Here is a link to an article in Sunday's Hickory Daily Record:
Downtown Vital to Hickory's Identity
Take a good whiff of the aroma of your morning coffee to disguise the smell of this manure laden article. It is time to get real. Downtown is a Boondoggle. Look at definitions 2 and 3 of Boondoggle below. That is exactly what our downtown area is. I have linked to the posts that I have written about downtown at the bottom of this article. You make the choice. In these trying economic times, I feel that it is not only time to reign in the power the Downtown Development Association has within this city, it is time for it to be self sustaining and stand on its own two feet.
Boondoggle:
1) a product of simple manual skill, as a plaited leather cord for the neck or a knife sheath, made typically by a camper or a scout.
2) work of little or no value done merely to keep or look busy.
3) a project funded by the federal government out of political favoritism that is of no real value to the community or the nation.
Our downtown has been mismanaged and good money has been thrown after bad for over 20 years. Here come the same ole people, Fox, Kincaid, Yates, et al, waddling up to the trough looking for more of OUR MONEY. I guarantee that this article is the precursor to that.
Connie Kincaid's salary comes from funds furnished by Hickory Tax dollars approved by the Hickory City Council. Mrs. Fox has conflicts of interest by sitting on the Downtown Development Association Board that receives funds that are directly approved by the Hickory City Council. She needs to step down from one or the other. Mr. Yates group bought the Hickory Station two years ago and it continues to rot. When is that restaurant ever going to open?
Mrs. Patton and Mrs. Fox were directly responsible for the Hickory Drinking Establishment Moratorium issue that was basically smoke and mirrors to keep a couple of Hispanic-American brothers, who are citizens of this country, from opening up a dance club near downtown. They have tried to micromanage every facet of our city's economy. Haven't they done a wonderful job?
It is high time to get responsible and accountable people in decision making positions in our city and it is time to get these people out of our pockets.
Links from the Hound that have valid points about our Downtown issues:
An All-American City deserves first-class leadership
Building the Bridge to Hickory’s Future
Newsletter about the City Council meeting of September 16, 2008
This Ain't Podunkville Anymore
Newsletter about the City Council meeting of October 7, 2008
Nuisance Law is a Nuisance
Newsletter about the Moratorium Workshop on November 4, 2008
Watch Out Folks -- Taxpayer Alert -- Downtown Parking Deck
A New Equation!!!
Newsletter about the City Council meeting of November 18, 2008
TIME TO CHANGE WEAK ETHICS RULE by Harry Hipps
Tax Money Spent on Downtown Interests from 2002 to Present
