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Chairman Davis apprised Mr. Heady of the Board's past direction to staff, to look at the <br />probability of a local purchase/vendor program and to list the cost, if any; as well as, to look into <br />St. Lucie County's model, to see where it is, and whether we could implement that program. <br />Mr. Heady reiterated his desire that all the money spent by the County (which is <br />taxpayers money) to be spent locally, buying locally, and by ensuring that the contractors we use <br />hire legal people. <br />Vice Chairman Flescher thanked Mr. Heady for his time and assured him that our Legal <br />Counsel would be examining not only the St. Lucie County model but some of the input <br />resulting from the discussions on the initiative he (Mr. Heady) brought forward. He invited Mr. <br />Heady to come back when the Board further discusses this matter. <br />Commissioner Wheeler acknowledged that what Mr. Heady said sounds really good, but <br />felt we are "not big enough to be in a protectionism type environment" and whether we like it or <br />not we live in a world economy and we are not going to survive by trying to protect American <br />products or trying to protect local jobs; we are going to survive by being productive and <br />competitive. He argued that competition and the free enterprise system is where the strength is, <br />and not protectionism. Further, if we start shutting the market down here on competitiveness <br />then we are doing the taxpayers a disfavor because we run a higher risk of getting an inferior <br />product; and the real risk is paying a higher price for the product because you are eliminating <br />competition. <br />The Chairman thanked Mr. Heady for his input. <br />No Board Action required or taken. <br />June 16, 2009 10 <br />