Published: June 30, 2009 10:03 am      

Local company should be consider for millrace work

I read the article on in the June 24 edition on the front page, “more contaminants found at race sites.”

What peaked my interest was that Symbiont, a Milwaukee based firm was doing the remediation. I certainly have no knowledge of the procedures for procuring these jobs but I suppose it comes from submitting bids.

What I do know is there is at least one local company right here in Goshen who I believe has the credentials, experience, and capability of doing this type of remediation. This company pays local income as well as property taxes and is in a tax increment finance zone in the industrial park. This company also used a local builder to build his building.

Jesus said, “a local prophet is not known in his own town” (paraphrase). Is that the situation here? How in the world, when the local economy can use funding such as this to support the community does the money go to a firm two states away and workers traveling hundreds of miles to do a job, can we expect efficiency from our local officials.

Quite frankly it makes my stomach churn as a local taxpayer and business person to see a local business and Chamber member denied these types of funded jobs.

I think we as taxpayers need solid answers and not round about justification for this type of situation, backed by facts.

— Tom Stiver

Goshen