BLOGS/COLUMNS - JACKSON LAB
Wolf pack circling, fighting for taxpayer’s bones Political Point of View by Collier Democrats
Will elections be a referendum on Jackson Lab? The Residents' Corner by Dave Trecker
Where does the Naples Tea Party stand on Jackson Labs? Naples Tea Party
The Jackson Labs question made simple - sort of Brent Batten
Lead, follow or get out of the way Fred Coyle / Collier County Commissioner, District 4
A big gamble on a lots of uncertainty Dave Trecker / Pelican Bay
Questions, answers on the proposed Jackson Laboratory/Florida Tammie Nemecek / President, Economic Development Council of Collier County
The Scientific Reality of Jackson Lab The Residents' Corner by Dave Trecker
Thoughts on Jackson Lab Political Point of View by Collier Democrats
Jackson labs business plan a work in progress Brent Batten
Uncertain predictions, questions cloud Jackson Lab proposal Reinhold Schmieding / Naples / President and founder, Arthrex Inc.
Jackson Laboratory: Keep Expectations in check The Residents' Corner by Dave Trecker
In hard times, Collier should help residents, not Jackson Lab Peter Gaddy / President, Golden Gates Estates Area Civic Association
Principals and practicalities of Jackson Lab subsidy don’t add up Guest commentary by Pelican Bay resident Jack Chandler
Jackson Laboratory and Collier County ... what comes next? Fred Coyle / Chairman, Collier County Commission
Jackson Lab a meeting of mice and men Brent Batten
NAPLES — Jackson Laboratory officials have been on a speaking circuit in Collier County in recent weeks, addressing civic associations and business groups about their intentions for a genetics research center near Ave Maria.
It’s part of a campaign spearheaded by the Economic Development Council to build support for Collier County leaders to invest $130 million for the project during the next couple of years. Local taxpayer dollars would be matched by the state and the Maine-based Jackson would contribute $550 million or more over 10 years.
A deadline is rapidly approaching for county leaders and a citizens advisory group to decide if the local investment is worth the price, even though key components of the deal are up in the air.
Collier Commission Chairman Fred Coyle, the county’s lead on the project, is aiming for a public hearing June 22 to debate whether the project makes sense economically and if so, how to raise the local money.
Commissioners would hold another public hearing in late July when the county must establish the tax rate for the coming year. Coyle acknowledges it’s a tall order.
“Quite frankly, it’s going to be difficult,” he told members of the Collier County Presidents Council, Greater Naples Better Government Committee and Gulf Shore Association of Condominiums this past week. “There are a number of obstacles before us.”
The mission is diversifying the local economy to get away from its dependence on real estate, tourism and agriculture.
“Bio-medical (businesses) are not recession proof,” Coyle said. “But they are recession resistant.”
He went to the county’s Productivity Committee, a citizens advisory panel, this past week, asking its members to analyze a consultant’s report commissioned by the EDC. The report outlines the potential of thousands of new jobs being created and millions of dollars being pumped into the economy.
He asked the group to determine, in time for the June 22 commission meeting, if the project is economically viable for the community.
The concept is for Jackson to serve as an anchor to attract other bio-medical companies so that a research park, over the long term, could develop. The Barron Collier Co. has agreed to donate 50 acres off Oil Well Road for the initial project.
Coyle hoped to provide the productivity committee with a business plan from Jackson, but it wasn’t ready.
Charles Hewett, Jackson’s chief operating officer, said the plan may be ready this coming week.
Members of the productivity committee have a lot to cull through in a limited time frame.
“I just want to make a good decision based on the information and I don’t believe today we have all the information,” committee member Doug Fee said.
“We could be doing some other things if it’s going to be here shortly,” Janet Vasey, another committee member, said of Jackson’s plan. “At some point, we are going to need all of the information to make our recommendation.”
In the same vein, Coyle told the committee that consultant reports aren’t clear and specific, especially when a regional impact model is used. That is the case with the EDC report by the Washington Economics Group, WEG, which has done similar bio-medical development projections for other Florida communities in recent years.
The WEG report estimates 7,500 jobs would be created in 10 years and the annual economic impact to the region and state would be $835 million.
“We have to analyze this report for what it really means to Collier County,” Coyle told the committee.
Vasey said she doesn’t put much stock in consultants’ reports without knowing what assumptions were used to arrive at the projections.
Apart from those issues, the state Legislature’s first-year allocation of $50 million depends on Congress approving a Medicaid stimulus package to states, which is far from certain. That outcome may not be known until the end of June.
Even if the federal money happens this year, the Legislature would need to come up with the remaining $80 million in future years for the state’s share in the Jackson project.
When the productivity committee inquired if a temporary sales tax increase is an option for the local financing, Coyle said nothing is off the table.
A temporary increase in the sales tax would have to go to a referendum.
He reiterated that the county leadership must establish next year’s property tax rate in late July.
One idea that’s been aired is a franchise fee with Florida Power & Light, but that could only apply to residents of unincorporated Collier.
Coyle suggested a tax levy of $2.50 per person a month would raise about $8 million a year.
He presented an outline of county government spending $20 million between this fall into early next year and another $50 million in the remainder of 2011. The rest of county government’s share of the money could be disbursed through 2014.
Jackson would have to reach project milestones before the county staff would release money.
“You calculate these things and you tell me what you think is the proper way to proceed, if we proceed at all,” he said.
* * * * *
Consultants with PricewaterhouseCoopers were in Naples this past week to speak to EDC members about the future of personalized medicine, where genetic research is headed in developing tailored treatments for diseases based on individuals’ genetic makeup. The Jackson research in Naples would focus on personalized medicine.
PricewaterhouseCoopers issued a report last year projecting that personalized medicine will grow from a $232 billion industry in 2008 to $450 billion in 2015.
There are obstacles with government regulation and health-care companies need to retool business models, said Jason Gagnon, with PricewaterhouseCoopers.
And consumers would have to buy into genetic testing, which is becoming more affordable, to learn their predisposition to diseases. Health-care reform to reduce costs could propel personalized medicine forward.
“(Insurance) payers and government play a key role in four areas that could advance or impede personalized medicine,” Gagnon said.
The four areas are reimbursement, regulation, privacy and intellectual property.
Collier’s elected leaders in the Legislature were united in pursuing the state allocation for the Jackson project, in part on the basis that numerous Florida communities, from Palm Beach to Orlando, have banked on biomedical development for economic diversification.
“Florida made the decision years ago, whether you agree or not, to attract biomedical (businesses),” state Rep. Tom Grady, R-Naples, said at the EDC event. “The decision was made by Jeb Bush.”
Hewett, Jackson’s chief operating officer, said Collier wouldn’t be the only risk-taker if the project moves forward. Jackson would need a hospital and other bio-medical companies to follow suit and no timeline for all that to happen is certain.
“This is not risk-free. Anybody who has done even a plain vanilla business knows that when you develop a business, not everything goes fast,” Hewett said. “You are going to have to adapt. You are going to take setbacks. You just have to figure out how to adapt.”
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Comments » 44
greathornedlizard writes:
This is a gambling with taxpayer money, and even if we win we won't have any idea of what the prize is.
The Collier people stand to win big, they get to platt up a bunch of stuff and start another community with their sensitive swampland if it goes over, if it doesn't we still have to pay for the disaster and they still own their sensitive swampland which they will try to deal a few years down the road.
Opti_Pess writes:
For some reason this just smells bad, to me.
;-)
straighttalkingmomma writes:
The Commissioners couldn't figure out how to keep their own employees employed (numerous lay offs) so what makes them think they know what's best for everyone else!
Jackson Labs will create 200 jobs or more over ten years, don't think I'll hold my breath for that to happen!
Sorry Commissioners, it's not in my budget to fund your "wants and needs" but I'm sure it will be rammed down our throats!
ISEETHRUYOU writes:
Vote all incumbents out. I will be selling bumper stickers stating just that.
puckdog writes:
This company is not going to pay taxes.........Why would we want them??????
Davidh239 writes:
Read down on the above information-------Source--------------Fishkind and Associates.
Is that our famous prognosticator?
Just say NO !
hertzdonut writes:
A temporary increase in the sales tax would have to go to a referendum.
Yaeh right, sure a temporary tax, is that like putting in a toll to pay for the construction of a road with the promise that once paid it will go away.
SDM5064 writes:
The responsibility of our elected officials is to adapt and adjust during difficult times. If the economy takes a dump (as it did), and the County is hurting financially, its up to our elected leaders to find ways to stimulate our local economy, protect home values, raise tax revenue through expansion and growth...Jackson Labs is a gift to Collier County at a time when most other States and Counties are begging for a deal like this....(200) Jackson Lab jobs will create (850) million bucks in economic impact within (10) years....I applaud our commissioners for this incredible opportunity!
rasputin writes:
Col. Sanders needs to go. His right turn-red light camera scam was a joke. And now this. He tries everyway possible to raise taxes. He is as fiscally conservative as a drunken sailor. Get him out of here.
itsawonderfullife writes:
Spoken like an employee SDM.
Check out the history of other counties with similar lab ventures. Poor history on the very few jobs created realistically and only to a remote group. This is NOT going to generate anything but MORE debt for the county and the people left in it already financially strapped.
whatswrong writes:
I AM COMPLETELY AGAINST ANIMAL TESTING, THEREFORE I AM COMPLETELY AGAINST JACKSON LAB. WHEN WILL PEOPLE START CARING AND STOP TORMENTING INNOCENT BEINGS!!!! ANYONE WHO APPROVES OF THIS SICKENING PROJECT NEEDS TO VISIT A RESEARCH LAB THEN TELL ME THAT THIS PROJECT FROM HELL SHOULD BE APPROVED.
HUMANS ARE DESTROYING THE WORLD - CAUSING SO MUCH PAIN AND SUFFERING TO OTHERS - HAVEN'T YOU BEEN WATCHING THE NEWS?!!! HUMANS NEED TO GO EXTINCT - ESPECIALLY RICH, GREEDY, MONEY HUNGRY, WORTHLESS REPUBLICANS!!!
ISEETHRUYOU writes:
You sir/miss are my friend.
kab269#227463 (Inactive) writes:
you don't even have to look at jackson lab for harming innocent animals, just look up and down our roadways at all the dead animals. people are too busy on their cell phones, and couldn't be bothered to slow down or stop when they hit a bird or something. it's not political, it's just people don't care about anything but themselves. jackson lab is using us. end of story. if collier county tax payers don't stop this now, we will all have a cracker jack box surprise in store. most of the wealthy people that i've read about in our town, give a lot of their money to our wildlife and animal organizations.
volochine writes:
The question I would ask to Jackson is, "Would they accept the same deal if the land was located closer to Naples? Does the deal have to be out in the boondocks?"
Seems to me, there is a lot of land located closer to Naples that is available.
flahill writes:
We live in a new economic world and our political leaders are still living in the old world. Sounds like a game of poker and Collier County doesn't know how to play. Call their bluff commissioners. Where are the Collier Family, Monaghan and their investors? They will, by far, be the monetary winners if approved.
Bramble writes:
Years ago, against much learned advice and warnings, our county commissioners voted to allow a few nonprofits to avoid paying impact fees.
As predicted, it was not long before a flood of nonprofits began asking for the same exemptions and more! They wanted not only more tax breaks, but for the county to subsidize their operating costs too.
Of couse the absurdity has reached a level few could have imagined ten years ago: Demanding that Collier taxpayers donate over $130 million to bring another nonprofit here that may employ only 200 people in five years (40 a year!) and will NEVER pay property taxes. It will also be a magnet for other nonprofits who will also not ever pay any property taxes for the many services they will use. And we are told that all this borrowing will bring us so much prosperity!
Boosters say look at North Carolina's Research Triangle. I say look at Scripps Institute on our East Coast and see what little that has provided for the area. Look at California, the research mecca, all but bankrupt, paying state employees with vouchers!
Jackson Lab does good work I suppose (if you can get past the injecting mice with cancer thing). However, they are only one of a dozen private firms doing this work. Not to mention all the public institutions working on genetic research, too.
As it is, this deal is fool's gold for Collier. It sparkles, but the huge debt it would create and the long term burden on taxpayers is much too costly. Let's kill this deal and all others that force taxpayers to "Partner" (bribe, enable, subsidize) wealthy private out of state businesses to locate here.
Oh yeah, Miami is $100 million in debt and about to default on bonds. And it is on the hook for the new Marlins stadium debt, too. Could that happen here? It will if we allow it.
flacapt241 writes:
ELECTED OFFICALS - Be Vey Careful NOT to burden the Community to Fund this Jackson Project " YOU POLITICAL FUTURE IS at STAKE"...
bobbo22 writes:
This thing is a total boondoggle. Barron Collier "donates" worthless land and perhaps recovers some of the value of its failed projects off Oilwell Road.
Most of the "investment" will come from state and county taxpayers, with perhaps some money from yet another federal stimulus. For a few hundred jobs?
A much better idea would be to find a company that wants to invest its own money, and give that company property tax and other incentives that do not cost the taxpayer anything. After all, if the land is not producing any tax revenue or jobs now, it's a no brainer to give a relocating company a moratorium on property taxes and perhaps other employment-related rebates on certain taxes.
But don't sucker the public into another taxpayer funded project with massive spending based on future projections, such as has been done with the Stimulus (remember no more than 8% unemployment?), Obamacare (remember the CBO scores were based on flawed projections), etc. We don't need to raise our costs to pay for corporate welfare.
NaplesTaco writes:
it seems there is bipartisan support to kill this transparent backroom deal.
now let the commish know.
jobs now not in 2020
QtrPndr writes:
You are not alone in your thoughts about this bad smelling project Opti_Pess. Any such project with a Thumb Print from the Political Crooks at Greater Naples Better Government Committee should be scrapped right away. This is the darling group who have their hands in the Collier Board of County Commissioners' like a cookie jar. The biggest pushers of The City of Naples who allways want to have their hands and control over all of Collier County and not have to put a dime into it. Better Business for them means any Business to serve the City of Naples paid for by the Unincorporated Collier County Tax Payer's Money. Its like having a swimming pool built in your own back yard for you and only you to use however your neighbors pay to build and maintain it yet cannot swim in it. See for yourself, research these folks and you'll see what an Octopus Oragnization they are with so many hands in so many places around here. They are the hands that feed our Commissioners and State Elected Officials. Guess where The Republican Headquarters for Collier County is located? In the City of Naples! Guess how they got that location and who gets to run that office? I'll let you discover it for yourself so I don't take the fun of it ;-)
RainMan writes:
Hmm... I happen to live in unincorporated Collier County.
And as a tax payor of this county, I want my elected officials to know, that I am completely against this.
And anyone supporting it. If you want it so bad, and others want it so badly, I suggest you have fundraisors to get the 130 million.
Let those that want it, pay for it, let those that don't, keep their money.
Its very simple really, we will see if it is really wanted or not, that way.
QtrPndr writes:
YES THERE IS! One precise and great location is the huge vacant lot where the Grand Central Station use to be. Its clear, already has some of the infrastructures like power, phone, water, and sidewalk. Located in a busy intersection accessible from two major roads in downtown Naples. Surrounded by many large and popular businesses like NCH for one good example. BUT it won't happen because that would mean that The City of Naples and their residents would have to fork the bill that they are pushing down the throats of those who live outside the city. That would mean that the FP&L tax can only be applied to the residents in the City of Naples including those that live in Port Royal AND THEY CERTAINLY DON'T WANT THAT TO HAPPEN! They have the expenssive dogs yet poop on our lawns instead of their lushed green grassy yards.
coolkraft writes:
we are not voting for any incumbents they all stink..it is a shame that COYLE and these commissioners live in a dream world. no money for libraries, teachers, but for a lab that will not pay its own way...they find a way...taxing our electric and adding to property taxes in this climate is ludicrous...why am I not surprised
MattC413 writes:
I am against this project. The simple reason is this:
If such projects (to build labs which in theory blossom into research parks) worked, why is Jackson not building this project in one of the other many 'blossoming' research parks out there?
The answer, of course, is that by going to a 'new' area, they can get hundreds of millions of dollars in 'free' (as in not contributed by them) taxpayer funds. This contrasts with joining a 'blossoming' research park, which would not offer such subsidies. Since any, and in fact every, new location that hasn't heard of this proposition seems willing to fork over hundreds of millions of dollars as an investment for new industry, why would you ever want to join a preexisting 'research park' when you can make a new one for free, thanks to the taxpayer dollars contributed by hard working folks like the rest of us?
It is clear why Jackson is promoting subsidies (for itself). What isn't clear is why our elected officials can't see the writing on the wall.
NeezDutz writes:
you are describing the Obama Administration
scholar writes:
Most of the nation's biotech centers are built around nonprofit institutions. Consider Silicon Valley, the Research Triangle of North Carolina, Boston's Route 128 Corridor, and other similar areas. Importing a top research institute to anchor a biotech development here makes sense.
swfl_ff writes:
Excellent post. I think you covered the whole situation well.
I have always been in favor of bringing in new companies and organizations that could diversify our local economy away from real estate and tourism however this Jackson Lab idea is not the way to go at all.
I would be in favor of possibly providing some reasonable tax incentives or impact fee waivers for a company that was willing to invest it's own money to build here and proved good paying jobs. But I am against the local taxpayers funding this project almost in it's entirety.
Do our leaders really think that we will fall for this idea of taxing our power bills to fund this? I would think that they would have better sense than than.
I too am afraid of the possible debt that this could end up creating for us in the long run. I am very suspicious of this proposal just as I am of the Cubs proposal.
I believe we are just setting our selves up for a big problem down the road with either of those ideas.
lionfishhunter writes:
The census bureau states that as of 2009 there are 317,000 residents in Collier. Let's assume that translates to 1910 families of four. That means that on just the $130 million Collier is going to fork up the average cost to each family is $1,656, and that does not include the state money or loss of tax from the not for profit status of Jackson. We need to carefully assess how well it's going in West Palm Beach and see if this is really worth it. I work for an airline that got a lot of money from the state of Minnesota in the early '90s when things were bad and in the long run the state of Minnesota got screwed. We need more Janet Vaseys on the review board.
conchsoup writes:
The concept is that Jackson would create 200 new jobs over the next 10 years but also serve as an anchor to attract other medical-related entities to foster a larger bio-medical park in the same vicinity. A consultants’ report for the EDC says thousands more jobs could be created with the bio-medical park.
A Jackson Labs promoter based this concept on a comparison with the North Carolina Research Triangle. The Research Triangle is a region in North Carolina anchored by the research universities of North Carolina State University, Duke University, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, and cities of Raleigh, Durham, and Chapel Hill.
The colleges provided the brain power, resources and energy to attract and support the medical research which began there in the 1950's.
This project is not based on any successful precedent where a laboratory is plunked down into the middle of nowhere. The fancy imagery of this igniting into a Research Triangle such as the one in North Caroline anytime in the foreseeable future is pure wishful thinking.
We are all agreed that the economy has suffered here from its reliance on tourism, construction and the service industry and little else, but so far, this idea for diversification shows no historically based promise at a time when the County can ill afford gambling $130 million of tax payers' money just to benefit Jackson Labs and Collier Enterprises.
It seems a shame not to be able to collect the matching $130 million from the state but there is just no clear benefit to the taxpayers of Collier County, in fact, in order to benefit a few the taxpayers have to foot the expense.
cookie01 writes:
County workers here comes another round of lay offs thanks to Coyle
Can someone please tell me how the state can use Medicaid stimulus funds for Jackson Labs when it cannot support the increasing medicaid population.
napleschik writes:
The state has no obligation to continue to fund the balance of $80mil. They have said it would be up to succeeding administrations. With the pending financial disaster as well as the ecological calamity I really don't see them able to continue to make this payment. Conchsoup is correct, there is no successful precedent for this. Even the Jackson people have admitted they have never done this before. Breeding mice is one thing. This will be a future nightmare for taxpayers the way it is in Maine. When they don't get what they want, we will be left with a huge building in the middle of nowhere on someone else's property. Does that sound like good stewardship of your tax dollars? Give them space on the airport in Immokalee and some trailers. Plenty of workers there. Oh, not qualified? People relocating don't want to live in Immokalee?
voltihs writes:
This smacks of extortion. I witnessed this as a kid in a small Northeast Ohio town where residents shelled out thousands each to bring a company to town. A lot of the people they hired didn't even live in the county. The economy never got any better and in the end they left after a few years. Anybody wanting to get involved in this would be better off going to the Imokolee casino with their money.
phoenixfla writes:
Thank god I dont live in Collier County. This is just throwing money away. Instead of spending $130 million to create 200 jobs, why dont they just pick 200 Collier families and award them $650,000 each? Seems to me that would stimulate the economy more than this money-pit.
napleschik writes:
phoenixfla,
As a sign of the times here I think as soon as they got the money they would leave. Wouldn't you?
conchsoup writes:
“Today, the Lab attracts about $60 million per year in research grants and generates $100 million per year in sales from research products and services.” (From the WEG report p.6) http://media.naplesnews.com/media/sta...
Why on earth do they need the $150 million from the taxpayers of Collier County to move here?
Page 12 of the WEG report has a table showing that over years 1-10 the projected cumulative earnings at Jackson Labs is $2.5 billion dollars!
How about we loan them the money and they can repay it over 10 years at 7% interest? That might make it attractive to the tax payers.
napleschik writes:
They be wantin it fo free.
rasputin writes:
Doesn't Col. Sanders-Coyle live in the City of Naples? How ironic there were also no red light cameras in the highest pedestrian traffic area of collier county. His motto, other than "we do chicken right," should be anywhere but my backyard. Or how can we get someonee else to pay for my old age games.
lionfishhunter writes:
Good idea on the loan , as long as we get preferred stock as collateral. These companies file chapter 11 and the first to get screwed are the unsecured debt holders. I'd be happy to have them just cover the cost of the bond so that the loan is at no cost to the taxpayers
napleschik writes:
The WEG report is not a business plan.
If you read it carefully it is a sales brochure. This company markets businesses to governments for money. Read the profile of the company in the last pages. The WEG report numbers don't match up with what the County has been saying. How about the 800 or so housing units in this proposed cluster. How does that help our economic problem?
People, remember they are asking for a grant. They have no intention of paying it back.
jimjabber2 writes:
Let's see if I understand this...the whole Jackson thing started when a defendant from the Stadium Naples fiasco visited Jackson Labs in August...wonder if that was written off as business expense during that tax year???
Now Mr. Coyles wants the Productivity Committee to tell him (in about 2 weeks, with no business plan as yet) if it makes good economic sense to spend 130M of taxpayers money on what has been described by the Jackson COO as a dream.
The person guiding the process to make that determination, the Chairman of the Productivity Committee, Stephen A Harrison, according to public records, has been named in three mortgage foreclosure cases in the past 2 years involving his personal property. Did he evaluate the economic viability of those investments too?
Mr Coyle, you have surrounded your self with the questionable people with questionable motives and you are all trying to push this on the citizens of Collier County. You will not be successful.
You will be called to account by the voters on August 24th. Then, after a resounding message to not spend public money on private ventures,you will be free to pursue your real estate career in Oregon on a fulltime basis.
Dormouse writes:
The whole purpose of Jackson Labs coming to Collier County is our life style. These research doctors will have golf courses started before the lab building is finished. They will not only look down on us but will be happy to hire us to clean their toilets for them. Folks no one but the elite will benefit from this, paid for by us.
napleschik writes:
Jimjabber,
You should e-mail the County Manager and ask why this person hasn't been removed from the committee?
Is he Coyle's buddy? Was it evident in the meeting that he already had spoken with Coyle and the decision was made?
Davidh239 writes:
In regards to the "gift".
Remember something about the "Trojan Horse"
Beware of Greeks bearing gifts.
straighttalkingmomma writes:
WELL STATED !
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