To the editor:

Thursday’s newspaper talked about the contribution of ERDC in Vicksburg and the remodel of Kroger, which was heralded as giving a lot to the community. Its good to see progress in Vicksburg but that does not reflect in the overall socio-economic health of the city.

According to Data USA, the population of Vicksburg has decreased by about a 1,000 and the median household income had dropped by 1.67 percent from 2015 to 2016.

We are at a poverty rate of 23.7 percent. That’s higher than State average of around 20 percent.

I hope this is not an ongoing trend with the economic thrust we have gotten under Pablo Diaz’s and the mayor’s leadership. It would be interesting to know the current status. But it shows that the development in the city is not really trickling down to the masses.

What could be the reason that the local population does not benefit from what happens in the city? A low performance workforce has been the prime reason observed for this, specially in the lower sector of occupations.

Also, maybe the fruits of the progress are getting absorbed elsewhere. For example, the Kroger remodel is estimated at $3.9 million but there is no mention of how many new jobs will it create. I do know for sure that local food establishments will get hit with this expansion, thereby concentrating profits with one non-local business.

I hope the same is not true for ERDC expansion. It was hearty to notice that ERDC was the largest Warren county employer, and they were on a hiring spree but it would be worthwhile to know what percentage of their workforce constitute Warren county residents. At least it would boost the property values.

Vicksburg needs to grow inherently if real progress is to be infused into the population. An educated workforce is the current demand if new businesses are nested in the city. New working skills need to be imparted via institutions or enhanced community participation by large employers. Evening classes would be great idea by ERDC employees and other similar organizations, if they can pool in resources.

Michel Thakur

Vicksburg