Consider an old real estate adage. "The three most important things about any property are: Location, location, and location."

Clearly, Macon's most obvious asset is its location in center of the state at the juncture of two interstate highways.

The question: How can Macon and central Georgia grow or import good-paying jobs? I'm no economic expert, but I'll plunge ahead with a meager dose of common sense. The answer is simple: Capitalize on our assets.

What made Atlanta become the most prosperous city in this state? The answer is transportation.

In the 19th century, it was rail transportation. Atlanta remains a rail hub for the southeast. Flash forward to the 20th century. Air transportation makes Atlanta a premiere city. The busiest airport in the country enables all manner of consequent jobs and makes the surrounding area a desirable business location.

Manufacturers and employers look for many things when they contemplate a new site. Sure, an educated work force and quality of life issues enter the equation, but the bottom line is that infrastructure is equal to or greater than all those other factors. Transportation, enabling the distribution of supplies, finished goods and people, is essential to any business.

How does that apply to central Georgia, you ask? Consider these facts. Various state and local leaders are pursuing a high-speed rail line from Atlanta to Macon (and other points). Mayor Ellis advocates Macon acquiring the Terminal Station to secure a hub in downtown Macon. Robins Air Logistics Center officials want commercial airline service in Macon. Robins ALC is unquestionably our current economic engine.

Atlanta's Hartsfield officials have said that the key to keeping Atlanta a superior air-hub facility over Dallas/Fort Worth or Chicago is to have another alternate airport within a reasonable commute-time of Hartsfield. A high-speed rail line could render Macon 45-50 minutes away. The alternate airport and the high-speed rail are two complimentary stakes that could anchor Macon as a transportation hub. We would also need a perimeter highway around the hub.

One roadblock (pun intended) critics erect is the narrow view; they say there's not enough market here to support those ideas. But in what Mayor Ellis calls "the Field of Dreams theory," if we build it, they will come. I think he's right.

If we build the transportation, the jobs will come. Addressing the issues of education and crime will remain a challenge, perhaps more difficult with a growing population. Other growing pains are sure to accompany any economic expansions that a growing number of new employers and residents would bring.

One strike against us, though, before we even come to bat. We don't all share the vision for growth. Some folks don't want any change. We can't complete our part of the Fall-Line freeway. Heck, we can't even complete a local roads program without conniptions.

If we want growth and we want to avoid Atlanta-like congestion or worse, we must have better transportation in our own back yard. Many pay lip service to growth, they just want the growth and congestion or----heaven forbid, road widening-----to be in someone else's neighborhood.

Anyone in the technology business and numerous other professions can go to Atlanta and make thousands more in salary. Even accounting for the cost-of-living difference, they'd be ahead strictly in the financial arena. What many don't want is the Atlanta traffic, the one hour commutes to get 20 miles to their employers (if they're lucky). Congestion keeps a lot of people away from Atlanta and surrounding suburbs. How much could metro-Atlanta grow if it weren't for the gridlock and congestion? It's incalculable.

So, the questions for us are: Do we really want economic growth? Are we willing to pay the growing-pains price for it? Are we wise enough to do it better than Atlanta did?

Copyright Ó2000 Steve Scroggins - All rights reserved.