Soccer plan: Idea for a complex a good one, as long as budget stays well in hand

There are not too many Wayne County residents in general, and Goldsboro residents in particular, who are standing around with dollars falling out of their pockets because they have so much money.

In fact, more and more citizens are actually looking for ways to save more money.

So, of course, the initial reaction to an announced plan from the city -- even in its early stages -- to pursue a new soccer complex (well, really an athletic complex) would be met with raised eyebrows.

After all, most of us have already experienced pie-in-the-sky plans proposed by politicians with no clue how to get them financed. And then we have suffered the consequences when ill-conceived plans fall through AFTER big bills have been paid to finance the planning.

So, approaching any announcement like this with caution is, in a word, smart.

But this one seems to have some promise -- and some people at the helm who have decided to take this one slow, to get the ducks in a row and then to explore how to responsibly fund it.

A soccer complex for this community -- if it is done right -- would be an economic boost and an attraction. It would also be something that local children could benefit from as well.

And the fact that a partnership with Seymour Johnson Air Force Base is waiting in the wings regarding the land for the project is an opportunity that should not be squandered.

All in all, this is an idea worth pursuing.

Community members have every reason to question spending more money. Keeping an eye on politicians is a good idea -- no matter where they are located.

But sometimes it takes a little vision to see a a possibility that could be a boon rather than another boondoggle.

Published in Editorials on July 23, 2014 10:48 AM