We probably won’t know the exact number for a few months but based on previous estimates the road is likely to cost around $9m.   Unbudgeted.  That’s a big gamble with the tax payer’s money.

Of course that doesn’t include the cost of dredging Lake Forest which has been slipped into the scope in an attempt to create in-fighting between Daphne neighbors. 

If the sand dredged from the lake is good enough for road building I’m sure we could still go ahead and clean out the lake and use the sand for one of the 35 road projects that are in the budget.  You know, things like having a turn lane and signal at Pinegrove School and at Bay Minette Middle School.  Or perhaps the accident reduction projects on Bromley Road, County roads 55, 32 and 20.  

If you have the money to spend on dredging and it is a fiscally responsible use of tax dollars I don’t mind where you put the sand, as long as it isn’t on the Magnolia-9 with a Wal-Mart on top of it.

Back to the $9 million.

Everyone in favor of the road (all 6 of them by my count) says it is needed for economic development.  OK, what sort of return can we expect to see, and when?  What businesses have promised to commit to investing in the area once the road is completed?

That very question was asked of Commissioner James during the November 10^th meeting. 

“There are no plans for specific development” was his reply.

So let me see if I have got this straight.

A guy with a 2-year community college Associates of Applied Science Degree in Civil Engineering Technology takes $9 million of Baldwin County Tax money and rolls the dice.

If he rolls a double 6, China will rip up all the USA’s IOUs, Iraqis will say “sorry about all this – we’ve decided to be good boys now”, Iran will appoint a female president who will cancel the atomic weapons program and pop over to Tel Aviv to ask Shimon Peres how is roses are doing in the Gaza Strip.   Seeing all the new found love in the world, Al Qaeda leaders will surrender Osama bin Laden, donating the reward money to finding a cure for AIDs and promising that they will play nicely with everyone.     The US economy responds overnight with the Dow reaching 20,000 and even the Nasdaq returning to the heady heights of 1998.   Thousands of new jobs are created for Baldwin County residents by benevolent entrepreneurs and commercial developers as the Bass Pro and Eastern Shore Center merge into the world’s first 10 million sq feet mega mall.

There’s just one problem with that scenario (well there are many problems, but you know what I mean).  He is only playing with one die, and that has already been cast by the special interest groups that paid for our new commissioners to win their races.

If, as Tucker Dorsey points out, the County is $178m in debt, where oh where is that $9m coming from?

Even if they do have a really good look down the back of the couch and find the money in dimes and quarters, wouldn’t that money be better spent on school teacher’s salaries, or ensuring the Spanish Fort VFD (among others) is properly funded?

Or do we really want them to roll the dice?