Last week’s announcement that Volkswagen will build an assembly plant is Chattanooga is a perfect example of what can happen when political differences and personality conflicts are put aside. All levels of government, from city to county to state, played roles in developing the package that convinced VW officials that Chattanooga is the right place to be. Democrats and Republicans worked together with no bickering and apparently no jockeying to see who would get the most credit for the accomplishment.

Actually, the planning for the Enterprise South site has been underway for more than a decade, as Chattanooga and Hamilton County leaders saw the potential and began working to develop it. When earlier efforts failed to bring in an auto plant, officials analyzed the situation and worked to improve the pitch for the next one. When there was concern by VW that the site was not ready for construction, local agencies brought out the bulldozers and began clearing trees and leveling the land.  Incentives were offered despite the tight economy.

With other states competing for VW  and also offering incentives and wining and dining officials, it’s possible that Chattanooga’s setting -- from the mountains to the waterfront revitalization and local heritage -- helped to tip the scale. The head of VW in America was quoted as saying that, in the end, he found Chattanooga compatible with the heritage and the values of Volkswagen. “As we look out across those spectacular mountains and that river and enjoy the warm welcome of the people of Tennessee, the intangibles are suddenly very tangible,” he said.

It’s good to know that economic development rests on more than incentive packages and other tangible lures.

Now, communities throughout the area are looking to see how they can take advantage of the VW plant and its possible spinoffs. In addition to Hamilton County, the officials in Bradley County are practically salivating as they look at sites to offer for support operations. Bradley is already planning a new airport, knowing that’s a key amenity for industry, and is making another push to improve access at I-75’s exit 20.

Meanwhile, back in Polk County, the county commission voted down the strategic plan that is a requirement for continuation of the Three Star designation. Three Star is Gov. Bredesen’s program to give counties a way to show that they are ready for economic development.

The commission also turned a deaf ear to calls for long-range planning and vision for county’s future and voted to answer a lawsuit rather than provide operating funds for two full-service libraries.