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To the Editor,
I've been truly amazed watching everyone pile on Delegate Pat McGeehan for expressing his concerns about the Form Energy project coming to Weirton. He never once said he was against the project. I am appalled by lawmakers, old and new, stating their opposition for his concern about the company and their questionable ties. Why aren't all lawmakers asking these same questions? Why aren't they concerned some unestablished company can come to town and pick our pockets? Not like that hasn't happened before in Weirton.
For what it's worth, as an electronic engineer, I can emphatically state that trying to revert rust back into iron is an irreversible process. Unless some magical dust is used, changing rust back to iron isn't going to happen. Maybe this just might be a misleading catch phase to their process.
As I see the situation unfold, it appears to me, Pat McGeehan is the only person from this panhandle and the entire state that is doing his due diligence. Due diligence, if you don't know, is doing a comprehensive appraisal of a business undertaken by a prospective buyer, especially to establish its assets and liabilities and evaluate its commercial potential. The unconscionable act not being done is why other lawmakers are not doing their own due diligence. Who wants to buy a $300 million pig-in-a-poke?
My question is simply this; with Bill Gates and Jeff Bezos, multi-billionaires, why don't they split, and fund the nearly one-billion-dollar upfront cost, between them? Pocket change for these guys. Are they truly investors or just endorsers?
The state of West Virginia better be very careful to willy-nilly millions of dollars of tax-payers money into start-up companies, with a questionable product and process. It's not like bringing a known manufacturing facility into this area. Startups are very tricky and come with extreme risks. I've been through one and it turned disastrous to the point it collapsed.
There are a lot of corrupt businesses trying to take advantage of easy-going politicians. In the days of yesteryear, businesses came to town with their own money, financed by some bank, asking for small tax breaks, as incentive. Apparently, that's not how it happens today. Has anyone wondered why "more than 100 sites in 12 states," as stated by CEO Jaramillo, were passed over? Maybe the easy money can only be found in West Virginia.
I applaud his efforts. We need more lawmakers like Pat McGeehan, in this state and in Washington, D.C. Maybe the United States wouldn't be in the mess it's in, if lawmakers, like Pat, stood guard and did their due diligence before acting irrationally. Lawmakers and others should look to follow his example, ask more questions, dig into finding the facts, instead of relying on the picture painted by the company in question. Facts are needed before irresponsible decisions are made, but apparently that ship has sailed.
Thomas Zielinsky
Weirton