Matt Cain President / CEO of Eaton Compressor

[Freak]

How was he treated?

My earlier point was that if I walked through the door of the Eaton City Building and said that I would do XYZ but they had to put up all this money (that they don't have or can't afford to defer), they would say no, and I would have to rethink my plans from there.

The path that Matt went down that turned me off was the suing the city part. Sue them for what? Not doing what you want? They already don't have any money and you want to waste some on an ego stroke of a lawsuit to prove what exactly? You already decided to move! You didn't want to work on the TIF program because of the timing. Fine! Should the city sue you for not doing what they want? That's just as silly.

Seems a bit of a temper tantrumish to me.

Not that I disagree with Matt's choices mind you. I'd move my business as well! I moved me because I couldn't stand the stuff that was going on in Preble County.

But I wouldn't be so self-aggrandizing and threatening lawsuits over the issues. They can't afford his plans, so he needs to seek better waters to fish in and just go do it like the CEO that he is.

Once again, the free market wins.

[Buckbuster]

Freak,
I actually get your point, but mine is they will kiss WAL-MARTS ass through a hurricane but they won't help out a local guy. I bet they would have built a road for WAL-MART. I also bet WAL-MART got alot of tax abatements.

[Freak]

Well well well.... I just got off of the telephone with Mr. Cain. We had a very pleasant discussion about the issues at hand and it appears that there's more to this than meets the eye (when isn't there?)

At issue is more than the tax abatements. Matt is rightfully upset over the fact that the city wielded the literal letter of that damnable zoning code rewrite and used it as a weapon against him with regard to his building facilities. No surprise there actually. I was one of the lone voices against the zoning rewrite and stated that it would end up being used as a weapon in this manner. And here it is... being used against the guy. Shocker. But how many people were standing there next to me when I was arguing against the rewrite? I heard so much crap about why the rewrite had to happen I thought that the city was getting into the fertilizer business back then. I pointed out so many examples of how it would be misused and here it is.

I am not sure why Bob Stonecash has gone down this road with Matt. I am actually a little surprised at the statements telling him that he just needs to move his business. I suspect that the conflict is personal and is with someone at the senior administrative level just below the elected seat. It's time that the citizens of Eaton take back the finances of the city and stop letting them be controlled by one individual. Council needs to get deeply involved with the accounting and stop taking things for face value.

I apologized to Matt for making statements without knowing the rest of the story here. There is indeed far more to it that the public hasn't been able to be educated about. Knowing his side now, I can't blame him for moving and wish him great success. I still invite him to move over here to Indiana, where people appreciate jobs and business, and are willing to show up at a public meeting to hold their elected folks accountable.

As for the city of Eaton, it's high time the people there start to look under the surface a little and ask who is really running the show. There is some old money and political wrangling that has gotten itself into a tight seat with city finances, and it's time for change in that area. But like the rest of Preble County, apathy runs strong and deep, and I don't expect anything to really start changing until Neaton moves out after their abatements expire, and Henny Penny & Bullen start to push more into their Chinese initiatives.

Maybe every family in Eaton can open their own fast food joint. Eaton can be the first, exclusive Fast Food Economy.

Matt, again, I wish you great success. Move and don't look back. Don't be nostalgic. Go grow your business.

[Jeff Golden]

Mike, I hope you encouraged Matt to post whatever written correspondence he has that would expose another side to this story. We both know from the years on these forums that it becomes very hard to mislead the public if they are confronted with written documents or now audio of what actually was said. Matt you came off as a hot head with a vendetta against Bob.

No argument from me that an official should never be uttering comments about being able to lose a business. I am guessing that at this point over the last 5 years the county has spent approaching $300,000 on the pursuit of economic development. In that, time none of the programs-grants-funds that could have helped Matt or any other business have been set up. Matt, that includes the programs you were told would take a few months at the beginning of this year. There has been plenty of blame and little results. Let us be honest the county holds 80% of the population and could have & should have had something on the program-grant-funding part set up by now. There are plenty of places to show beside Exit 10 - an area where the audio record from the County Commission shows that a landowner killed another deal. At five years, this effort should not still be in the "infancy" stage as was claimed in Commission Chambers. The lack of progress at this age would earn a student a mentally challenged tag.

I encourage Ron McGuire to post what "he is going to do for the county" and Dawn Call who is running for the same Commission seat as an Independent. Like Freak, I know both Bob and Dawn so I would like to read what Ron or any of them have to say. How does the county get from point A to point B? What should be the time frame for any new Economic Development Director to set up some of these programs?

Matt, after this many years a way should have been found to keep you here in Preble County if not Eaton. Best of luck to you and please if you have info that will help create a more informed local voter, post it.

[mattycain]

Jeff

Do you have any idea about what has been said by the city leaders? They told me to go to Montgomery County and take jobs from people in preble county. What do you think about that comment?

I would like to know what you think about that first? I think we need to clear the air about why I am angry. I am not so angry about the tax abatments just the comments made to take jobs to another county just like it is no big deal. Just lose up to 70 jobs just from my company!!

I am not worried about it any more -- what is done is done.

I am however going to get my new building 60,000 square foot building delivered in Englewood on the 21st of July ready to build Englewood don't mess around like Eaton does. Englewood wants the job base and is taking it from our county. My Dad has always told me if you don't eat your dinner someone will eat it for you. That is exactly what is happening.

Englewwod is smart and are super nice and want jobs. One more company from eaton is dealing with them Englewood and giving them 150 jobs that preble county should have had!!!!!!!!!! I just can't say who they are yet. When it is final I will say who it is?

[Jeff Golden]

Matt,

No, other than what has been printed or said in the County Commissioner meetings I do not know what has been said between you and city officials.

My impression is that at the time of the comment it was in reference to you moving the company to Brookville. As a comment taken alone, it is flat out wrong and should not be made by anyone charged with maintaining or growing a tax and job base of a community. However, it is conceivable that an official that has worked with a business owner and compared the aid numbers of two communities may make that comment out of frustration over not being able to compete (be it free land, tax abatements or some other aid). If you can clarify it further, please do. I do not think anyone can fault you for taking the best deal available to your business. I guess my question is was the person making the comment stating the obvious.

I was called a hot head last year for being against raising the sales tax on lodging to 13%. The first meeting I or the Fairfield Inn were invited to was also to be the one approving the tax. Not a situation conducive to my wanting to remain calm. So, yes (emphatically) I would like to hear your side.

You mentioned Ron McGuire as having thoughts on this subject and I can appreciate him talking to you and voicing his views. Dawn Call is running for the same commission seat and showed up at meetings in two different townships when I was facing the sales tax issue. She was also at the first Eaton Council meeting when you tried to get your issue aired. I was also there and put the audio on the Internet over at prebleminutes: http://www.prebleminutes.com/soundfiles/may1908ec.htm .

As someone not familiar with you, I thought Bob came off better by remaining calm. I listened to the audio of the transcripts that you mentioned Dave Wesler gave you and came away with the impression that Bob Stonecash was more worried about attempts to help you being screwed up when he suggested everyone work through Dave Daily http://www.prebleminutes.com/soundfiles/feb1308.htm . That does not in anyway mean I am not open to hearing information that explains why you were upset. I have put audio up that shows in Commission Chamber’s discussion of whether to accept Commissioner Marshall's offer to help work to get a revolving loan fund set up in an effort to keep your business or at least be available for future business http://www.prebleminutes.com/soundfiles/feb1308/12a.mp3 . I do not think that offer was ever accepted and to this day, those turning her down have yet to set one up. I find it frustrating because last October 10, Larry Seltzer the Mercer County Economic Development Director (http://www.prebleminutes.com/soundfiles ... urgEco.htm ) credited the creation of a revolving loan fund as the most important thing Mercer County did on the economic development business retention issue. I think that meeting will also leave a person with the impression that having one office be the point place for a business is important and I am guessing that may have been what Bob Stonecash was thinking as he attended the meeting. A few months latter, you were asking about help from Preble and/or Eaton and here it is the following July and no revolving loan fund. Another example would be showing you property out by Exit 10, which is an area that previously had another deal die because a landowner raised the asking price for property: http://www.prebleminutes.com/soundfiles/dec2607/18.mp3 .

My view is that more time needs to be spent on getting a base of support set up with the different programs other communities are using put in place. Instead Preble chases leads on businesses we have nothing to offer if they do show an interest. All we have is an expense that could probably have been better used as a nice base for keeping a company like Eaton Compressor.

If you have information that fills in blanks or helps to create a better-informed voter, please post it. Seriously, you obviously feel you have information that should be of interest to voters. There is no Executive session here to end the discussion before you want. Please take the time to post what you wanted to say. If you would like this area to become as smart on the issue as Englewood then the problems you faced need to be known.

[mattycain]

Jeff

You have allot of good points on this issue!! We don't have the programs in place to compete with the other counties. That is why I had questions prepared at the city meeting on these issues, but in the meetings Bob Stonecash won't answer the questions in front on the people that attended. What kind of goverment do we have in the city? Instead of answering a simple question in front of the councel and people that attened he wanted a private meeting the following day. This is wrong. These city people need to be quetioned publicly including me I would answer any question they would ask in front of the citizens and would even pay for myself and Bob Stonecash to take a lye dector test! I am tell the 100% truth in this matter.

The cities ideas makes it impossible for the city to do what every other competing county does without tiff and other programs. This is why I say we need change. We need a debate with the all canidates running for the seats commissioner's and city seats. Everybody knows if you get one bad Commissioner ---------------- you will get the same one bad apple and everyone one what one bad apple does to the rest! The comment you made about Bob being calm in the meetings is the problem. Bob is putting on a 2 face on which is not the real Bob? He is a politition!!! These comments made about me from Bob to other people about my company and they are my witiness. Just like not answering these questions in the meeting about Eaton losing jobs. My attoney to me told me to wright letters to the editor to draw attention to what the city and Bob is doing. I will draw as much attention to this as I possibly can from now until election time. Bob setting there and listening to his main guy DAVE DAILY the city manager saying to take jobs to Montgomery couties is a crock for a city leader to do. This alone says he is the wrong guy for the job!!!!!!!!!!!!! Losing just one job is not good!!!!!!! He is a do nothing canadate. Of course he is calm he has a job and is not the one losing his job? I am speaking for people in Preble county losing there manufacturing jobs!!!

Thanks for all the ideas and the time you are taking to post your ideas. Maybe you should run for Mayor!! So far you are giving great Ideas which is much more than I can say for the city!!

[Jeff Golden]

Matt,

The Register Herald is also a great avenue to get your view across. That paper was invaluable when the lodging tax was an issue. I can not thank them enough.

I think a debate of the candidates for both Commission seats is a great idea. I hope if it happens, that the questions are not watered down or picked through. I would like to see some from the audience and by that, I mean not political plants with softballs.

I do not live in Eaton. I was at the Council meeting because this issue intertwines with others and many of the same players. The audio provides the opportunity for people to hear instead of be told what actually occurred. Makes for a clearer picture.

[pervismccluskey]

the newest to move is EMT, common knowledge, no surprise

[ericwhite]

STONECASKH IS A PUPPET, DAVE DAILEY HAS ABOUT AS MUCH BUSINESS RUNNING THAT TOWN AS A YELLOW DOG!