective.

Everyone I know in London is sort of envious of Corbin. Many of us shop there because you have the coolest stores like JC Pennys and Belk, Maurices, Dawhares. We have no bookstore to speak of, but your Books a Million is awesome.

Anytime me and my friends go to see a movie, we always go to your movie theater. It is way better than the dingy, outdated one we have in London. The Depot on Main is so cool and unique. I love the atmosphere there and the food. And you are getting an Applebees! We don't have anything to compare to that. Shiloh is OK, but everyone has had the same stuff there a million times and its turned into a saloon.

I went and saw Bob and Sheri at your tech center a couple of years ago and it is very nice. Our community center is pretty good, but doesnt' really compare. And you guys are getting a huge place for concerts and rodeos and stuff. I can't tell you how jealous that has made people here.

Many of you seem to want to mimic what London does, but I don't know why. Who cares if we get Vangent. What do they pay, like, minimum wage. That sucks. Corbin really seems to have things going in the right direction. Don't be so down on yourselves.

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Good points.

Thanks for the "grass is always greener on the other side of the hill" comments.

I sure hope most folks read those numbers from the last poster, everything that was said is a fact. You don't see any of our leaders contesting it now do you?

To keep these jobs from moving we have taken some drastic measures and bought the chamber a new trailer, maybe even equiped it with high tech to be able to change into other objects at the right time of year, such as:

Mr. Pumpkin at Halloween
A large Easter Egg at Easter
A Large Firecracker during the 4th
German Folk Art during October Fest
A Large Mug of beer from the Depot

Were certainly making strides, Phil, Bruce, Joe & Dennis, for goodness sakes reel these people in and take these guys to the wood shed.

Anonymous wrote:

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Anonymous wrote:

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Anonymous wrote:

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No answers to any of the important issues as far as creating jobs and expanding the city. You can pretty much bet if they had anything of value they would answer and market their success, but, there is nothing to report, no improvement just crying about other people that may not like them or how london has smoked our tails.
"

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I've lived in London all my life and I just found this message board yesterday after a google search.

After reading many of the threads, I notice there is a trend among many of you. You seem to think London is wonderful and Corbin is falling to pieces. I think many of you have lost your perspective.

Everyone I know in London is sort of envious of Corbin. Many of us shop there because you have the coolest stores like JC Pennys and Belk, Maurices, Dawhares. We have no bookstore to speak of, but your Books a Million is awesome.

Anytime me and my friends go to see a movie, we always go to your movie theater. It is way better than the dingy, outdated one we have in London. The Depot on Main is so cool and unique. I love the atmosphere there and the food. And you are getting an Applebees! We don't have anything to compare to that. Shiloh is OK, but everyone has had the same stuff there a million times and its turned into a saloon.

I went and saw Bob and Sheri at your tech center a couple of years ago and it is very nice. Our community center is pretty good, but doesnt' really compare. And you guys are getting a huge place for concerts and rodeos and stuff. I can't tell you how jealous that has made people here.

Many of you seem to want to mimic what London does, but I don't know why. Who cares if we get Vangent. What do they pay, like, minimum wage. That sucks. Corbin really seems to have things going in the right direction. Don't be so down on yourselves.

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Vangent pays minimum wage? Hardly. Who cares if London gets them? London sure does, and we need to also.

Just read between the lines on this post.

This is a Corbinite already defending themselves or a buddy and the Vangent departure with the old "Oh, who cares, we don't need them" stuff. With 750 eventual jobs, we do need them, but a couple of those responsible will play it like its no big deal.

Vangent is another 750 jobs going to London, 20 or 30 with the Harley Dealership, 350 jobs with the recent Truitt Brothers canning plant announcement, and before you say "oh, no big deal, another minimum wage operation, we don't need them", the project costs will run $19 million and wages for the new jobs are expected to average between $10.76 and $18 per hour. Yeah, but who needs them.

There's 1100 jobs right there in a 6 to 12 month period, but who cares, we don't need them anyway, according to this poster, they are supposedly in London looking up to us. Funny though, Whitley County's unemployment is at 5.6%, up half a percent over last year, Knox at 6.5%, a point higher than last year, and Laurel County unemployment is at 4.9%, even with last year. But who cares, we don't need Vangent, Harley, or any of these 1100 jobs, right?

The expo center will be great if it is booked 66% of the time as I recall, but how many jobs will the expo center create? Very few full time jobs. Don't know of any city or town whose expo center drives the local economy. Regarding the London Movie Theater, tts no Tri-County Cineplex, but its no slouch either. And the Depot? Hmmmm.

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Let me add a couple more points to my original post. 1100 jobs at a conservative $10 an hour adds another $23 Million in annual wages to Laurel County's tax base, or another $230,000 annually in occupational tax revenue. But again, who needs it, its no big deal because we have all of these higher paying jobs that have come into Corbin. Remind me, what new jobs have or are coming in?

The same couple of posters who say "Who Cares" about Vangent and Harley going to London also try to spin this "Walgreens is building the first of their two locations in Corbin soon. These are exciting economic times for our town." line, as though getting Walgreens is the sign of true economic progress and that they are doing their jobs. If this "Who Cares" and Hey, We got Walgreens" spin is coming from any local politicans, they should never be re-elected again. If this is spin from Industrial Development, they should be looking for other work.

Will Walgreens bring in additional business into Corbin? No it won't - the last thing that will grow our economy are additional drug stores. All Walgreens will do is take business from other drug stores in town, and won't bring in a nickel of new sales or tax revenure we wouldn't already have, especially since Walgreens is going into Barbourville and other surrounding towns, not just Corbin.

Will Walgreens create new high paying jobs? No, other than a couple of Pharmacists and the store manager, the other 10 jobs will pay probably $8 or $9 an hour. Harley would have paid some pretty hefty sales commissions to our local people - some making $100,000 and up - and even hourly wage earners make $11 or $12 bucks an hour and up. Then there is the occupational tax revenue Harley would have created also for Whitley County, all on mostly new money.

Will Walgreens bring in millions in sales revenue to Corbin from other towns and communities like the Harley Dealership would have? No, Walgreens won't, 99.9% of the revenue generated at a Corbin Wallgreens will be the same local money already being spent at our current drug stores. No one will drive from Somerset, Whitley City or Hazard to go to a Corbin Walgreens, but they will to buy cars, high-end motorcycles and other specialty consumer goods.

But like the one poster says, who needs Vangent, Harley, Truitt, 1100 jobs, health benefits, the occupational tax revenue - we have Walgreens coming in.

Come on folks step forward, where are our top business people????? We need a a commission that will clean house, hire full time pro's and send the some of the current duds back to the pizza delivery service where they came from.

Anonymous wrote:

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Does anyone really think putting Sam's & Carpenter in front of the top companies in the world will really get them (New Companies) to locate here?

Does the City Leaders really believe this? It's nothing personal but these guys can not entice major companies, there just not at the CEO level and or have the skills needed.

No shots at these guys and it's not their fault, they simply can not give the city something they do not have, ceo expertise.

Sorry

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Well how about you? You seem to have alot of criticisms but no answers. Could we put you in front of big CEOs to convince them to come here? Do you have any suggestions about who the city could hire, or do you just like to complain?

Did you just post here to get some attention because you are lonely or do you have anything constructive to say? No knock on you or anything. Sorry.

 

The last poster is right on the money, I don't know who the right choice may be but I certainly know it's not the guys listed, it may not be a good idea to put those two in front of CEO's with BBQ Sauce and Chicken Wings smeared all over their shirts & blue jeans.

Think about the Question? Do you really want Sam's & Carpenter in front of anyone who can locate Millions of Dollars into this area, you think London will send folks like this or Razor Sharp Business People that don't look and act like the Butter Brothers???

Goodness sakes folks, at least give us a chance to compete???

Anonymous wrote:

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If you think that Carpenter is not doing a good job then go to the industrial board and speak your peace. They are the ones that have been know to send a rogue director packing and they can do it again. Talk to Huff, Wolley, Ellis, Herd and Eubanks. Present your case to them. Those folks can pull the big mans plug.

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I can handle pressure and accept criticism. I have been in the competition of life for 74 years. If you are referring to me as a "Rogue director" then I challenge you to a debate to have you tell me and other people of this area how I have ever conducted myself in such way that I would be referred to as a Rogue.

When I accepted the Economic Development Director's job I only planned to serve one year until they got a long term director. I was talked out of retiring several times.  During the sad days of the CTA accident the Mayor referred most media requests to me on top the other duties I had. You ask the people at CTA who was there weekends or nights to work with them and their employees in every possible way.

Was it a "rogue" person who worked his butt off for two years raising money for the Ossie Burch Fieldhouse? Have I been a "Rogue" person when my wife and I established a scholarship in my parents memory at Cumberland College over 30 years ago? Was it a "Rogue" person who along with his wife have done our best to support the Corbin Public Library while we lived in Michigan and Oklahoma? Is it a "Rogue" person who teaches a Sunday School class at Central Baptist Church?"

I will be more than happy for you to present the specific information as to why you think I am a rogue person and then we will debate publically those accusations you make.

While I served as Economic Development Director the last three years I paid all my business cell phone expenses.  I furnished my own car. I gave the office my own personal fax machine. I paid my own money to purchase a new printer for Shirley Clark's work area.

I took a 50% pay cut after I had my heart failure problem. 

I would welcome a chance to face you in an open debate and have you be specific as you try to demean my character and reputation.

Just let me know when and where you want this debate to be held.
I will be there. Will you?
Bob Terrell, Sr.