Jackson Laboratories is a non-profit organization based in Bar Harbor, Maine. Their primary money-maker is selling genetically altered research mice.
Jackson Laboratories has been turned away from Collier County and Hillsborough county. Collier County residents took action when they were being denied a vote on such a large investment with their money. Hillsborough County said they had unrealistic expectations for the incentives they wanted. Not enough return on investment. Now Jackson Laboratory has it’s sights set on Sarasota.
Jackson Labs needs 300 million dollars. Sarasota County, the State, and private funding (Gulf Coast Community Foundation) would bring Jackson Labs to Sarasota.
Jackson Labs experience and success thus far lies in obtaining grants, and selling mice. They have no experience as a personalized medical research facility. While finding the cure for today’s medical maladies is a worthy endeavor. The fact is that such cures are far in the future. Years of research and development on the tax payers dime.
We would ask that our leaders would be forthcoming and divulge all aspects of such a major endeavor. We would ask them to start a process that includes public hearings. We would like to hear testimony from experts that would educate the public on both the potential of such an investment as well as the risks involved. Then I would demand we be allowed to vote on this proposal.
6/3/2011 “Jackson Lab pulls out of Sarasota County” Doug Sword & Michael Pollick
5/5/2011 “Jackson Lab pushes ahead” Michael Pollick, Sarasota Herald Tribune
5/4/2011 “Jackson funding looking more difficult” Doug Sword, SH Tribune
5/2/2011 ” Jackson Lab won’t release economic impact study” Tom Lyons, SH Tribune
5/1/2011 “Jackson Lab watched by leery Sarasota watchdogs” Doug Sword SH Tribune
4/29/2011 “North Port holding out hope for Jackson Lab” Josh Taylor, ABC 7
3/23/2011 “Jackson Lab said to be too late” Jeremy Wallace, SH Tribune
3/22/2011 “Jackson Lab answers the $129 million question” Doug Sword & Michael Pollick, SH Tribune
3/22/2011 Jackson Lab would mean 432 jobs Doug Sword & Michael Pollick, SH Tribune
3/21/2011 “Jackson Lab will pass Governors tax test” Doug Sword & Michael Pollick, SH Tribune
3/13/2011 Jackson fits Scott’s vision Tom Tryon, SH Tribune
3/10/2011 “Jackson Lab wants to gamble with our money” Eric Ernst, SH Tribune
3/09/2011 “Jackson Lab: don’t pay it” Our View The Observer Group
3/7/2011 “Jackson Lab, a series of unanswered questions” Matthew Sauer, SH Tribune
3/2/2011 “Q & A on Jackson Lab“ SH Tribune
2/24/2011 “Sarasota still in Running for Jackson Lab”
2/8/2011 “In quest for Jackson Laboratory, a local edge?” Michael Pollick & Doug Sword
2/07/2011 “Collier County, Jackson Labs and economic development” Egid Thein, Marco News
1/28/2011 “Tallahassee changes affecting lab plan” Doug Sword and Michael Pollick, Sarasota Herald Tribune
1/04/2011 ”Jackson Lab takes Collier Funding off the Table” Denes Husty, News Press
10/13/2010 “Jackson Lab’s expansion plan generates controversy in Florida” Josie
Huang, Maine PBN
8/04/2010 “Gene Therapy Breakthrough not around the corner” Dr. Bryan Hanypsiak, Naples News
Jackson laboratory business plan: [PDF]
Commission update on Jackson laboratory: 3/22/2011
Batelle Scope: Whose objectives are to… “Prepare a written overview of key issues and options for addressing those issues in order to maximize the potential of Sarasota County’s opportunity to create the envisioned high functioning research and development collaboration across JAX, USF and Sarasota Memorial Hospital. This written overview will include… [more]
