COMMENTARY

ON THE MARK... Black Friday Failure
Commentary
By Mark Hallburn
Publisher
PutnamLIVE.com

"Black Friday" has come and gone again in Putnam County, and                                       with it the opportunity                                 to capture millions of                                      dollars for our                                          economy. That's                                    because Putnam                                       County remains a                                       retail vast wasteland.                                And it's because of the                        colossal failure of                                    Putnam County's so-                               called "leaders."

This isn't old news. A couple of years ago I  ago challenged Putnam County Commissioners Stephen H. Andes, James H. "Jim" Caruthers, Jr., and Raymond "Joe" Haynes to quit playing politics with Parks and Recreation and to bring badly needed retail and restaurants to Putnam County.

The arrogant and politically incompetent Andes, Caruthers, and Haynes failed. Miserably!

Andes was probably managing his retail store in Kanawha County, (competing against Putnam County for dollars), Caruthers was probably playing with Kim Blair, and who know what Haynes does-certainly nothing politically positive for Putnam County.

So we remain with a fraction of the retail stores that Putnam County needs, while our residents spend millions in Barboursville, Nitro, and Southridge.

Meanwhile the Ames storefront remains vacant, the Wal-Mart missed Black Friday, empty land sits beside Home Depot and across from Liberty Square, and neighboring counties cash in on our loot.

In addition, Putnam County residents burn thousands of gallons of expensive gasoline and create needless air pollution while we drive out-of-town to do our shopping.

Putnam County's "leaders" should be ashamed of themselves-except they have no shame. Instead, they make grandiose speeches about wanting to grow our economy while they sit on their sorry backsides.

Enough is enough!

Christmas is coming, the holiday shopping season is here, and it's time for action.

The politicians promised that Wal-Mart would be open by September bringing hundreds of jobs and millions of dollars to Hurricane and Putnam County.

The politicians lied!

So, if you're a Putnam County politician, or economic official, drop whatever you're doing, and get to work!

Immediately find a tenant for Ames. Get a buyer for the land near Home Depot. Then roll up your sleeves and head to Wal-Mart and Hurricane Marketplace and get those stores open by sunrise December 10th. Get it done quickly and quietly without disturbing the nearby neighbors-who have endured enough due to the stupid decision to destroy a neighborhood, pond, and hillside for a retail district-when there were several better places to put these stores!

Delegate Patty Eagloski-Schoen, grab a shovel and go to work. You know about shovels. You've been shoveling political fertilizer for years.

Former Commissioner "Jim" Caruthers, get your hands off you-know-who and grab an electric drill. Put together some shelves at Wal-Mart.

Senator Mike Hall, sell the homes around Wal-Mart and get some real economic development moving.

Disputed "Mayor" Scott Edwards, stop harassing the Wal-Mart neighbors with 4:00 a.m. street sweepers, and install some telephones and computers.

Commissioner Steve Andes, quit competing against Putnam County with your Kanawha County retail store and get your butt home and go to work here. Train some associates for the clothing department at Wal-Mart. Or open a Goody's at The Hurricane Marketplace.

Commissioner "Joe" Haynes, you killed the Kiddie Pool, now start to make up for it and set up the toy department.

Delegate Brady Paxton, that "million-dollar smile" will work wonders as a Wal-Mart greeter.

P.C.D.A. Executive Director Gary Walton, you created the Wal-Mart mess, which destroyed a hillside, thousands of trees, filled in a pond, and ruined our neighborhood. Get your butt out of that airplane seat and line up some shopping carts.

Prosecutor Mark Sorsaia, you refused to enforce a tractor noise law while you wasted the county and court's time and money to prosecute me on a bogus charge. Now go do something positive and help finish the Wal-Mart and Hurricane Marketplace. If you are truly for development in Putnam County, as you claim, we will see you working on these projects until they are finished!

Hurricane City Manager Ben Newhouse, you are grossly overpaid and demanded that Wal-Mart neighbors move. Get to work and hang some store lights. Earn your money for a change.

Senator Karen Facemyer, get off your farm and find some store managers. Make up for abandoning the Wal-Mart neighbors to excessive noise.

Delegate Dale Martin, wire some lights and cash registers.

Delegate Jeff Eldridge, sweep some floors.

Councilwoman Patty Hager, quit whining about noise complaints and make yourself useful. Open a gift shop at Hurricane Marketplace-just don't paint it a hideous "pumpkin" color.

Councilwoman Lana Call, open some store stock.

Councilman C. Brian Ellis, you can run the automotive sales area.

Councilman W. "Reggie" Billups, you can work in the pharmacy department selling Ace bandages.

Councilman Donald Chaney, you can work in Sporting Goods.

Former Mayor F. Raymond Peak, you would make a great Wal-Mart greeter. The seniors would love to see you out in public again.

Captain Kangaroo Eagloski, you handed Scott Edwards the mayor's seat, get your butt behind the customer service counter and start serving Putnam County for a change.

Magistrate Kim Blair, do something ethical and get behind a register and take care of some customers.

Putnam County Administrator Brian Donat, help stimulate the Putnam County economy by getting some stores open.

Commissioner Gary Tillis, get some union guys and finish the Wal-Mart and the Hurricane Marketplace.

Delegate Troy Andes, bring Don Blankenship and some coal miners down and go to work.

Delegate Ted Ellis, drive a steam-roller and pave the parking lots.

Delegate Lidella Wilson-Hrutkay, hang some store windows.

Delegate Ralph Rodighiero, bring some asphalt in with a dump truck.

Delegates Ellis, Wilson-Hrutkay, and Rodichiero need to take a drive from Logan County and do some work in the rest of their 19th District.

Congresswoman Shelley Moore-Capito, forget about Washington for a week and make something positive happen here at home.

Ditto for Senators Robert Byrd and Jay Rockefeller. We need retail in Putnam County and we need it now!

Governor Joe Manchin, III, make sure Putnam County is "Open for Business" by Christmas!

When Wal-Mart and the Hurricane Marketplace are finished, then get started on the rest of the area around Wal-Mart and the Hurricane Marketplace so that we have a Best Buy, Staples, Goody's (for Andes to manage) and other stores by next Black Friday.

It's time for Putnam County's politicians and "leaders" to "Put up or shut up!"

Here's the bottom line: If the so-called "leaders" of Putnam County don't get a replacement for Ames and Big Bear, don't get us a deal for a Target, and don't get Wal-Mart and Hurricane Marketplace open by December 10th, they need to all give us a Christmas card with their resignation letters. They blew Black Friday. If they blow Christmas too, they don't deserve to stay in office!

 

Mark  

Hallburn