POSITIVE BUSINESS ENVIRONMENT
BIPARTISAN POCONO ISSUES
FACTS:
Did you know in 1968, Mr. Wilkins designed the world’s first heart-shaped tub in his Cove Haven Resort. He has also filed a patent to construct the first champagne glass-shaped tub which helped coin the phrase, Honeymoon Capital of the World. Did you know over $400 million is generated in state tax revenue from Pocono tourism alone?
ISSUE AT HAND:
One of the biggest issues we must overcome in the Poconos is being too tough for local businesses and startups to set up shop in the Poconos. For too long, outside investors with no attachment to the area are often given tax breaks or special treatment when it comes to development that the local businessperson could never attain. The fact that our overall infrastructure when it comes to water, septic, roads, and broadband technology is not properly developed is another reason why many businesses do not even bother trying. Another major obstacle is not having one common set of guidelines between townships and agencies to assist those that have projects in multiple overlying areas.
BENEFITS & SOLUTIONS:
When searching for solutions I always look at areas that are thriving and emulate the formula they are using to become successful. Case in point the town of Easton, for years known as the rough part of the Lehigh Valley. Today, Easton has totally transformed into an area attracting businesses, creating jobs, strengthening their tax base and restoring the area to its original grandeur. So how did they do it? The key is to put people in place that know what they are doing, business economic development working with agencies to get things moving. A strong commitment from the business community to work together towards one goal of transforming a rundown area into the talk of the town in Lehigh Valley. See it can be done, you just have to elect those with real experience, those that do more than talk the talk, but truly walk the walk.