One last thing on this
Grow Green has become the new punching bag for a variety of folks in this town, particularly from those who are more open to unbridled development, and the newest club in the bag is the one that says Grow Green doesn't care about poverty.
This stems from a Grow Green Athens scorecard which ranked a candidate for Athens-Clarke County Commission lower than expected because it was believed he ranked poverty as a higher concern.
This, to me, is one of the great non-stories of this political season.
Just so we're all clear here ... Grow Green Athens is an environmental lobbying organization with a stated mission of promoting smart growth and other legislation (locally and at the state level) designed to best protect our natural resources. Poverty is not one of its stated concerns.
As a result, anything which is not directly tied to promoting the organization's view of how to best preserve the environment is going to be scored lower, whether that's poverty or clear-cutting or buying Winnie the Pooh stuffed animals. This is an environmental group, not a poverty group.
However, this is not to say the members of Grow Green don't care about poverty ... far from it actually. Several card-carrying members are active with IHN of Athens, the Athens Area Homeless Shelter, The Potter's House, Sparrow's Nest and etc. and etc.
It's fun and easy to make quips like 'Grow Green loves trees more than people' because it gets a cheap laugh and requires you to, you know, not actually think. However, it's worth pointing out that those quips are patently false.
This stems from a Grow Green Athens scorecard which ranked a candidate for Athens-Clarke County Commission lower than expected because it was believed he ranked poverty as a higher concern.
This, to me, is one of the great non-stories of this political season.
Just so we're all clear here ... Grow Green Athens is an environmental lobbying organization with a stated mission of promoting smart growth and other legislation (locally and at the state level) designed to best protect our natural resources. Poverty is not one of its stated concerns.
As a result, anything which is not directly tied to promoting the organization's view of how to best preserve the environment is going to be scored lower, whether that's poverty or clear-cutting or buying Winnie the Pooh stuffed animals. This is an environmental group, not a poverty group.
However, this is not to say the members of Grow Green don't care about poverty ... far from it actually. Several card-carrying members are active with IHN of Athens, the Athens Area Homeless Shelter, The Potter's House, Sparrow's Nest and etc. and etc.
It's fun and easy to make quips like 'Grow Green loves trees more than people' because it gets a cheap laugh and requires you to, you know, not actually think. However, it's worth pointing out that those quips are patently false.
posted by Jmac at 5:42 PM
7 Comments:
They have limited time. Well, it doesn't always seem that way, but it is a fact. So they choose to worry about the trees more than about poverty. And they give someone a bad "Grade" because that person cares more about poverty than about trees.
Seems pretty cut and dry to me. Of course this comment will be deleted so I guess it doesn't really matter.
784
Well said Chuck.
People have got the be the priority for this city. Look at the numbers. 100k for attracting new jobs. 2.5 million For greenspace.
Greenspace is nice but for the thirty thousand or so in poverty it is a luxury they cannot afford.
We need balance. Not everyone has the benefit of tenure, state retirement or a record contract. The people who are being cast aside in the name of keeping Athens a "special place that is not Snellville" (which is a complete bullshit argument by the way) are human beings who could just as well be your friends, relatives or even yourself.
There are some really good ideas out there that could help this city but they will never come to fruition simply because Heidi supports them. Many people, especially cyclists, know the need of adequate bike lanes on Prince. A leader who is not so polarizing as Heidi could have better sold the concept. Honestly, even her supporters have referred to her as “cold”. She has a few good ideas but there is no shortage of good ideas in this town. What is needed is someone who can find common ground on the issues and make choices representative of and beneficial to all citizens.
Chuck I only deleted two comments given by you (in the same thread) in addition to one by me, because I felt all three of ours were petty and sniping at each other, and I didn't think juvenille bickering on our part contributed all that much to the conversation at hand.
Regarding your specific criticism here, I still think you're missing this whole thing. It's one organization that is devoted to preserving the environment, and its members are involved in other organizations that do assist in combatting poverty.
The majority of folks, however, in groups like the Homeless Coalition, typically back the same candidate Grow Green endorsed, but for reasons related to poverty. Happened this time around.
For our anonymous reader, I think a lot of this is about perception quite frankly. Folks say we need jobs - fair enough, I don't disagree - but how are we going to attract the proper jobs which can really help out. If you want to clear-cut a bunch of trees and build shopping center after shopping center that will create jobs, but low-paying service ones.
What the mayor has done over the past few years is lay the groundwork for how this community will grow and develop, and I anticipate (and think we're already seeing the start of it) to see our community's economy expand over the next few years.
Jmac,
The business communities’ problem with Heidi is that she has NOT laid the groundwork for any sort of progress. The aforementioned budget figures show that she is unconcerned with correctly funding the departments which market this town to the businesses we want.
This whole perception that it is either smokestacks and clear cutting or Heidi is bullshit. This town does not need any more residential development. We all know that and its not her special insight that tells us so. Local housing officials have stated repeatedly that the market is saturated, particularly with shitty housing, and that the repercussions for unwise developers is going to be a drastic devaluing. It will be a natural market correction and aside from stopping the clear cutting, we should let the market correct itself.
Attracting desirable business is another matter which Heidi’s record needs to be scrutinized. Two and a half years ago, a group of citizens and local businesses approached the mayor with a concept to unify the marketing efforts of the city, chamber, cvb, edf, classic center and private businesses all in the effort to attract tourists, conventions and business to Athens. Where is that effort now? Nowhere. They are still talking about it.
The only time Heidi has used the county’s special fund for small businesses was fund businesses which do not pay a living wage, provide benefits or employ more than 35 people combined. She has failed in pursuing the jobs that help remedy poverty and she has no plan whatsoever.
No matter your politics, the governor wields strong power over brining businesses and state jobs to Athens and Heidi has repeatedly failed to meet with him when he comes to Athens. It is no wonder we have become the bastard child city.
And I know this has nothing to do with jobs but it needs to be said. Heidi has a lot of nerve to stand up in front of veterans and talk about how thankful she is that people fought and died to save people of her faith and then, in front of the people she just got done praising, refuse to salute the flag. Poor taste. Very poor taste.
Sure, Heidi knows a lot about some of local government. Sure, she dropped the priorities of the city to get someone’s cable turned back on. You can’t say she’s not responsive to at least some people. But her interpersonal skills suck. Her revenge plot against the chamber, a business interest group who pursues it’s interest no different than Grow Green, has stalled this city.
She has clearly
Fair points. A couple of comments.
Local housing officials have stated repeatedly that the market is saturated, particularly with shitty housing, and that the repercussions for unwise developers is going to be a drastic devaluing. It will be a natural market correction and aside from stopping the clear cutting, we should let the market correct itself
I think, however, it's quite clear that developers will continue to build residential units (partly based on demand and partly based on the desire to make a profit). Take a gander across Epps Bridge Parkway at the number of condos going up. Swing through the eastside to witness the expansion of residential neighborhoods.
I think it's noble enough to say the market will punish these developers, and that is more than likely true, however the deed will have been done, won't it? You've always got someone who thinks their development is the one that's going to sell the fastest and at the highest price, and you'll always have people building these types of high-priced housing units unless the appropriate zoning actions are put in place.
Attracting desirable business is another matter which Heidi’s record needs to be scrutinized. Two and a half years ago, a group of citizens and local businesses approached the mayor with a concept to unify the marketing efforts of the city, chamber, cvb, edf, classic center and private businesses all in the effort to attract tourists, conventions and business to Athens. Where is that effort now? Nowhere. They are still talking about it.
Listen, I honestly don't have a dog in this fight. As I said in my endorsement of Davison a few weeks back, I don't like the fact that the Chamber or the local government don't get along and I don't care whose fault it is. And whose fault is it? Well, quite frankly, it's a bit of both, and I hope that a new term for Davison and new leadership at the Chamber will bring a more constructive relationship.
Because everything else is 'he said/she said' ... you cite this instance (though, it needs to be pointed out, I don't see how this is damning for Davison seeing how so many other players are involved), but I can also cite numerous instances of the Chamber doing the same thing. This whole feud is ridiculous and, truth be told, I do cast more blame toward the Chamber based on my perception of this fight.
Both sides need to bury the proverbial hatchet and that can't happen until these ridiculous accusations cease. Again, I stand by my belief that much of this dispute - from both sides - is purely based on false perceptions.
And I know this has nothing to do with jobs but it needs to be said. Heidi has a lot of nerve to stand up in front of veterans and talk about how thankful she is that people fought and died to save people of her faith and then, in front of the people she just got done praising, refuse to salute the flag. Poor taste. Very poor taste.
Well, it didn't need to be said. It's not related to this discussion at all and is all about smearing her, which is disappointing because I think, outside of this, you put together a well-thought out and diplomatic criticism.
It absolutely needs to be said. It is indicative of someone who plays whatever side of the ball helps her at the moment. And as for the development on Timothy, you should really look into it. I think you’ll find the person hidden behind the developing company to be oddly closer to Heidi than anyone thought.
Well, I think we'll just disagree over the importance of this alleged flag thing. While I, for one, would always salute the flag, if she didn't do that for some reason, than it's not necessarily something that would make me abandon my ideological concerns and vote for someone else.
Regarding the development, I do know who's developing much of it, and there's not a connection there in the way you'd like there to be a connection.
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