Our local District 42 State Senator has not been heard from since pushing through useless (unenforceable) text messaging legislation a few weeks ago. We need to find him so that he can represent the Hickory Metro Area in the State Senate assembly on issues concerning Catawba County's 15% unemployment rate.
a) A Charlotte Observer Article stated that the Charlotte population as a whole grew by 2%, because the Charlotte area was perceived as a good area that will recover sooner and stronger than most. Hickory's annual population increases, since 2001 has hovered in the low 1% range (2007 - 1.26%). We have seen growth, but most of that has been retirees that will place additional burdens on our local infrastructure. How can we move towards a younger demographic?
b) Is Austin Allran still alive? We never hear anything from him in the Hickory Daily Record. We never hear from him on WHKY radio or Television. Has anyone seen or heard from Senator Allran lately? He surely would have something to say about our county's 9 years of economic malaise.
c) Did Hickory get any stimulus money promised? I have seen where Assistant City Manager Andrea Surratt, Alder Z. Anne Hoyle, and Information Director Mandy Pitts went to Washington to talk to our local Federal Representatives. Have any guarantees been made that we would get some money or was that an exercise in self-deprecating vanity? I know money has been ear-marked towards this state, because Governor Perdue was gleefully touting it and wanting more. Is Raleigh going to send some our way or are they going to let the DOT and the Legislature do some more of their magic money disappearing acts.
d) Speaking of magic disappearing acts. Whatever happened to State Senator Austin Allran. Is he still alive? I remember Harry Hipps having e-mail communications with him about changing public notification laws. You know Harry told me that the Senator didn't quite grasp the concept of this internet thing and the fact that we could post public notifications on the Net, instead of in newspapers. Allran's staff said there wasn't a law keeping the city from doing that. Duh!!! The point was to take away conflicts of interest where the City is one of the papers biggest money clients. We pointed all of this out, but we never heard back from Senator Allran or his staff. But it confuses me, because we have heard about this text messaging thing, but like Fidel Castro there have been no pictures to substantiate the reports that he is still alive
e) Is Hickory paying more gas taxes and getting no return in Hwy funds? How much? It sure doesn't seem like we are getting much. They started working on the Interstate, but they stopped in the middle of the process. Is the state going to finish what they started or is the wave running for entertainment purposes.
f) I sure hope someone can help us find Austin Allran? If he isn't alive, then they need to let us name an interim Senator until his term expires. This area deserves some representation in the State Senate. I haven't heard or seen our State senator in the media. I guess him missing is the reason why we are riding up and down the pot hole and crater highway. I sure hope someone will find Senator Allran pretty soon.
g) Is Hickory getting our fair share of State services for the taxes we pay or is there a net outflow of tax dollars to Raleigh? Given our situation as the worst area in NC and one of the worst in the country why are we not getting more? And are any of our local political leaders pushing the issue? Where is the compassion in Raleigh for people in need. They tell us they want to help the poor and downtrodden, but here are the poor and downtrodden and I sure haven't seen any government money being used to try to jump start the economy around here.
h) Just let us know doggonit, is Austin Allran still alive? It sure seems that a man that has been a State Senator for about half of his life would have some tenure and seniority in the legislative process. I really don't know what has happened to Senator Allran, but I never hear about him in the media. How much bang for the buck have we gotten from this man that we have elected to represent us 12 times in North Carolina's State Senate.
....Oh man. Shoot, my fault, I just remembered. I just figured out why we haven't been able to find Senator Allran. We haven't been asking for him by his Raleigh name. It slipped my mind. Down in the Capital they call him Austin Who?
