Couple of things
- While 450 homes seems like an awful lot, I like the fact that we've got some development going on here. And, more to the point, development that will require little strain on the resources of those counties, but has the very real potential to provide them with some needed benefits, revenue and growth.
- They're talking roundabouts at the Athens-Clarke County Commission, but I'm glad they opted for the T-shaped intersection instead.
- Joe Early's argument is weak because it suggests that if we land the NABF, then we're done with economic development. I didn't realize this was an either-or scenario Joe.
- The Glenn Tax just got bigger since Glenn Richardson suddenly wants to scrap income taxes too ... meaning we'll soon be paying something insane like 20 percent in sales tax just to meet the formula he has in mind. This idea looks worse and worse the more he opens his mouth.
- They're talking roundabouts at the Athens-Clarke County Commission, but I'm glad they opted for the T-shaped intersection instead.
- Joe Early's argument is weak because it suggests that if we land the NABF, then we're done with economic development. I didn't realize this was an either-or scenario Joe.
- The Glenn Tax just got bigger since Glenn Richardson suddenly wants to scrap income taxes too ... meaning we'll soon be paying something insane like 20 percent in sales tax just to meet the formula he has in mind. This idea looks worse and worse the more he opens his mouth.
posted by Jmac at 6:41 AM
15 Comments:
Joe Early's comments are both right and wrong. NBAF will bring jobs but many of the good ones will be brought in rather than hired locally. The impact will be positive but not awesome.
However, Joe's suggestions for economic development are the same old tired shit, hauled out every time someone wants to propose meaningful economic development that meets the whims of our activist culture. I am surprised he even mentioned manufacturing.
The reason why his suggestions of bolstering local businesses and small business incentives are not a viable option is because those jobs lack the benefits, protection and economic sustainability of large firm jobs.
Large firm jobs bring money to Athens from outside economies. Many of the small businesses in Athens (but not all) are churn type firms that move around money already existing in the local economy.
And if Big City Bread and Cine' are paying 13 bucks an hour plus benefits and hire union jobs then lets have more of them. But if the suggestion is for more low wage jobs without benefits that only seem to go to young white kids then I think we are trying to put syrup on bullshit and call it pancakes.
We need a comprehensive evaluation of economic development in Athens and we need to stop looking to activist groups, rock bands or Sonny Perdue (who wouldn't throw us a dog turd even if we begged for it) for the answer to our problems. Then again, why should the State help us out? We can’t help but fuck it up every time they bring us a prospect.
We are a world class town when it comes to education, arts, animal health and the solving of problems that require a world class research institution. Why not use that to our advantage? Why not try to recruit a culinary school or some other type of education industry? Why not pursue animal health headlong and get everyone from pet shampoo to vaccines to dog toys to start making their things here? Why not build something like the SBA center in the Chickopee complex that would help solve the needs of businesses and organizations statewide?
The reason why? We don’t give a shit. We’ve elected a group based on what they can give us out of the community till rather than how they can bring meaningful and sustainable change for our most vulnerable citizens. Sadly, we’re just more concerned about getting ours.
Winders hit the nail on the head.
The most distinguishing characterisitic of our mayor and commission is that not one of them--not a single one--meets, or to my knowledge, has ever had to meet--a payroll (OK: Elton might pay his wife; I don't know). Only a few of them hold or have ever held private sector jobs.
Anyone who thinks that doesn't have a huge impact on their approach toward economic development issues is someone who is part of the problem, not part of the solution.
The most distinguishing characteristic of our mayor and commission is that not one of them--not a single one--meets, or to my knowledge, has ever had to meet--a payroll ... Only a few of them hold or have ever held private sector jobs.
To be fair, this criticism doesn't wash with me, though I recognize where you're coming from. Just because you work in the public sector doesn't mean you don't have to manage budgets or meet payroll. If anything, particularly for those who have experience at UGA, they have considerable experience working with tightening budgets and payroll.
I live on the eastside (in an AR zone, no less) and drive through that V-intersection every morning and many afternoons Monday through Friday. While I think that the roundabout idea had a lot going for it, a T-intersection should work just fine.
That said, the most important part of Blake's article was the final paragraph:
"The vote also included accepting a study of the entire Barnett Shoals-Whitehall Road-Old Lexington Road corridor that advocates adding additional travel lanes, turn lanes and traffic lights over the next 20 years. But the study's findings are unpopular among eastside residents who say such changes will encourage development, and commissioners emphasized that they merely acknowledged that the $50,000 study was done and didn't approve its contents."
Even if growth in Athens-Clarke County is stagnant (and it is much lower than that of surrounding counties - intentionally, of course), there is going to be substantial growth in Oconee and Oglethorpe Counties - and those folks are going to be driving into town on Barnett Shoals, Whitehall, and Old Lexington every day. So, rather than accommodate the traffic that is already there and plan for the certain growth in traffic in the easily foreseeable future, we're going to stick our heads in the sand by bowing to the rampant NIMSYisn that characterizes most of the policy discussions in this town - again.
I don't necessarily disagree James, but you've got to be able to find a balance between honoring the legitimate concerns of your constituents and planning for future growth, even if it is ultimately beyond our county borders.
I personally think we're going to need to take a long, hard look at our existing traffic infrastructure and see if it is suitable for the projected growth (I'm not sure it is), and then find a way to accommodate that growth while heeding to the wishes of residents.
Some development will come, and that's not a bad thing. We just have to do a good job and encouraging smart growth and sound development.
Fair enough. I agree that the existing infrastructure is wholly inadequate for the population growth that the area is going to experience in the not so distant future (and I'm not so sure that it is adequate for the population we have now, either).
My fear, reinforced by years of experience in local politics, is that the "constituents" will have not the slightest interest in finding a middle ground - as evidenced by their hostility to the report detailing obvious future needs along the corridor.
I think you overstate the value of "balancing budgets" at UGa. I suppose it's nice to do it, but the difference between balancing someone else's budget and balancing your own is the difference between knowing Heidi Klum's phone number and knowing Heidi Klum.
I'm not saying they all need to be entrepreneurs, but wouldn't it be nice if just, for one or two of them, free market capitalism was more than just something they read about in a college econ class?
Jmac, I think the whole issue about small business and meeting payroll is that play calling for economic development is easier from the bleachers.
None of our elected official has the experience of truly running a business. I'm not talking crap used to keep them occupied (often called TrustFun, I'm talking about starting and growing a real business. It's harder than any of them realize which is why their solution for getting the poor better jobs is more bookstores and coffee houses.
Tell me this. How many of the businesses that were helped by the Mayor's fund for economic development (the fund that helped Big City Bread and Jittery Joes roasting company) provide a living wage with benefits? How many of such jobs were created?
I suppose it's nice to do it, but the difference between balancing someone else's budget and balancing your own is the difference between knowing Heidi Klum's phone number and knowing Heidi Klum.
With all due respect, I just disagree. Balancing a budget is balancing a budget. It's weighing one's needs versus wants with the realities of one's financial standing to guide them.
Besides, your own criticism then means that someone who is a controller or a CPA at a particular business has less economic qualifications to be an elected official than the actual owner of the business or someone self-employed. To be fair, you backtrack from that somewhat at the end of your comment.
My point is that individuals from all walks of life and from both the public and private sector are given the responsibility to manage budgets. Whether or not they've had considerable experience in one sector compared to another is irrelevant to me.
It's harder than any of them realize which is why their solution for getting the poor better jobs is more bookstores and coffee houses.
Fair enough, but I also don't think that's the stated anti-poverty policy of our local government and it flies in the face of existing efforts to land the NBAF, redevelop the Navy School, attract bioscience industry here, increase educational opportunities, etc. and etc.
There is considerable work to do, make no mistake, and we've got a really long way to go. But I think it's a bit misleading to trot out the coffee shop argument, isn't it?
" But I think it's a bit misleading to trot out the coffee shop argument, isn't it?"
again,
How many of the businesses that were helped by the Mayor's fund for economic development (the fund that helped Big City Bread and Jittery Joes roasting company) provide a living wage with benefits? How many of such jobs were created?
And just so the rest of us know, what exactly did the M and C do to attract NBAF, any of the recent bio science companies or cause the BRAC to close the Navy school.
They did nothing. NBAF was all UGA and the State, Solvay and Novartis was the Georgia Department of Economic Development and The BRAC, well, may Heidi and Elton called in a favor to their good freind Rumsfeld.
Misleading to trot out the coffee shop argument?
Not even remotely.
jms
Tee-hee...
I read this...
"Individuals from all walks of life and from both the public and private sector are given the responsibility to manage budgets. Whether or not they've had considerable experience in one sector compared to another is irrelevant to me."
...and I think of that scene in the Rodney Dangerfield movie ("Back To School," I think it was) in which he dresses down the business professor who has never actually spent a day in the real world.
No real-world experience in this crowd, either. Government and academia, to be sure (and that's not unimportant here in Tenure Town), but as my fellow Anonymous poster said, we have a lot of folks calling plays from the bleachers. Sure would be nice if just one of them had spent at least some time down on the field.
Some time, or some time being successful at the game?
Anyone who has any real success in this town is demonized by the Tattoo-and-T Shirt crowd.
That goes for pretty much anything as well. If a band or artist or anything starts to become sucessful, nerds with faux hawks and tight jeans with the cuffs rolled up start taking a dump on it.
And sadly, it's the reason why most Athens bands suck these days. Everyone is too afraid to do anything serious because the scene shits on everything. Instead, bands play goofy and dumb music and everyone has dipshit names like "purple fire hydrant" or "urnal cakes and Ice Cream". It's so that if they get accused of being too serious, they can respond with the international hipster defense mechanism...
"I don't care"
Call bullshit all you want. I personally know good musicians who have left because the scene sucks ass. I also know a few who actually live here but tell everyone they're from Atlanta because they don't want to get the stink of the long gone Athens indie trash scene on them.
I think it sucks too. I wish it would be like the days when you could walk from the high hat to the theater to the 40 watt and here several different and good bands. Not anymore. Just a bunch of failing art students playing emo shit drinking PBR because they thinks it makes them look down with the common man.
Go search Athens on the onion.
excellent!
http://www.theonion.com/content/node/27870
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