Danny SeidenThis column by Arizona Chamber of Commerce & Industry President and CEO Danny Seiden originally appeared in the Phoenix Business Journal.
Arizona has an important choice to make when it comes to growth: We can try to stop it, or we can plan wisely for it and ensure that it positions the state for a prosperous future.
BNSF Railway is choosing the smarter path: preparing thoughtfully for growth and helping position Arizona for a brighter tomorrow. Building on the legacy of its predecessor, the Atchison, Topeka & Santa Fe — whose tracks helped transform Arizona in the late 1800s — BNSF is looking ahead to help ensure the state’s continued economic strength.
BNSF is working to develop a state-of-the-art freight rail facility in northwest Maricopa County near Phoenix. When complete, Logistics Park Phoenix (LPP) will add critical rail capacity, supporting Arizona’s growth and prosperity by efficiently processing and delivering the goods families and businesses use every day.
The new $3.2 billion, 4,320-acre facility will feature a rail-served intermodal terminal, logistics center and logistics park. It will facilitate the transportation, storage and distribution of goods throughout the Phoenix metropolitan area and the broader Southwest region. Integrating with BNSF’s extensive 32,500-mile freight rail network, this facility will connect the region to the global marketplace and strengthen the supply chain, while maximizing use of rail, the most environmentally efficient way to move goods.
The benefits are significant: LPP is expected to create 76,000 direct and indirect jobs, generate nearly $4 billion in labor income, and contribute $258 million annually in tax revenue to support Maricopa County schools, community colleges, flood control management and other local initiatives.
This is undeniably good news. Unfortunately, not everyone sees it that way.
Somehow even economic development and job creation have become controversial.
But no economy has ever gotten stronger by rejecting growth.
If we slam the brakes on new capital and future-focused investment, we’ll lose jobs. People will stop coming. Our population will shrink. Our economy will stagnate. Achieving the president’s goal of building a resilient domestic manufacturing supply chain will become more difficult.
The Arizona Chamber of Commerce & Industry believes that strong and modern infrastructure is essential to a healthy economy. Equally critical is Arizona’s ability to attract and develop businesses in diverse industry sectors. We support policies that improve Arizona’s economic vitality, retain existing businesses, and spur new business growth and job creation.
The Chamber strongly supports planning efforts that will enhance the efficiency and convenience with which goods and people are moved through the state. This includes supporting rail projects such as Logistics Park Phoenix.
Arizona’s success stems from its embrace of opportunity, innovation and responsible growth.
We can’t let critics divert attention from what’s working. Arizona’s progress isn’t a problem to solve — it’s a model of how pro-growth policies drive broad-based success. Shutting out new jobs and residents won’t protect what makes Arizona unique; it will weaken it.
Choosing stagnation over progress risks undoing the vibrant state we’ve created and turning it into the kind of place people and investment flee. Let’s make the right choice and plan for Arizona’s future.
Danny Seiden is the president and CEO of the Arizona Chamber of Commerce & Industry.
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