One crazy idea can fix Lee's money troubles

Padilla While Lee County's economy continues to slide faster toward oblivion, it is time for bold thinking and fast action. Both are rarities in public life; nevertheless, here is one outside of the box plan to get the ideas rolling in a new direction.

It's time for Lee County to transition to a truly green economy. The incoming administration in Washington has made it clear that environmental innovation will receive massive funding and support. We need to beat the rest of the country in the race to become the silicon valley of green innovation. Let us become a place for high-paying jobs in research and manufacturing. Lee County can receive press and prestige and eventually revitalize our building and real estate industries by becoming 'the' place for green business.

In order to accomplish this, our infrastructure will have to be revamped in a massive way. The cost will run in the hundreds of millions. But we can do it, practically debt free, by letting green pay for green.

One business that appears to be thriving in Southwest Florida is that of marijuana grow houses. Last year, the sheriff's office confiscated $8 million worth of the herb. This year, we're approaching $7 million. Let us generously assume that the sheriff's office is wiping out a quarter of our county's marijuana crop every year. That would give us a $30 million a year industry that goes untaxed and unexploited by taxpayers. Our high foreclosure rate ensures that entrepreneurs can find plenty of grow houses at bargain-basement rates.

The way the system currently works, money that could be used to fund our economic survival instead ends up in the pockets of secondrate criminals and mobsters in the northeast.

Imagine that marijuana could be taxed at exorbitant rates, 100 percent even, in exchange for granting legalization of the plant. Our hypothetical modest $30 million could begin to build a comprehensive, world-class transportation system. It could be used to build a municipal, super-highspeed Internet system that makes broadband speeds look tortoise-like. A system like that would show big technology firms that Southwest Florida means business. Commercial impact fees might be waived for qualifying new businesses. We could fund educational programs and scholarships that would make us a magnet for the greatest minds in the nation.

This truly green business model makes sense under any reasoned analysis. Nevertheless, one wouldn't expect it to take hold in most cities, let alone in Lee County. Here, politicians and business leaders will pound their chests about morality and decency. They'll write about the need for fiscal responsibility and diversification while taking on more loans to keep government running. They'll drone about bond ratings and budget shortfalls. They will propose nothing bold or visionary while unemployment continues to rise and our economy keeps crumbling. Meanwhile, our window of opportunity for becoming a green region will quickly shut due to a lack of political courage. In the absence of any real ideas, strongly regulated cannabis commerce might just be one real solution.

Perhaps, someone will come up with a better plan to rebuild our economy from the ground up without incurring more debt. If that doesn't happen, we may all feel the need for a smoke when our entire way of life falls out from under our feet.

— Osvaldo Padilla is a former reporter for WINK-TV and The News- Press, where he covered growth and development issues. He has a degree in political communitcation from George Washington University.