
                         Roanoke Times
                 Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.

DATE: MONDAY, April 19, 1993                   TAG: 9304190253
SECTION: EDITORIAL                    PAGE: A-4   EDITION: METRO 
SOURCE: 
DATELINE:                                 LENGTH: Short

A SURE-FIRE BUSINESS STRATEGY

HERE'S a strategy for Roanoke businesses that would like to get a little help from the taxpayers:

Shut down or cut back your operations, laying off several hundred workers. Be sure that many of those laid off are well-paid middle managers and skilled, experienced workers. About 800 or so should go.

Make a deal with the city to start up an operation in the enterprise zone, with at least 200 workers.

Create 200 or more "new" positions in the enterprise zone operation.

Collect $2,000 per "new" employee from the city for training, so they can be as skilled as some of the hundreds you laid off. You'll get a minimum of $400,000.

If you did it right, you may get enough city assistance to pay the golden parachutes for the inept senior executives who couldn't figure out boondoggles like this in the first place.

You will also get a long line of local officials kissing your boots in thanks for bringing "new" jobs to the valley. HUGH S. FULLERTON CHILHOWIE

by CNB