I received this on 7 Oct for posting.

-jsq

Valdosta is an innovative city with expanding opportunities for our growing community. Valdosta has recently celebrated 150 years of progress. As a citizen, I have spent most of my adult life experiencing this progress. I’ve seen economic developments through recruitment, retention and expansions that benefit our city, with tremendous support from our communities. I’ve seen job opportunities that improve the livelihood of our citizens, through the recruitment of national companies who have established their businesses in our great city.

Our school systems are innovative, and they serve as models for other school systems in our state, with great parental involvement and encouragement toward improvements. Our University and College systems are some of the best in the state, with phenomenal enrollment and retention of traditional and non-traditional students in our city and abroad.

Our religious establishments are growing from leaps and bounds with more and more people becoming citizens of our great city, who are leaving larger unsafe, polluted, and unproductive cities, for a safer, less polluted and productive small town lifestyle, such as our wonderful city provides.

The development of small businesses, through our downtown projects, have been a great success story for our city. The innovative improvements make our city one of the most visited in our state. We pride ourselves as a Titletown community, through continuous progress over 150 years.

When I contemplate our shared 150 years of progress, I find it disturbing that our Industrial Authority would make such a bad decision as to bring a Biomass incinerator into our community. As an advocate for the welfare of children, women, and families I am gravely concerned and disappointed that such a project has been endorsed by leaders who were elected to carry out the wishes of the community for the betterment of all citizens.

The Wiregrass incinerator is a bad choice and unnecessary for the sake of producing energy and jobs.. There are much safer green energy ideas that can be implemented, with less harmful impacts, which won’t potentially cause death and disease.

As an activist for women, children, and families, I oppose such an unsound decision, despite the 25 jobs it will bring. The Biomass incinerator damages our reputation as a safe city in which to raise our children, and I fear that Valdosta State University will lose enrollments as parents become concerned over the health effects of sending their child to college in a town with an incinerator whose pollution has already been documented by medical groups like the American Cancer Society and the American Lung Association.

Our community prides itself on sound economics, statistics and market data. One study that I read documented a 20% decrease in property values when an incinerator comes to town. This is not a wise decision on any level, from health to economics.

Our planning and zoning department, prouds prides itself with successful planning for our city and communities. All will change if a Biomass incinerator comes to our city, which will indicate that planning was not done with our communities and families in mind, for a safe environment for our citizens to ensure quality growth with long term planning to preserve the city’s unique quality of life. We must seek to plan with all communities in mind and not a suggested or selective few, but all. All communities are equally important and most be considered as such, in our city planning process.

Lastly, as a mother and grandmother I must protest any incinerator entering our beautiful city for the sole purpose to provide energy and jobs. I am in favor of energy and jobs, but not at the expense of my children and grandchildren, or any of our citizens. We must not cattle showcase our citizens on a market to the highest bidder. We must take other alternatives towards these efforts to better our energy productivity in our city and produce jobs through safe and innovative measures.

Sincerely,

Phyllis Stallworth, First Vice-President
Valdosta-Lowndes NAACP
Education Chair
Women In NAACP Chair

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