Assuming Economic Impact of a Rails to Trails

Dear Editor,  

Recently I read a letter to the editor posted in a local newspaper by the Easley Chamber of Commerce claiming Pickens County is a prime area for a trail.

They brag about 90% approval from the business leaders.

Conservatives of the Upstate a grassroots organization went door to door to the property owners adjacent to this proposed corridor and found 98% were strongly opposed to the corridor.  

We also did a random sampling of opinions of taxpayers that were at the Pickens Flea Market and found 99% were opposed to their tax dollars being spent on this project.  

The Easley Chamber says to look at Greenville's success with the Swamp Rabbit Trail.

However, the last time we followed in the footsteps of Greenville and their now illegal “Greenville Plan” it railroaded Pickens County taxpayers into over $400 million dollars worth of debt!

The Easley Chamber claims “a huge economic impact” for a trail to built here. The unemployment index in Greenville in February 2012 was 7.7% and now it is up to 8.6%. So just how has this “huge economic impact” helped the unemployed?

Their letter also claims several businesses reported increases in sales...but they fail to tell us which businesses or how many.

The most interesting part of the letter is how they referenced the Ecusta Trail study as evidence.

Guess who did that economic impact study? Alta/Greenways a Triad Area Consulting Firm whose web sites states, “we are firmly committed to the development of a sustainable global community and planet...reducing our footprint in our personal and professional lives.”

Can you say biased research? How can they guarantee these returns on investment? It clearly could clearly very well yield much lower impact! These impact estimates quoted are based on assumptions and they actually state that in the study.

We all know what it means when you assume!

Johnnelle Raines 

President, Conservatives of the Upstate 

Pickens 

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