Missed opportunity for jobs in Bourbon County

I read with amazement that the town of Paris and Bourbon County rejected an opportunity to expand the military facility at Avon, bringing thousands of new skilled, well-paying-jobs to the tax base. Five patrician farm owners killed the deal.

Horse farms are wonderful if run correctly, even though they largely don’t spread the wealth around and mostly pay poverty-level wages. However, when you drive some of the back roads in Central Kentucky you will find pockets of extreme rural poverty and your heart goes out to these people.

Last year, I was in Paris and ventured into an area not far from Main Street and was totally shocked at the poverty. The government complex at Avon is already there with a small runway and railroad. And the horse farm business is shrinking worldwide and floundering in Paris.

Horses get used to landing airplanes at Keeneland and Calumet Farm. America needs these weapon systems. They want this plant and these high-paying jobs to go to California or Mexico.

This story was originally published December 22, 2017 at 8:45 PM with the headline "Missed opportunity for jobs in Bourbon County."