Titan, the economic controversy.

I'm going to try to break this subject into parts. So the first installment is the economic controversy. One of the reasons I'm starting with this is because when the County Commissioners met to get public input (which was after they had already made their decision to offer tax incentives to Titan) most of them made it clear that their decision was based on the economic impact of such a factory to our area.

Titan, a cement manufacturer, has been promised $4.2 million in tax incentives from the New Hanover Board of Commissioners to come to our area. The factory will be built were a previous cement factory once stood and is currently scheduled to start the permit process soon. There are many controversies over Titan coming to the Cape Fear region, including the numbers that the Commissioners give on economic impact. According to a WWAY news report, the public is being told by officials that the plant will employee 150 people, and bring in $500 million in revenue and improvements to the area. However, UNCW Business Professor Curt Stiles says that these numbers don't even scratch the surface of the true economic impact of such an industry to our area. According to the report:

Professor Stiles said UNCW has the capability to run more detailed studies, including the impact the cement plant will have on everything from infrastructure, to retail stores.

Commissioner Greer says there aren't any further plans to dig deeper into the economic impact of the plant.

If it is truly a boon to our economy and the Commissioners are so sure that they have made the correct decision in terms of the economy, then why are they refusing to allow a more in-depth study on this proposed industrial facility? Who will be filling these 150 jobs? It has been stated that Titan will bring more people into the area (which is already overburdened by development) yet it's also supposed to help with unemployment. It seems that it could only effectively do one or the other and with almost 5000 people currently on unemployment in New Hanover County, and many more who are unemployed, but not eligible for unemployment, I don't see how a few jobs is going to alleviate that situation much, let along be a "boon" for the economy.

More information as to how the economic impact given by public officials may be wrong is best summed up in this quote by StopTitan.org (Link):

In fact, actual studies of southern cities where new low-tech industries located show they typically reduce long-term net economic activity and jobs due to increasing input costs, congestion of local infrastructure, and the perception that an area is favoring dirty heavy industries. Nor did the commissioners consider the negative affect air pollution would have on the real estate or tourism industries, or the increased health care costs due to more asthma, emphysema, and other ailments.

From personal experience, I would say that a drive to Charleston, SC through several heavy industry towns can help one see why these statements make sense. On a trip to Charleston about 18 months ago my husband and I drove through a couple of small towns that had huge plants with smoke stacks pumping out smoke. We even stopped at a run down McDonalds in one of these towns (as it was the only restaurant we could find in the area) and commented to one another how dead the area looked. It seemed strange, but the towns that had the biggest industry were also the dirtiest and most run down. You didn't see very many houses and they certainly weren't inviting to stop in. Since the Cape Fear area is a tourist area we need to consider the anesthetics and how that will affect those dollars that come in from outside our community.

One of the factors that could show a disproportionate number on the economy is that cement manufacturing companies (Titan included) are typically run by international conglomerates (click here for link).

The cement industry is heavily consolidated and controlled by international companies that are, in many cases, based outside the United States. While the U.S. economy demands cement, the pollution is dumped domestically while the profits are exported.

Since answers to these questions are not forth coming from our public leaders, and Titan has canceled their public meeting that was scheduled 2 weeks ago, the people of New Hanover County are left holding the financial and health burden on this proposed site.

The state of midwives in NC!

Today an article in the Star News was published on the front page dealing with this subject. Currently, in NC CPMs are not licensed but home births are legal. This creates an unsafe situation for women who choose a home birth for different reasons:

1. With only 4 CNMs (Certified Nurse Midwives) and 1 OB that perform home births in NC, women are forced to go underground to get help when delivering at home.

2. Most OBs refuse to do dual care if they know a woman is planning a home birth. Currently in Wilmington there are no OBs that have hospital privileges that will accept home birthing patients. So even if a woman wanted dual care she cannot get it.

3. In the event of an emergency, there is a loss in the continuity of care since the CPM would not be able to give any background information in the event of a hospital transfer. This creates a serious and potentially harmful gap in the care of a laboring woman. In addition to this problem, women who transfer to the hospital may treated poorly because it may be assumed that she did not care enough about her pregnancy to get prenatal care, when in fact she was well cared for by a CPM.

Why home birth and/or midwifery care? This list (pulled from NCFoM) gives a run down of the World Health Organization's recommendations and the ranking of the US in comparison to the world:

* 80% of the babies born in the world today are delivered by midwives.

* The World Health Organization recognizes midwives as the appropriate maternity care providers for most of the world's women.

* 14 other countries have lower maternal mortality than the United States. The U.S. rate is more than twice Canada's (9 per 100,000 compared with 3.2).

* The U.S. ranks 22nd in the world in infant mortality, losing twice as many babies during the first year of life as Japan (10 compared with 4.4).

* One out of every 4 American women gives birth by cesarean. This is twice the rate the World Health Organization says is justifiable.

* Midwives deliver over 70% of the babies born in western European countries that have lower infant and maternal mortality, lower cesarean birth rates and lower health care costs.

* The United States spends more money on health care than any industrialized country in the world.

* Today, only 5% of U.S. babies are delivered by midwives.

(The above data is from the World Health Organization)

There are many reasons why NC should leave the ranks of 12 states that make homebirths with CPMs illegal:

1. In a study published by the British Medical Journal, home births in low-risk, healthy women was found to be as safe as a hospital birth for comparable groups of women.

2. In North Carolina, there are approximately 600 babies born at home and only 4 CNMs, 1 OB, and 15 CPMs that attend to them.

3. According to NorthCarolinaHomeBirths.com, NC has a higher infant mortality rate than the national average.

4. There are currently 22 counties (out of 100) in NC that don't have ANY access to a birth center whether in hospital or out. NC is seriously under served when it comes to maternal care regardless of where the woman may choose to give birth.

5. For unisured women, homebirth may be a more affordable option with an average cost ranging anywhere from $600-2500. A vaginal delivery in a hospital costs $5000+ and a c-section can cost upwards of $9000.

In the Cape Fear area we are also hit hard with being underserved. Currently in Wilmington there are about four OB practices that catch babies and one hospital. The next closest option for birthing is Brunswick Medical Center. We are lucky to have several wonderful CNMs that deliver at NHMC. Unfortunantly, since CNMs are required to work under physician supervision in NC they are sometimes required to follow an OBs order, even if they disagree. Such as turning away women who want to try for a vaginal birth after a cesarean (VBAC), or pushing a woman to have a cesarean per Dr.s order when there may not be a medical need.

For more information on the state of home births in NC, and how you can help pending legislation to be passed, please go to NCFoM's website, NorthCarolinaHomeBirth.com, or NC Midwives Alliance's website.