Joe Eritano began his March 30 letter about Burroughs & Chapin Co. Inc. ("B&C should pay its own way, not get deals") with three old sayings about money. I'll begin mine with this old saying: A lie leads a man from a grove into a jungle.

Joe Eritano knows the real content of Burroughs & Chapin's multicounty business park contract with Horry County and the city of Myrtle Beach, and yet he chooses to ignore those facts in favor of misinformation that better suits his true aim, which is the intentional defamation of one of Horry County's oldest, most productive and most community-minded companies.

Joe knows that, via the state's multicounty business park legislation, a small portion of the new commercial property tax revenue generated solely by B&C's new, privately funded projects goes into a public infrastructure fund. The money from that fund is used to build the public water and sewer, public stormwater and public road systems to which B&Cs privately funded projects then connect.

Joe knows that these are the same types of public infrastructure improvements that governments have always paid for in order to enhance economic growth and quality of life in their communities. Joe knows that the only new element here is that, via the public infrastructure fund, the necessary public infrastructure is paid for and installed in advance of the opening of B&C's new, privately funded projects.

Joe knows that as a direct result of B&C's privately funded commercial projects within the business park, the Horry County school district has seen a 273 percent increase in commercial property tax revenue since the business park has been implemented. Joe knows that B&C has always agreed that some of that new commercial development might have occurred without the business park in place but not all of it, and certainly not as quickly. He also knows that without the business park in place, the new mall would not have been built.

Joe knows that Coastal Grand mall brings more than 2,000 new jobs to Horry County and creates a sales tax base that will, when fully leased, amount to about $200 million annually. That's more good news for Horry County's schools and public school districts throughout the state, because state sales tax goes solely to help fund K-12 public education.

Joe knows that not one cent of taxpayer money has been or will be used to build Coastal Grand mall or any other B&C project. All private projects within and outside the business park are paid for in full by B&C and its partners.

Joe knows that the proposed international trade and convention center is not a Doug Wendel deal. Myrtle Beach's Convention Center is landlocked, and B&C offered the city, county and state the opportunity to acquire the Myrtle Square Mall site for the future expansion of that center into a larger, more diverse facility. Myrtle Beach Area Chamber of Commerce leaders studied the concept thoroughly, concluded that the vision was a good one and decided to champion the project. The S.C. House and Senate thought enough of the initiative and its positive regional and statewide economic impact that they set aside $7 million for the project. B&C has stated publicly time and again that it will work with the city, county and state to help make their project a reality.

From 1998 through 2002, direct capital investment by Burroughs & Chapin Co. Inc. and its partners in this community exceeded $270.9 million, resulting in the creation of more than 4,455 new jobs and a $17.7 million annual expansion of the local and state tax base. The total direct and indirect economic impact generated by B&C and its partners for the same period exceeds $556.24 million. Year 2003 and 2004 figures will only underscore that community contribution.

Joe, apart from diligently nurturing your private jungle of strategic misinformation, what have you contributed to this community's economic and social well-being?

The writer is vice president, corporate communications, for Burroughs & Chapin Co. Inc.