It may be unfair, but when I read the plan attributed to the Pamlico County STEP (Small Town Economic Prosperity) plan unveiled at a meeting at Pamlico Community College January 6, I was reminded of Winston Churchill's reaction to a particular dessert. "Madame," he said, "this pudding has no theme."
It is probably unfair to comment, since I didn't attend any of the meetings or do any of the work. A fair assessment of the proposals might be, "they can't hurt."
There may, in fact, be a unifying theme: tourism.
I don't object to tourism. It has the potential to entice visitors to come spend money in the county. That's good.
What the proposed activities don't seem to do is provide a sustained base of economic activity. A sustainable effort creates jobs. The measure of success should be jobs and payroll, preferably year-in and year-out, month-in and month-out.
I don't think a flea market, a revived Blue Crab festival, or a set of marketing materials are likely to accomplish that.
The county needs a more ambitious plan.
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