Williams: How may workers do your people estimate will be employed in the temporary plant?
Elliott: Roughly 1,200, possible a few more.
Williams: I presume it would be fair, then, to say that, including spouses and children, something on the order of 4,000 people will be attracted to the community.
Elliott: I certainly would not be surprised.
Williams: If I understand the situation correctly, this plant closed just over eight years ago, and that closing had a catastrophic effect on Plainville. Isn’t it true that a large portion of the community was employed by this plant?
Elliott: Yes, it was far and away the majority employer.
Williams: And most of these people have left the community, presumably to find employment elsewhere.
Elliott: Definitely, there was a drastic decrease in the area’s population.
Williams: Are you concerned, then, our company can attract the 1,200 employees to Plainville from other parts of New England?
Elliott: Not in the least. We are absolutely confident that we will attract 1,200-even more, for that matter virtually any number we need. That, in fact, is one of the chief advantages of this proposal. I would think that the community would be very pleased to have us there.
Williams: On the contrary, I would suspect the community will rue the day we arrived. Beyond that, though, this plan is totally unworkable if we are candid. On the other hand, if we are less than candid, the proposal will work for us, but only at great cost to Plainville. In fact, quite frankly, the implications are appalling. Once again, I must enter my serious objections.
Elliott: I don’t follow you.