June 24, 2023
Chattanooga Goes Brave New World
By Paul E. Scates
Imagine, if you will (tip of the hat to Rod Serling), a small American town in the mid-South, located on the banks of a major river in a valley surrounded by beautiful mountains. Two major interstate highways pass through the town, making it the major north/south crossroads east of the Mississippi River. Heavily industrialized after WWII, however, this town eventually had the “dirtiest air in the U.S.,” surpassing even Los Angeles for that dubious distinction.
In the 80s and 90s, the powers-that-be decided to clean up this city and make it into an attractive tourist destination. Using Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) rules, they gradually forced out the foundries and other heavy industries, ignoring the plight of those who lost jobs; after all, they were “saving the environment.” And sure enough, tourism became a major part of its economy; a fresh-water aquarium was built (largely due to the influence of one of those powers-that-be), and a hugely successful annual music festival drew a hundred thousand music lovers each summer, exposing them to the delights of this town.
Being located in the Tennessee Valley, energy was cheap due to the Tennessee Valley Authority’s vast network of dams and two nuclear plants located nearby. A successful business incubation center helped develop all manner of businesses, one of which was high-speed internet interests that resulted in the city being dubbed “GIG City,” for being the first city in the nation to have that high-speed internet capacity. Which naturally attracted even more business.
https://www.americanthinker.com/articles/2023/06/chatanooga_goes_brave_new_world.html
