Unfortunately, the media is the only means Hamilton County residents have to learn about Volkswagen contract awards. This should not be the case with so much of our local dollars being spent. The Chattanooga Bond Board should be required to post online the contract award, specifications, amount, and the top three bidders.

I note with interest that the last contract award to the Michigan firm also listed a large contingency. There will certainly be change orders. The low bid is not always the best bid.

Did the Chattanooga Bond Board determine if this was the best bid and if this company provided health insurance benefits? It is so easy to be the low bid if the company does not provide benefits for its employees. The public has a right to know the quality of the contractor as an employer.

The Chattanooga Bond Board and image makers for Volkswagen continual make claims that the contracts funded by both taxpayers and VW have resulted in $435 million in local contract awards. I assure you that local construction companies do not buy into the notion that $435 million was awarded to locally owned companies, unless local to the bond board is the entire Eastern U.S.

It is widely known that the majority of contracts associated with VW were awarded to out-of-state firms.

I would challenge the Chattanooga Bond Board to exercise a little transparency to abate a widely perceived perception that locally owned and operated firms and contractors are only receiving small, negligible subcontracts. To clear the air, the Chattanooga Bond Board simply publish a list of local firms and the contract amount they were awarded.

Rob Anderson
rci1049@comcast.net

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I certainly don't have the facts at hand as the author of the above opinion appears to have, but would like to share my observation.

For the first time since VW started work here, I decided to drive by the construction site to see it first hand. I was overwhelmed with the scope of this project. You ought to see it for yourself sometime.

Something that really stood out to me was the large number of signs and banners attached to the gates and fencing at the entrance to the construction site. There were literally dozens and dozens of them. I assume they were all contractors and subcontractors working with VW on construction. Yes, I saw the one from Michigan, but what struck me was that the vast majority of firms represented were local, or at least were local offices of national brands. Now, one was from Apison and another from Cleveland, TN, but I think they qualify as local.

Looks to me that VW is making good on their commitment to hire locally.

Dan Cobb
dancobbtn@comcast.net