Residents of Salem, Indiana and Washington County, Indiana Need To Expect More

Outside of the Kimball Plant locating in Salem in 1986 and the expansion of GKN Sinter Metals in 1997 and other dates it might be noted that Washington County officials have done the Charlie Brown theme of moving the football when it is about to be kicked in regard to economic development. Many years ago Salem was investigated as being somewhere that Valeo Sylvania could build their plant yet it went to Seymour as have countless other businesses that would have been open to locating in Salem. Our so-called county officials whiffed time and time again and some of it was obviously to protect some of the existing employers at the expense of them having to pay better wages and have better working conditions and more opportunities for the local population. The local nincompoops of the City of Salem along with the county government didn't want to do anything about changing that state of affairs because it would interfered with some of the local business community being able to crap on people and treat them shabbily. That's been the modus operandi of Washington County government for some time now when they could have been doing things that really benefited the community they were more interested in political games and scratching each others butts and backsides. Who knows who had dirty pictures on each other in Washington County although there have been substantiated activities over the years that might come to light at some point. Instead Washington County/Salem City government and economic development officials were more interested in turning Salem from being a former manufacturing town into a manufacturing wasteland while drugs poured into the community onto the streets of Washington County and claimed the futures of so many people that could have did so much more for their families and the community at large. Instead Salem officials and county government turned a blind eye to the economic damage caused by the closure of plants such as O.P. Link, Smith Cabinet, Speedflex and their subsequent relocation to other destinations while the county and city fathers turned Salem into a bonafide retirement community with not much more than fast food jobs and low end dead end retail. Of course, they'll provide a litany of excuses of why Washington County cannot attract businesses like people not having enough money to start enterprises etc. All the while they turned away other businesses that could have thrived here and left a thriving community for the people of Washington County. That is the million dollar question? What the hell is wrong with the public officials in Salem, Indiana and Washington County, Indiana? There would be plenty of industries that would be suitable for Washington County like medical manufacturing, pharmaceuticals, small industries making parts for automotive such as plastics and injection molding, etc. Not heavy industry but sensible and reasonable small industry that would grow the local economy AND lead to a more stable tax base where the county government wouldn't have to screw the taxpayers so hard to pay for all of their pet projects of countless nincompoops in Salem and Washington County. After all when cities around us economically grew over the years Salem continued to stagnate and turn into a drug den when it could be so much more. In closing, we the people of Washington County and Salem, Indiana should EXPECT MORE