Bugs, he is not anxious to give me any information at all. To my e-mail asking what is the source of job growth (i.e. is it all real estate-boom related as in San Diego?), he sent me an Inc. article, which rated the fastest growing small towns in the U.S. Yuma was tops on the list. I wrote him back, with my data found from the state employment data website. I showed him the biggest occupations in Yuma are construction (10%), agricultural workers (8%), teachers, restaurant and retail (5% each), truck drivers and cashiers (2% each). Yuma has 2,000 cashiers, and less than 10 engineers. Ok, how sustainable and fast growing will they be when the economy slows? I closed with telling him that I look forward to getting the information in the mail, that HE used to make the decision to buy this land, because I am certain “your company did not make a decision to purchase these parcels based on a Inc. magazine story.” So far, he’s given me NOTHING other than that Inc. article.
North County Jim, – the refinery has been in the works for 5 years. They have the permits, and plan to start construction in one year. The original refinery was supposed to be outside Phoenix, but that area had too high ozone levels already, so it had to be moved. Mexico is cooperating with oil delivery. My approach was to give them the benefit of the doubt, that the refinery would go through. It looks like a money-losing idea, so whether the refinery goes in or not, makes no difference to me, since the impact of the refinery is negligible, and the Midwesterners are not going to retire in Yuma, a desert town with 120 degree summers.
