Residents within the marshall megasite responds to MAEDA CEO - Blue Oval Bad for Marshall and Michigan

    BlueOval bad for Marshall and Michigan

The opinion piece written by James Durian, CEO of the Marshall Area Economic Development Alliance, is the view of a non-resident employee doing a job that, if he succeeds at, will lead to bigger and better opportunities for himself long after he walks away from the disaster he helped create here in Marshall with the BlueOval EV battery plant.
Let’s look at the facts.

1. Durian claims this plant will create “high-quality, good paying jobs for thousands”. The number of jobs to be expected was recently stated at a Marshall Township meeting to be approximately 2,500. The majority of these positions will be line workers and Ford pays approximately $18 per hour to their factory workers, as reported in January of this year by Indeed.com and glassdoor.com. An annual income of less than $40,000 will not support families in the Marshall community. Only a handful of those in more executive positions will be able, if they so choose, to live in this area.
2. The battery plant will boost property values according to Durian. How is that possible? Those of us that live near the proposed plant will be subjected to air pollution, increased train and truck traffic, possible contamination of our wells and therefore our drinking water, and a giant eyesore of a factory with 24/7 outdoor lighting. For those who own homes directly across Michigan Avenue from the site, their home values will be greatly diminished as will those who live within the pollution and annoyance radius of the factory.
3. Durian also claims that the factory will contribute to the generation of tax revenues. Yes, there will be some increase in payments from citizens that work at the plant, just as there is whenever anyone joins the workforce anywhere in the state. This small increase will not come close to offsetting the 15 year tax abatement being given to Ford nor the cost to Michigan taxpayers of $680,000 per job created there. (Source Michigan Capitol Confidential)
4. Marshall does have a “unique culture and way of life”; mostly a rural way of life, quieter and more peaceful than that of larger cities. We respect the land and our heritage. Destroying acres of prime farm land, and homes, barns and structures that have been lovingly maintained for decades does not respect, nor reflect, the desire of the residents of Marshall township and city.
5. On a personal level, our home falls within the megasite region. It is a 75 year old log home, a local landmark, surrounded by acres of mature hardwood trees that was an American Legion Post at one time and a veterinary practice at another. It has been our home for 45 years, where we raised our family, celebrated births, weddings, holidays and every event of a lifetime. It is “home” and to us there is no other place we want to be. We do not want our home and woods leveled in the name of “progress”. We want to stay, we want our neighbors to stay and Ford to stay away.

The people of our area need to be heard. We have not been thus far. Only those who have signed nondisclosure agreements and have worked in secret for months are being given a voice in Lansing. This deal is not good for Marshall, nor for Michigan, as the costs to our land, our history and our tax dollars is far too high. All Michiganders should come together to make our voices heard that this is a really bad deal.
Janet Daniels Borders, DVM
Dale Ray Borders, DVM

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