Reinhold Schmieding, founder of Naples-based Arthrex has proposed an alternative to the Jackson Lab expansion to Collier County: (from the Marco Island News)
He is pitching a not-for-profit institute that would focus on accelerated healing that could be built in North Naples near Arthrex headquarters. Schmieding said it can be done at a fraction of the $130 million in local taxpayer money considered for the Jackson proposal.
Meanwhile, the Collier County Economic Development Council has posted a series of supporter videos on their YouTube account. There’s a supporter Facebook page here. Collier County Commissioner Fred Coyle writes off the entire controversy to politics here. The Bangor (ME) Daily News reports on the controversy here. I may not know much, but I would bet that in better times, this deal would not even have made the front page. It would just be another successful Florida effort to recruit biotech firms to the state. But these days, Southwest Florida has a Tea Party. And the Tea Party has an official, unofficial position-like thingy on the Jackson Lab deal. And I quote:
That is not to say Tea Partiers don’t take advice. The simple fact is that they listen to both sides of an argument and ultimately make a decision based on their own convictions and principles. There are very few gray areas with a Tea Party member. Something is either right, or it is wrong. There is truth and there is deception.
I am not a doctor, but I recommend a prophylactic aspirin before you read the entire thing.
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