E85 - find out and give us the facts, or forget it

Two articles published today (4/1/07) by the Fayetteville NC Observer attempt to spotlight the value and risks of having an ethanol plant built in Fayetteville by C. Sivasankaran, the Indian investor who has been called a “serial entrepreneur.”

Coincidentally, today is when the Newark Gannett unequivocally endorsed C. Sivasankaran's plan to build such a plant here.

The differences in approach between the paper in Fayetteville and the paper in Newark are simply amazing in their depth and approach.

Bruce Bain, the industry-hunting Newark mayor, might himself have dictated the Advocate editorial. Meanwhile, the reporters in North Carolina attempted legitimate research, the likes of which Newark hasn't seen in many years. Those reporters have asked questions that need to be directed toward government officials of Newark.

First among those questions should be: How much do you know about the financial stability of E85, its backer, and of his long-term intentions?

Second would be: Exactly how much is it going to cost 1) Newark taxpayers; 2) Ohio taxpayers; 3) federal taxpayers? In exchange for our tax money, what are we going to receive? Not just blah-blah-blah-maybe-50-jobs or whatever. What "jobs?" Exactly how many and exactly what technical and educational qualifications must they have, and how much are they going to pay these people, and exactly how much tax-return will that bring? Any public office-holders who intend to allow this project to go forward should have these numbers. And any legitimate factory planner should be able to provide them.

The tally of Newark's costs must include all such items as road, street, water, sewage upgrades - and maintenance. And if they're already in place, exactly how much did they cost? They must include local tax incentives (which the Advocate says do not exist, but let's check anyway). They must include grants from all levels of government, and they must include all ethanol-production incentives from the feds and maybe state.

So what are these numbers, exactly? Exactly what are we buying and how much is it going to cost and how much is it going to take to maintain? Then tell us what exactly - in writing - how much are taxpayers of Newark going to receive in exchange?

If city council members, Mayor Bain, the Board of Licking County Commissioners, and promoters from E85 (which consists of "a small crew of professionals working out of their homes," according to one of the Observer's articles) - if these folks can't answer these questions, then government's position on E85's proposal ought to be clear: Let's forget it.

Links to the two articles from the Fayetteville (NC) Observer:

E85’s finances giving some reason to doubt

Serial entrepreneur’ is the money behind E85

Link to the Advocate endorsement:

Ethanol plant would be a benefit