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"(Russellville) school district has an increasing Hispanic population, currently about 40 percent."
The above quote came from a recent TimesDaily article. Is it disturbing? Assuming the author of the article knows what Hispanic means, yes. It means that new immigrants are arriving faster than they're being assimilated.
We may also infer that work visas aren't being given these immigrants to toil at local chicken processing plants. In order to receive one of those highly coveted visas, the immigrant must have specialized skills.
It also means the task for local educators will become harder each year. More money will be spent on remedial education, and less on college prep courses.
Franklin County has always been poor. Removed from any major traffic artery, Russellville has only a modicum of industry.
Try this experiment: Google the term Franklin+County+Alabama+New+Industry, then specify an entry within the past 12 months. Unless you really want to try it for yourself, the only new industry was 11 months ago and it was a company dedicated to fracking, or extracting oil from sand deposits. Most counties would cast voodoo spells to keep this kind of "industry" away. And remember, this new industry wasn't located in Russellville, just Franklin County.
Should we be concerned about this? No one who blogs here lives in Franklin County; therefore, any concern we have is from a humanitarian slant. Those who have chosen to remain in Franklin County and stick it out will see their children leave for college and never come back except to visit. Physicians and attorneys may practice in Franklin County, but they'll reside in Colbert or Lauderdale.
Is there an easy answer? Unfortunately...no.
The above quote came from a recent TimesDaily article. Is it disturbing? Assuming the author of the article knows what Hispanic means, yes. It means that new immigrants are arriving faster than they're being assimilated.
We may also infer that work visas aren't being given these immigrants to toil at local chicken processing plants. In order to receive one of those highly coveted visas, the immigrant must have specialized skills.
It also means the task for local educators will become harder each year. More money will be spent on remedial education, and less on college prep courses.
Franklin County has always been poor. Removed from any major traffic artery, Russellville has only a modicum of industry.
Try this experiment: Google the term Franklin+County+Alabama+New+Industry, then specify an entry within the past 12 months. Unless you really want to try it for yourself, the only new industry was 11 months ago and it was a company dedicated to fracking, or extracting oil from sand deposits. Most counties would cast voodoo spells to keep this kind of "industry" away. And remember, this new industry wasn't located in Russellville, just Franklin County.
Should we be concerned about this? No one who blogs here lives in Franklin County; therefore, any concern we have is from a humanitarian slant. Those who have chosen to remain in Franklin County and stick it out will see their children leave for college and never come back except to visit. Physicians and attorneys may practice in Franklin County, but they'll reside in Colbert or Lauderdale.
Is there an easy answer? Unfortunately...no.
As far as industrial recruiting goes - a 50 % population that is willing , able and has the attitude to actually work. Almost as great as a river or interstate ......
ReplyDeleteI actually took the bait and looked around on the internet. After looking through industry listed on the Franklin Economic Development Authority and comparing it to the limited industry from Lauderdale County extracted from SEDA, I came away feeling as though Franklin really has it going on compared to your utopia of Lauderdale County. I've never lived in Franklin County, but the nasty disdain for Colbert and Franklin County on here continuously is unbelievable.
ReplyDeleteFirst, we write very little on Franklin County. Second, almost all the blogs on Colbert County were written by those who live there.
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