Night-table reading for Chamber types?

A Georgia Tech study on Atlanta's loss of high-tech start-ups (hat tip to Pete Randall at www.peachpundit.com) might provide some lessons for the Chamber of Commmerce types and economic development professionals who continue to pursue the dream of turning the Athens-Atlanta corridor into a center for bioscience- and biotechnology-related industries.

I haven't read the entire study, but this bit would seem to hold some lessons for those who would ignore what Athens itself has to offer in favor of the time-honored techniques of offering infrastructure improvements, tax abatements, and "spec" buildings to industrial prospects:

In casting about for a topic for Friday's editorial, I thought briefly about Thursday afternoon's announcement that a $3.1 million state grant had been awarded to Athens Tech and the Clarke County School District to help fund a "career academy," a joint initiative designed to give this community's young people the kind of training they'll need for jobs that don't include uttering the phrase "Want fries with that?"

Getting the grant is certainly some good news, and the people who worked to bring those dollars here, as well as those who made those dollars available, certainly deserve a pat on the back. Announcement of the grant is also tangible evidence that the OneAthens anti-poverty initiative is a viable enterprise.