As part of one of my jobs, I am reading hundreds of articles written over the years for a local newspaper. (It’s kind of funny. I was raised to disdain newspapers. Besides the fact that I’m allergic to them, even if they don’t spin for their agenda or somebody else’s, they must necessarily oversimplify to the point of inaccuracy. So now, any kind of job I get is somehow tied to newspapers. It may have something to do with my transcript showing I never took a college-level English course, and I used my Honors College status to waive my way out of all economics and most other social studies requirements. I therefore have the creds of a perfect moron, ripe for playing he-said-she-said. But I digress.)
Anyway, these human interest articles tell the story of a time when factories were closing. From them, I learned it was state agents advising local communities to set up economic development coalitions. In at least one instance, which I presume is by no means isolated, a highly successful businessman was recruited away from his company to head up the job-creating ventures.
