The road ahead: Infrastructure spending isn't just for current needs. It's an investment.

Build them and they will come.

The advice from the famous Hollywood movie does not just apply to baseball fields.

In this case, roads are the key to the future.

One of the reasons so many people are so interested in what happens to highway money in this state -- and why projects like interstates and highway upgrades are such critical points of discussion in the economic development world -- is that arteries that make it easier to get around are also what bring new businesses to town. That new investment brings jobs. And we all know what that means: more money for schools and for services as well as more opportunities for growth and development.

So making sure eastern North Carolina gets its share of the highway funding and that North Carolina factors into the federal funding as well are critical jobs for those who are tasked with representing the state and region.

And while highway construction is critical to growth, so, too, is infrastructure -- the bones of a community that must be tweaked, upgraded and rebuilt to manage the increases in population and the new businesses that spring up to support them.

In other words, if we want to keep growing, we can't just focus on keeping things the way they are. We have to think a few years down the road.

So right now, the highways in the state in general, and even more importantly in the region, should be top priority on the list of what needs to get done.

And while we are at it, we should also look closely and with interest at any discussion regarding the ports. Bottom line is that in this case, what is good for the coast is good for any place that can connect to it -- and that is us.

Wayne County seems to be on the right path. Investing in our own "bones" is making this community a place where investment makes sense for businesses -- that's one reason why so many are coming to town.

But we, and our leaders, have to stay laser-focused on the next step, the bigger dream, the other possibilities.

Roads are just part of the story. We need to have the best schools, recreation opportunities and a thriving arts community. Those are signs of a county that really is "open for business."

So it is not enough to just sit back and wait. We have to spend money wisely to make money and to keep our name high on the funding list.

With one eye on the future and our money spent where it will do the most good, we create a county that not only keeps taxes at a reasonable rate, but that also provides the potential for residential and business investment to grow.

And that is a victory for all of us.

Published in Editorials on August 12, 2015 10:53 AM