Buy local? Not necessarily

Surely most area residents have seen the handsome billboards fashioned after a vintage vegetable crate label. They read: “Buy fresh. Buy local,” and are part of a broad campaign by the state’s Farmers Market Authority to support local growers in Alabama.

They’re words to live by, and with good reason. During harvest time, a shopper can’t do better than buying produce nurtured by the rich soil of the Wiregrass. Not only are you getting the freshest vegetables possible, you’re supporting small farmers right here in our community.

Buy local — in this context, it’s good sense and great food. But that logic cannot be applied across the board.

Last week, the Dothan City Commission debated the point with regard to contracts for goods and services. District 5 Commissioner Taylor Barbaree told his colleagues he had heard from folks in local engineering firms who told him they didn’t get the opportunity to bid on a project that was awarded to a Nashville firm.

In today’s global economy, any job to be performed on behalf of taxpayers should be awarded to the bidding firm that meets specifications and has the stability, experience and price that makes it the best choice, regardless of location.

Virtually every vendor of services or goods must compete with providers outside our area; it’s up to those companies to put their best proposals forward.

Access, however, is another matter. Governmental bodies that request proposals should ensure that the bid process is open to all qualified vendors. That’s a fair approach, but the responsibility should not lie solely with those with work to be done.

Those whose work depends on contracts to be bid on must ensure that they’re aware of jobs that are up for bid.

Every angler knows the fish don’t just jump into the boat.