Fairness in Brownwood

Abilene Reporter News

May 7, 2004

Letter to the editor:

As I listened to Brownwood City Councilman Ed McMillan on Brownwood talk radio Monday morning comment that he did not think the taxpayer-funded incentive package being proposed for Home Depot's project in Brownwood was fair, I asked myself; ''If Ed says it's not fair, then how can he vote for it?''How is it fair to this community (or any other community) to subsidize a multibillion-dollar corporation at the expense and on the backs of the ''Mom and Pop's'' that played a vital role in the creation of the tax base in the first place?Do you think maybe Home Depot could believe in Brownwood enough like the rest of us small ''Mom and Pop's''? We came to town with no incentives other than expecting to be treated equally, fairly and above-board and succeed on our products, services, creativity and entrepreneurial spirit.I also find it amazing that a company with a powerful diversity program, which believes in treating everyone equally, would even consider accepting money that creates an ''unequal'' playing field.When asked about the morality of treating folks less than equal, I was told: ''Life is not fair.'' I didn't need this issue to drive home that point, but rest assured there will always be folks trying to keep the playing field ''level and fair'' for everyone.

Steve Harris, Brownwood
source: http://www.reporternews.com/abil/op_letters_editor/article/0,1874,ABIL_7984_2866742,00.html