Tuesday, February 16, 2010
BS Alert by Brett Narloch
Issue: Other
On February 9th, the Bismarck City Commission met to discuss, among other things, the Northern Plains Commerce Centre (NPCC). Cathy Spencer of Mallory Alexander International Logistics, the firm hired by the center to manage the NPCC, gave an update on their recent activities to the commission. The following is what Leann Eckroth of the Bismarck Tribune wrote about the meeting:
The Northern Plains Commerce Centre adjusted operations in 2009 to a sluggish economy and the shutdown of its intermodal (container) service.
Focus shifted to domestic freight. Cathy Spencer of Mallory Alexander International Logistics, which manages the NPCC, told the Bismarck City Commission on Tuesday taht (sic) its strategy has been to cut marketing costs by 26 percent, but still keep high levels of market visibility.
She said the company will continue to market the industrial property to attract companies to expand or locate with the NPCC, and market and operate the trans-load facility.
“The new focus is on industrial products, including lumber, steel, wind components, equipment, machinery, grains, chemicals,” she said. According to Spencer, BNSF carloads fell 15.6 percent from 2008 figures. She said there there (sic) was 32 percent less lumber freight and a 44.6 percent drop in steel.
Canadian Pacific carloads dropped 17.2 percent in 2009, and industrial products and consumer products fell 27 percent. (Emphasis mine.)
One reading this article would get the distinct impression that the number of BNSF carloads from the NPCC fell 15.6% from 2008 figures. After all, the carload statistics were put in the context of a discussion about the NPCC. Of course, those carload statistics are total BNSF freight from the area.
A recording of the meeting revealed that Commissioner Steve Schwab asked Spencer if any cars were loaded or unloaded at the NPCC in 2009, and she responded "no."
What difference did it make how many fewer carloads BNSF had loaded in the area in the context of a discussion about the NPCC when they loaded and unloaded zero from the NPCC? The story might as well could have mentioned how many monkeys there were at the zoo.
The bottom line is that the millions of taxpayers dollars poured into the NPCC have resulted in no freight traffic, which was one of the biggest selling points of the center.
Either Eckroth purposely misled Bismarck Tribune readers, or she dropped the ball on the real story. Either way, the quality of journalism here is BS.
