Time to invest in the region's future — or others might not (Atlanta: insurance, neighborhood)

[PKCorey]

Originally Posted by neil0311

Care to provide more substantial (and substantiated) details that support your claim? All I can find is that in 2005, they contemplated a move to either Atlanta, South Florida, or possibly Charlotte, and they chose to do nothing and stay put in Ohio.

Nowhere was a mention that the decision was based on transportation concerns, and even if there were those concerns for Atlanta, why didn't they move to Charlotte or some other supposed paradise?

Chiquita HQ

http://www.bizjournals.com/atlanta/p....html?page=all

Chiquita leaving Cincinnati after North Carolina OKs deal (poll) | cleveland.com

[Onthemove2014]

Originally Posted by neil0311

Care to provide more substantial (and substantiated) details that support your claim? All I can find is that in 2005, they contemplated a move to either Atlanta, South Florida, or possibly Charlotte, and they chose to do nothing and stay put in Ohio.

Nowhere was a mention that the decision was based on transportation concerns, and even if there were those concerns for Atlanta, why didn't they move to Charlotte or some other supposed paradise?

Chiquita HQ

Chiquita headquarters - Atlanta Business Chronicle

[neil0311]

Originally Posted by PKCorey

Chiquita HQ

Chiquita headquarters - Atlanta Business Chronicle

Chiquita leaving Cincinnati after North Carolina OKs deal (poll) | cleveland.com

I read each of those, and NOWHERE does it say that the decision was based on traffic or other transportation concerns. Posting a thread from C-D with all of you cackling on about it doesn't constitute any kind of evidence to me. The only mention was by the author of the Biz Journal piece who said this which is just a passing opinion about the "reputation" he thinks is out there:

"Atlanta is also getting a reputation for traffic congestion, causing companies to question whether their employees can commute to work in a reasonable time, especially if they live on the other side of the city."

So they made a decision to move to Charlotte based on tax incentives, and you somehow draw a conclusion that means that they didn't come here due to traffic? Talk about a leap and drawing conclusions from facts not in evidence.

Where is the quote from the company that says they didn't come to Atlanta due to concerns about transportation?

[Onthemove2014]

Originally Posted by neil0311

I read each of those, and NOWHERE does it say that the decision was based on traffic or other transportation concerns. Posting a thread from C-D with all of you cackling on about it doesn't constitute any kind of evidence to me. The only mention was by the author of the Biz Journal piece who said this which is just a passing opinion about the "reputation" he thinks is out there:

"Atlanta is also getting a reputation for traffic congestion, causing companies to question whether their employees can commute to work in a reasonable time, especially if they live on the other side of the city."

So they made a decision to move to Charlotte based on tax incentives, and you somehow draw a conclusion that means that they didn't come here due to traffic? Talk about a leap and drawing conclusions from facts not in evidence.

Where is the quote from the company that says they didn't come to Atlanta due to concerns about transportation?

Is Traffic Hindering Our Economic Future

[Onthemove2014]

Traffic killing Atlanta ability to lure companies

[neil0311]

Originally Posted by Onthemove2014

Is Traffic Hindering Our Economic Future

Again...and I'm truly not trying to be obstinate here...that is a five year old Chamber of Commerce piece that does not mention Chiquita or any company specifically. All it says is:

"But what's even more troubling is that there's no way to know how many companies are failing to put Atlanta on the short list to begin with because of traffic gridlock."

I would expect groups like the Chamber to use those kinds of tactics to try and make its point. Do we have any disinterested parties who have written about specific companies that have chosen to bypass Atlanta specifically or partially due to traffic concerns? Any quotes from Chiquita or inside sources that specifically discuss how they chose to go to Charlotte, not because of incentives there, but rather due to traffic here? Any quotes from other companies who have moved and specifically said that are dropping Atlanta from consideration due to transportation concerns? In the five years that I've lived here and since that article, we have seen NCR and other companies continue to relocate here.

In 2009, two years AFTER the article you provided, the following was written:

"This year-to-date Atlanta has attracted 3 fortune 500 companies and the Metro Atlanta Chamber has announced 41 new companies moving to the city."

Companies Relocating to Atlanta | Metro Atlanta Chamber of Commerce | Atlanta Real Estate Forum

Here is a company that came here from Alabama: Alabama medical software company to relocate headquarters to Atlanta | AccessNorthGa

I don't think what I'm asking is too much to ask (for specific information), considering that we keep hearing that an impending economic apocalypse is the result of not approving the TSPLOST. The evidence I see is contrary.

[Onthemove2014]

Originally Posted by neil0311

Again...and I'm truly not trying to be obstinate here...that is a five year old Chamber of Commerce piece that does not mention Chiquita or any company specifically. All it says is:

"But what's even more troubling is that there's no way to know how many companies are failing to put Atlanta on the short list to begin with because of traffic gridlock."

I would expect groups like the Chamber to use those kinds of tactics to try and make its point. Do we have any disinterested parties who have written about specific companies that have chosen to bypass Atlanta specifically or partially due to traffic concerns? Any quotes from Chiquita or inside sources that specifically discuss how they chose to go to Charlotte, not because of incentives there, but rather due to traffic here? Any quotes from other companies who have moved and specifically said that are dropping Atlanta from consideration due to transportation concerns? In the five years that I've lived here and since that article, we have seen NCR and other companies continue to relocate here.

In 2009, two years AFTER the article you provided, the following was written:

"This year-to-date Atlanta has attracted 3 fortune 500 companies and the Metro Atlanta Chamber has announced 41 new companies moving to the city."

Companies Relocating to Atlanta | Metro Atlanta Chamber of Commerce | Atlanta Real Estate Forum

Here is a company that came here from Alabama: Alabama medical software company to relocate headquarters to Atlanta | AccessNorthGa

I don't think what I'm asking is too much to ask (for specific information), considering that we keep hearing that an impending economic apocalypse is the result of not approving the TSPLOST. The evidence I see is contrary.

You gotta read between the lines. A lot of this is coming from people on the inside who talk to or are connected to executive. The executives aren't gonna announce this stuff in public. We know that an executive is not going to want move here and have to spend a hour in traffic every day.

[neil0311]

Originally Posted by Onthemove2014

You gotta read between the lines. A lot of this is coming from people on the inside who talk to or are connected to executive. The executives aren't gonna announce this stuff in public. We know that an executive is not going to want move here and have to spend a hour in traffic every day.

Ah...OK. So it's like my wife...don't listen to what I actually say, but rather figure out what I want to say but never say?

Sorry, but this is ridiculous when we're being asked to approve billions in new taxes, and the excuse is that the economy will take a hit and businesses will stop moving to the Atlanta metro or move away. There is little to no evidence that's the case, other than intimations and innuendo by vested interests. I can post specific companies who have moved to Atlanta and who are in the process of doing so, but all I can get for the supposed exodus is "read between the lines"....really?

[cqholt]

Sorry, but this is ridiculous when we're being asked to approve billions in new taxes, and the excuse is that the economy will take a hit and businesses will stop moving to the Atlanta metro or move away. There is little to no evidence that's the case, other than intimations and innuendo by vested interests. I can post specific companies who have moved to Atlanta and who are in the process of doing so, but all I can get for the supposed exodus is "read between the lines"....really?

Other metro areas are investing in their transportation systems, if we don't start now we will be left behind.

[arjay57]

Originally Posted by neil0311

I don't think what I'm asking is too much to ask (for specific information), considering that we keep hearing that an impending economic apocalypse is the result of not approving the TSPLOST.

That's a valid point.

Although I'm going to vote for the TSPLOST for several reasons, there is a lot of "biz speak" emanating from the business community.

It's the old scenario where the boss cries, "All our competitors have the new Photon Laser Teraflopter. If we don't get one immediately this company is doomed!"

Meanwhile the guys out on the production floor are saying, "Hey, boss, our old TRS-80 is still getting the job done. With a little TLC it's probably good for another 3 or 4 years."

Well, we all know management isn't going to rest until the Teraflopter is installed. It doesn't matter how much it costs or whether it actually speeds up the workflow. It's all about not letting the competition have something you don't.