tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2088603658552825500.post2573170723310466976..comments2023-11-05T05:53:29.465-05:00Comments on The Hickory Hound: #4 out of 10 - Ten Cities That Will Take A Decade To Recover From The RecessionJames Thomas Shellhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04359970774315269896noreply@blogger.comBlogger3125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2088603658552825500.post-36624135774099801452011-06-30T07:31:56.303-04:002011-06-30T07:31:56.303-04:00While I like Tom's thoughts on our situation, ...While I like Tom's thoughts on our situation, I don't see the pressure from the people, or a sense of urgency by our leaders. It seems that folks are content to just go with the flow and whatever happens happens. The years of Mayor Wright's "leadership" have been the worst in Hickory's history and he is the very picture of a glad handing, caricature of a mayor. <br />Instead of a high intensity effort to attract business, we have stupid side shows like the contrived flap over, God forbid, beer being served at Hickory Alive for the past 25 years. These side shows are just boob bait for the bubbas while we remain at the bottom in almost all rankings. Where is the sense of urgency?harryhippsnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2088603658552825500.post-88788904558792317202011-06-29T16:29:12.447-04:002011-06-29T16:29:12.447-04:00You know, I just read this latest post and the vie...You know, I just read this latest post and the views of Mr. Shea and I must say, I'm not in the least bit surprised. But I think the 'why' aspect has just been touched on with a searchlight and I had heretofore failed to see it. Bear with me.<br /><br />Quite a few good ideas, solutions, calls to action, and just plain good discussion have occurred here since I've been stopping by. I can't claim to have contributed to it, since I tend to have the steel bristle brush/turpentine effect on people with some of the things that I conjure up in my little cranium and then haphazardly toss out for bulk perusal. But the notion that I just fixated on is this; know why the powers that are don't acknowledge the ideas or concepts that cross through here, or anywhere else for that matter? They aren't their ideas. They didn't think of them, conceive them, formulate them, so therefore, how valid can they be? It's not theirs, they didn't take root in the roundtable at the country club among old and dear friends of like mind and ideals, so how could anything said here be valid? Do I know that? No, but I know the mentality of the people to whom what is said is addressed. The truth will never come out, but, I'll bet you this. If you could perhaps engage these people in conversation to the extent that what you propose becomes their idea, well, sit back on the bench as the fast track train rolls by!!<br /><br />Colorful and outlandish but outside of making light, I'm quite serious. You've got a bunch of people sitting around in agreement on a concept and the only opposition you have is from the ones who can get it implemented and coincidentally, didn't contribute to the formulation and conceptualization at onset. The idea has been hung out in a public forum so there is no way to capture it as their own, so that leaves the only course of action; opposition and developing a strategy of 6,238 different reasons it can't and won't work, while completely ignoring that it would, if implemented. Me 2 shillings worth.Silence DoGoodnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2088603658552825500.post-13464328104575564622011-06-29T14:37:50.072-04:002011-06-29T14:37:50.072-04:00Based on these and other articles not to mention t...Based on these and other articles not to mention the general perception of the good people who call Catawba County their home, there should be no confusion by both local and state politicians that a consolidated and unified strategy must be established and put into motion immediately. Once initiated it must be tracked for progress and reported to the citizens on a frequent basis through a media channel that is unbiased. We can no longer accept the individual city governments to only look within their own city and ignore what happens in the rest of Catawba County. As Lee Iacocca once said as he was taking over the failing Chrysler Automaker to the local politicians and company management, “You Can Lead, Follow or Get the Hell Out of the Way”. History has shown that he was the catalyst that was required to get the local and state government, unions and management working together in Michigan and turned Chrysler around in record time. Perhaps we can find someone locally who would be willing to follow in the footsteps of Iacocca and lead Catawba County back to prosperity. It is up to the good hard working American citizens that love our country and want to see Catawba County become a great all around location to work and live in to make this happen. We all must become more aware of who is doing what or sadly is NOT DOING anything but working on their next election. Ask tough questions, you have the right to, remember Catawba is your county. Own It, Love It, Support It.Tom Sheanoreply@blogger.com