A local government official recently suggested news media should show a little more “positivity” about Taylor.
While this person might not understand the constitutionally enshrined role of the press, writing positive or negative stories is not the job of any reputable news publication.
Good journalists are called to portray reality and to stick to the facts, not cover stories while wearing rose-tinted glasses.
The official’s chagrin probably arises from the fact Taylor wants to put its best foot forward now that the city is in the global spotlight, thanks to the debut of Samsung Austin Semiconductor.
The multibillion-dollar fabrication facility is part of a push to allow the U.S. to reclaim its dominance in the semiconductor industry.
The South Korean business giant’s addition of a second factory in the Austin area proved both good and bad news for Taylor, a once-sleepy agrarian community given life by the railroads in the 1800s.
On the plus side, Taylor gets new jobs, more internships for local students, a potential infusion of new capital and diversity in the workforce, population and culture.
However, Taylor has also experienced serious growing pains with legal issues over property rights in its extraterritorial jurisdiction, a lack of affordable housing, concerns about future water supplies and general infrastructure shortfalls.
Meanwhile, just seven miles down the road, Hutto is seeing an expansion with more apartments, more restaurants and more entertainment venues, taking advantage of some of the gaps Taylor has suffered in lodging and services. New residents to the area are settling in Hutto and enjoying that city’s ample amenities. Hutto adapted quickly to the changes, though that town has seen its share of controversy, too.
Taylor’s attempts to take its spot on the world stage, with both the ups and the downs, have been duly and accurately chronicled.
That’s not a lack of positivity. That’s called telling the truth.
There are bright minds in Taylor fine-tuning comprehensive-growth plans and working with county, state and even international sources to ensure the city will at some point become a world-class destination to match the lightning-fast ascension of these new technological industries.
However, not everyone is happy to see Samsung’s arrival, nor are they pleased with what they perceive as a disruption of the Backland Prairie’s traditional way of life.
These concerns cannot be dismissed nor swept under the rug, any more than stories about Taylor’s triumphs, new roads and new subdivisions can be ignored.
All of this is part of the historical record, and news publications are where the first draft of history is recorded. Nothing less and nothing more.
Thomas Edwards
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