The Hickory Hound saw viewership increase by 17.6% in 2010. I believe that the people who are seeking a deeper understanding about what is going on in this community come here. They are the people living on the cutting edge. They are seeking news, not awaiting its arrival.
We are here to go under under the rug to get closer to reality. I know that our message isn't optimistic. We are not here to pass out happy pills. We are here to help the people of this community understand the challenges that we face. We are here for those seeking knowledge, not soundbites or slogans.
What most people who have read this blog will understand is that I do not believe that there are any easy answers or quick solutions to the problems that we face in this community. I am not optimistic about the short term future of our community, but neither am I overly pessimistic.
Why be dower, when statistics and analytical analysis from every survey show that we are already at the bottom of the totem pole in this nation. Folks, we can't fall any further, but we can sure as heck tread water down here.
It took until late 2007, for most of the leaders in this community to formally recognize that we were in a funk and most wanted and still want to calm the masses and soothe their souls with unnecessary rhetoric.
This year needs to be about more than that. We have spent alot of time thinking and talking and that is good. Communication is good, but this needs to be a year to take action. It is time to take actions towards tangible goals!
We talk about this area being an entrepreneurial area. I do believe and history does show that this area has been an entrepreneurial hotbed in the past. Ideas are not the problem. I believe that we have leadership from the "Powers That Be" in this community (Elected Officials, their Supporters, and the Bureaucracy) that are very, very risk averse. They want someone to show that an investment has a 100% chance of success, before they are willing to allow investment capital to be utilized for any entrepreneurial efforts. The problem is that innovation comes with no such guarantees and this type of mindset stifles ingenuity.
We need private investors who are willing to place loss-leader dollars into an incubation effort to get the ball rolling. I understand that there are public efforts, such as with the Small Business and Technology Development Center, the Manufacturing Solutions Center, and other efforts, but what we need to see is a private incubator, such as Thomas Edison's Menlo Park facility that fostered so much innovation. I honestly believe that focused energy can lead to innovation. But, it takes tangible actions and capital investment to move in such a direction and although we have seen the initial steps, we have not seen the follow through. This year needs to be about the follow through.
I believe in education, but I believe that the most important issue that we face in our area isn't necessarily the lack of education. The problem that I see is the lack of ambition when it comes to seeking knowledge. Knowledge should be a lifelong endeavor. We have too many people who cannot grasp that concept. Education is not about achieving goals through certifications. Education in any such manner will always become antiquated. I can tell you that any subject evolves over time. Look at Science. Understanding is constantly evolving. There are no constants.
I look up to older citizens and I trust their judgment, but there has to be balance. We have to balance this sage advice and experience with youth's energy and vigor. This community has always had a mindset of telling younger generations keep quiet and wait their turn. Youth is where most innovation comes from, because new ideas generally take energy to be seen through to fruition. The younger generations need to be invited to the decision making table.
I believe, the more people work together to make decisions, the better the decisions will be, and the more accountable we will all be for our actions. We cannot afford the Status Quo. No one is asking the community to change to a mindset of a Riverboat Gambler. We are saying that we need balance! In this rapidly changing world, we cannot afford to stand pat. We must move forward! We must be nimble!
I would like to thank the thousands of people who have read this blog so far. Whether you agree with me or not, it makes me feel good to know that people have spent time reading and interpreting my thoughts.
Thank You and God Bless You this Year,
James Thomas Shell
Monday, January 3, 2011
Wednesday, December 29, 2010
A Conversation with the Ridgeview Community
To the people of Ridgeview, I have been asked by Jason Jett to address your community. The first thing I would like to say is that I would like to extend to you an early Happy New Year!
I truly hope that this will be a blessed upcoming year 2011 and it is my hope that the people of the Ridgeview community will have a positive and prosperous upcoming year. I know that most of us are going to struggle in this economy, but we must understand that we are the majority and there are many others that are in this boat with us and if we work together and strive towards excellence, then we will be in a better position in the future from which to obtain a better quality of life.
Quality of life is not about material possessions. It is about having a comfortable and secure environment from which to live life. This includes your home, your work, your business, and your relationship with others. I myself include a spiritual relationship with the God, but to those who feel threatened by such aspirations, I do not wish to harm you. I only express my love for God to show how I seek inner peace and contentment. That does not mean that I have inner peace and contentment, but I am striving for it, and this is the way that I can tolerate the imperfections and injustices that take place in this human world.
What we're seeing on the local level is what Catherine Austin Fitts termed "the Race to the Bottom." We are not striving for excellence in this community. We are striving to be cheap. Our local officials want to turn this into a retirement community where retirees can live on the cheap at the average person's expense. The average person will be turned into a servant in such a culture for the people that they would like to bring to the area termed "active retirees." I just don't understand why they think affluent 50 and 60-year-olds would want to come to an area where the local government refuses to invest in its infrastructure and it's people. Local officials continue to focus on the areas that are already doing well. Do they not know that these people who take a look at this area will eventually venture into the abandoned parts of town? What will those people think then.
I liked what I heard one lady say at that last City Council meeting. She stated, "We need to take care of our own first. Why are we worried about a marketing initiative, when so much of our area is not marketable?"
I agree with much of this. As the expression goes, "you can't put lipstick on a pig." I do agree that we do need to reach out and utilize the Internet as a way to make connections. I do believe that we need to network with other communities throughout the United States and beyond. But, I also think that we have to start resolving some of the issues that we face on the local front when it comes to the less privileged areas of Hickory.
A community is a body and the body is only as healthy as all of its parts. If your brain is functional, but your heart isn't, then you will die. The same goes vice versa. If you have cancer in one of your extremities, but you fail to take care of it, then eventually that cancer will spread throughout the body and you will die. What am I getting at? You have to take care of problems or eventually they will devastate you.
I don't believe that we strive for excellence in this community. I believe that we have individuals who strive for excellence, but the community as an entity does not strive for excellence. As an individual, the failure to aspire to be the best that you can be rests upon you and you alone. If you don't care about your performance as a human being, then the problem lies with you. As a community, we have to trust our leaders to take us in the direction towards excellence. I honestly have not seen this from our leaders. I have seen a least common denominator attitude; that the average people of this community should accept and do with less (it's better than nuthin"), while those who have relationships with our local leaders are taken care of. Do you think I like to say this? I hate to say this. It hurts to say this.
I truly do believe that the City Council has an us versus them attitude. That is the reason why they don't communicate well with others. They don't trust the people of this community. They think they know what is best and that everyone else is stupid or ignorant of the facts. Well, we wouldn't be ignorant to the facts, if they wouldn't always be trying to hide information. And that information belongs to the people of this community. If they received a report card on their ability to work well with others, they would receive a failing grade. Again, it hurts to say this about those who we depend on to be the leaders of this community.
The bottom line is that as average people living in this community, we are going to have to learn to operate in the system as it exists today. Eventually, we are going to have to persevere and endure the direction in which our local government is headed. If they insist that they remain obstacles to growth, then we will have to find a way to progress around them. That is what plants do. That is what any living organism has to do. It has to adapt to its environment.
With this understanding, we can waste our energy bemoaning the injustices that have taken place or we can look at the capabilities we have and the positive energy that we can create and we can move forward.
A fact that was brought to me today, that I really hadn't thought about was that the neighborhood associations on the South side of the tracks and in the Highland area are a lot more active than the neighborhood associations in the more affluent sections of Hickory. Why is this? It is because those neighborhoods (areas) have had to fight to get things done in the neighborhoods where they reside, while the more affluent neighborhoods have had the issues that they deal with proactively giftwrapped to them by the decision-makers with the City of Hickory. Have you noticed this?
I really believe that the local neighborhoods need to empower themselves more. If you feel disenfranchised, then why empower the people who have disenfranchised you? The best thing to do would be to operate your local neighborhood association outside of the realm and the power of City Hall. The City of Hickory does not own your local neighborhood association.
What am I getting at? We need Ridgeview to show the way for the regular folks in this community. I know that there are a lot of selfless wonderful people that do excellent community service in Ridgeview. Those are some of the best leaders in Hickory and most people don't have a clue of the contributions that these people have made to Hickory. We need Hickory to know these examples and the challenging circumstances they have faced and successes they have had. Most of the people in Hickory only hear about the bad things that have happened in the Ridgeview area. It is time people learn about the good things that have taken place in your community.
One thing that this pools issue has done is to apparently galvanize your community. It has given your community a focal point in which to express grievances about injustices that have taken place in the relationship between the City of Hickory and the Ridgeview community. But, like Billy Sudderth has espoused, this is not just about the swimming pools. This is about equity in governance.
Bravo! as it should be. This can't be just about the pools. This needs to be about the duplicity when it comes to city finances, development, and vision. Your community needs to learn that you may lose battles, but in the end it isn't about the battles, it's about the big picture. The Ridgeview community needs to figure out its goals and priorities and set forth a plan of action to implement and achieve those objectives.
When I addressed the Council, I pointed to the fact that only 77 people voted in the Ridgeview precinct on city election day in 2009. I have since been told that some people voted early at the Highland precinct. But even if you doubled the number, it means that Ridgeview was not fairly represented in the last citywide election and that lies fully in the Ridgeview community's hands. No one got out the vote. There was no energy for that election. And as Harry Hipps states, "if you keep doing what your doing, then you're going to get what you've got."
I know that we may not agree on all the issues. I cannot pretend to understand the plight of the African-American community. But, I do know that the people of Hickory are going to have to come together in the end, if we are to start making positive progress towards the future. We have not been doing that in this community. All over Hickory, the people have allowed themselves to look to others to show them the path to success. As individuals, in the end, it is our responsibility to empower ourselves. If we as individuals operate from a position of strength and success, then we can help others.
There are too many people that don't understand that if somebody else has success, then it doesn't mean that I am a failure. If someone else obtains wealth, then they aren't taking for me. It's not a zero-sum game folks. What we want to do in this community is start to grow the pie. We want everyone to have more. If my neighbor is successful financially, then that helps me. We want our environment to improve. We don't need to settle old scores. We don't need to settle any scores. What we need to do is look to strengthen our position in life. That takes focus and not allowing yourself to get derailed by needless issues, emotions, and egos. Things aren't always going to go your way. Life is always more failure than success, but many times those failures eventually lead to successes.
Myself and many other people in this community want to help strengthen the less affluent areas in Hickory. I need your help and I need your ideas and I need to understand your issues. I need people from the less affluent areas of Hickory to show up to every City Council meeting, not just the ones that effect their personal issues of interest. The City Council needs your presence. Let them know you are there and hanging on their every word.
Let's communicate and figure out how to get the average, regular folks in this community to participate in taking this community into a positive direction. I have laid out the Objectives of the Hickory Hound and we will look forward to learning about the Objectives of the Ridgeview Community and the Objectives of Citizens for Equity in Government and how we can work together to achieve some of our mutual goals.
Goodnight and God bless,
James Thomas Shell
I truly hope that this will be a blessed upcoming year 2011 and it is my hope that the people of the Ridgeview community will have a positive and prosperous upcoming year. I know that most of us are going to struggle in this economy, but we must understand that we are the majority and there are many others that are in this boat with us and if we work together and strive towards excellence, then we will be in a better position in the future from which to obtain a better quality of life.
Quality of life is not about material possessions. It is about having a comfortable and secure environment from which to live life. This includes your home, your work, your business, and your relationship with others. I myself include a spiritual relationship with the God, but to those who feel threatened by such aspirations, I do not wish to harm you. I only express my love for God to show how I seek inner peace and contentment. That does not mean that I have inner peace and contentment, but I am striving for it, and this is the way that I can tolerate the imperfections and injustices that take place in this human world.
What we're seeing on the local level is what Catherine Austin Fitts termed "the Race to the Bottom." We are not striving for excellence in this community. We are striving to be cheap. Our local officials want to turn this into a retirement community where retirees can live on the cheap at the average person's expense. The average person will be turned into a servant in such a culture for the people that they would like to bring to the area termed "active retirees." I just don't understand why they think affluent 50 and 60-year-olds would want to come to an area where the local government refuses to invest in its infrastructure and it's people. Local officials continue to focus on the areas that are already doing well. Do they not know that these people who take a look at this area will eventually venture into the abandoned parts of town? What will those people think then.
I liked what I heard one lady say at that last City Council meeting. She stated, "We need to take care of our own first. Why are we worried about a marketing initiative, when so much of our area is not marketable?"
I agree with much of this. As the expression goes, "you can't put lipstick on a pig." I do agree that we do need to reach out and utilize the Internet as a way to make connections. I do believe that we need to network with other communities throughout the United States and beyond. But, I also think that we have to start resolving some of the issues that we face on the local front when it comes to the less privileged areas of Hickory.
A community is a body and the body is only as healthy as all of its parts. If your brain is functional, but your heart isn't, then you will die. The same goes vice versa. If you have cancer in one of your extremities, but you fail to take care of it, then eventually that cancer will spread throughout the body and you will die. What am I getting at? You have to take care of problems or eventually they will devastate you.
I don't believe that we strive for excellence in this community. I believe that we have individuals who strive for excellence, but the community as an entity does not strive for excellence. As an individual, the failure to aspire to be the best that you can be rests upon you and you alone. If you don't care about your performance as a human being, then the problem lies with you. As a community, we have to trust our leaders to take us in the direction towards excellence. I honestly have not seen this from our leaders. I have seen a least common denominator attitude; that the average people of this community should accept and do with less (it's better than nuthin"), while those who have relationships with our local leaders are taken care of. Do you think I like to say this? I hate to say this. It hurts to say this.
I truly do believe that the City Council has an us versus them attitude. That is the reason why they don't communicate well with others. They don't trust the people of this community. They think they know what is best and that everyone else is stupid or ignorant of the facts. Well, we wouldn't be ignorant to the facts, if they wouldn't always be trying to hide information. And that information belongs to the people of this community. If they received a report card on their ability to work well with others, they would receive a failing grade. Again, it hurts to say this about those who we depend on to be the leaders of this community.
The bottom line is that as average people living in this community, we are going to have to learn to operate in the system as it exists today. Eventually, we are going to have to persevere and endure the direction in which our local government is headed. If they insist that they remain obstacles to growth, then we will have to find a way to progress around them. That is what plants do. That is what any living organism has to do. It has to adapt to its environment.
With this understanding, we can waste our energy bemoaning the injustices that have taken place or we can look at the capabilities we have and the positive energy that we can create and we can move forward.
A fact that was brought to me today, that I really hadn't thought about was that the neighborhood associations on the South side of the tracks and in the Highland area are a lot more active than the neighborhood associations in the more affluent sections of Hickory. Why is this? It is because those neighborhoods (areas) have had to fight to get things done in the neighborhoods where they reside, while the more affluent neighborhoods have had the issues that they deal with proactively giftwrapped to them by the decision-makers with the City of Hickory. Have you noticed this?
I really believe that the local neighborhoods need to empower themselves more. If you feel disenfranchised, then why empower the people who have disenfranchised you? The best thing to do would be to operate your local neighborhood association outside of the realm and the power of City Hall. The City of Hickory does not own your local neighborhood association.
What am I getting at? We need Ridgeview to show the way for the regular folks in this community. I know that there are a lot of selfless wonderful people that do excellent community service in Ridgeview. Those are some of the best leaders in Hickory and most people don't have a clue of the contributions that these people have made to Hickory. We need Hickory to know these examples and the challenging circumstances they have faced and successes they have had. Most of the people in Hickory only hear about the bad things that have happened in the Ridgeview area. It is time people learn about the good things that have taken place in your community.
One thing that this pools issue has done is to apparently galvanize your community. It has given your community a focal point in which to express grievances about injustices that have taken place in the relationship between the City of Hickory and the Ridgeview community. But, like Billy Sudderth has espoused, this is not just about the swimming pools. This is about equity in governance.
Bravo! as it should be. This can't be just about the pools. This needs to be about the duplicity when it comes to city finances, development, and vision. Your community needs to learn that you may lose battles, but in the end it isn't about the battles, it's about the big picture. The Ridgeview community needs to figure out its goals and priorities and set forth a plan of action to implement and achieve those objectives.
When I addressed the Council, I pointed to the fact that only 77 people voted in the Ridgeview precinct on city election day in 2009. I have since been told that some people voted early at the Highland precinct. But even if you doubled the number, it means that Ridgeview was not fairly represented in the last citywide election and that lies fully in the Ridgeview community's hands. No one got out the vote. There was no energy for that election. And as Harry Hipps states, "if you keep doing what your doing, then you're going to get what you've got."
I know that we may not agree on all the issues. I cannot pretend to understand the plight of the African-American community. But, I do know that the people of Hickory are going to have to come together in the end, if we are to start making positive progress towards the future. We have not been doing that in this community. All over Hickory, the people have allowed themselves to look to others to show them the path to success. As individuals, in the end, it is our responsibility to empower ourselves. If we as individuals operate from a position of strength and success, then we can help others.
There are too many people that don't understand that if somebody else has success, then it doesn't mean that I am a failure. If someone else obtains wealth, then they aren't taking for me. It's not a zero-sum game folks. What we want to do in this community is start to grow the pie. We want everyone to have more. If my neighbor is successful financially, then that helps me. We want our environment to improve. We don't need to settle old scores. We don't need to settle any scores. What we need to do is look to strengthen our position in life. That takes focus and not allowing yourself to get derailed by needless issues, emotions, and egos. Things aren't always going to go your way. Life is always more failure than success, but many times those failures eventually lead to successes.
Myself and many other people in this community want to help strengthen the less affluent areas in Hickory. I need your help and I need your ideas and I need to understand your issues. I need people from the less affluent areas of Hickory to show up to every City Council meeting, not just the ones that effect their personal issues of interest. The City Council needs your presence. Let them know you are there and hanging on their every word.
Let's communicate and figure out how to get the average, regular folks in this community to participate in taking this community into a positive direction. I have laid out the Objectives of the Hickory Hound and we will look forward to learning about the Objectives of the Ridgeview Community and the Objectives of Citizens for Equity in Government and how we can work together to achieve some of our mutual goals.
Goodnight and God bless,
James Thomas Shell
Citizens for Equity in Government - Pool Protest at City Hall
It was good to see all of the people that showed up at City Hall this morning to protest the decision to tear up the pools and fill them in. There were over 30 people that participated at various times this morning in temperatures that were in the lower 20s, if not colder.
In reading some other comments from other websites, I have been disheartened to read some petty, shallow comments related to this issue. It should not be necessary that it has to be said, but the people that showed up to City Hall this morning were some of the finest citizens in our community. You read some of these comments from these people who define themselves as "Conservative" and you would believe that the people who are protesting this decision about these pools are a bunch of derelicts. The conversations that I had with the diverse participants showed that the people understand the issue and they have fully thought out what has happened in this process.
I think that is an idea that has been fostered by some of the leaders of this community. They take the low road on some issues. If you don't agree with the company line, then there is supposedly something wrong with you. Honesty, Integrity, Honor, and Loyalty are the most important codes that we should live by, in order to build a bond of trust with others. Without espousing to these ideals, one cannot be a good leader on any level. Obfuscation, Duplicity, and Abandonment do not engender trust.
I carried a sign today, which is something that Gerald Celente has espoused over the last year. My sign stated, "City Council votes No to Justice. Yes! To just-us." All people want is justice and equity from our leaders. When leaders choose winners and losers, then whether you understand it or not, you are a living under a tyrannical form of government. No one is going to expressly state that you are living in tyranny. It is a feeling and it speaks for itself.
I am tired of shallow politics. I'm sure that most of you understand that I am not a shallow person. I am by no means perfect, and I make and have made plenty of mistakes in my life, but I always aspire to excellence, while trying to remain humble. Sometimes I demand too much of others, because of my own ways. I am sure that others aspire to excellence in some regard related to their personal life, but I feel they lose sight of the important things in life.
Last week, at the City Council meeting, I saw a man get very emotional about the process that he was witnessing City Council move forward with regarding the pools. He had no idea that this issue was on the agenda. He was at the meeting as part of a presentation to the Hickory Landmark Society. He ended up addressing council on this issue. You could understand that the Ridgeview pool had a significant meaning in his life. He basically begged them to table the issue. I doubt they even understood what he was saying. To the Council, the City Council meetings are just a ceremonial show. The real decisions are figured out well before the pageantry presentation to the public.
I have seen a hollow, matter of fact, lack of compassion come from this group on many occasions over the last few years. I can't figure out whether they are tone deaf or lack cognitive skills. There are consequences for actions that one takes, and one cannot absolve themself from their input in the public decision-making process. That is the reason why those who take on government roles, whether elected or bureaucratic, are supposed to be thought of as public servants; because their role is to serve the public. Not the other way around.
There is a club mentality with Hickory's City Council. Remember the last city election. The Mayor stated that he would like to see the Council re-elected, "because they are all of one mind" -- then they proceeded to throw Z. Anne Hoyle under the bus. There is an us versus them mentality when it comes to the council's relationship with the people of this community. It is almost a type of divine right mentality, as has been displayed by royal figures in the past. Another comment that I heard from Gerald Celente, in the past few weeks, mirrors what comes to my mind in relation to this issue. "Marie Antoinette said let them a cake. Our leaders say let them have nothing."
You may think this is extreme, but I don't. Who is still going on trips and vacations? Who still has benefits? Who is still not taking a major hit to their lifestyle? Who is still enjoying the amenities of life?... And the working-class people of Hickory can't even have a pool anymore!
There is a resentment that is building in this community. In these hard times, our community should be coming together, and yet it is falling apart. Whose fault is that?
The people of the South side of the tracks are looked down upon by the "Powers that Be," and their community is being stripped down to nothing. Is this some sort of master plan? Is there something behind this? I have seen a lot of people suffer, because of the city's abandonment of the South side of the tracks. This has gone on for a long, long time.
I am not trying to be contentious by pointing to the obvious. I have seen hundreds of thousands of dollars spent on downtown. I have seen a once thriving airport brought to its knees. An airport that could be thriving and is currently hemorrhaging cash due to the malfeasance in relation to a contract that was negotiated and signed under very unusual circumstances. I have heard the rumblings about legal cases where the city has had to negotiate their way out of trouble through settlements, which end up totaling a ridiculous amount of money.
I have been made privy to alternative solutions offered by private citizens, which could remedy this pools issue. I know for a fact, because I know the people involved, that an Olympic size swimming pool in the City of Hickory is a definite possibility. I know that an Olympic style sports facility was on the horizon for Hickory until our local government botched it. Yet, we hear nothing about this from our local media. The Mayor and the City Manager are given Carte Blanche and an open mic to say whatever they want when they stand before the media. And no one ever demands anything more.
The things that have been going on around here just do not add up unless you have had the privilege to gain a broad understanding from those who understand the undercurrent of the history of the "City of Hickory" and its effects on the surrounding area.
In the upcoming year, it is my hope to dig deeper and bring to you some of the wise, diverse voices of the local area who can give you the knowledge that you need to understand what is happening in this area, and how we got to this point. If the people in the public, who care about this community, begin to communicate with one another and put behind them the contentious, shallow politics offered by the Republican and Democrat parties, then we can move this area forward. We've got to start working with one another. In the end, we all want the same thing -- a better Hickory!
In reading some other comments from other websites, I have been disheartened to read some petty, shallow comments related to this issue. It should not be necessary that it has to be said, but the people that showed up to City Hall this morning were some of the finest citizens in our community. You read some of these comments from these people who define themselves as "Conservative" and you would believe that the people who are protesting this decision about these pools are a bunch of derelicts. The conversations that I had with the diverse participants showed that the people understand the issue and they have fully thought out what has happened in this process.
I think that is an idea that has been fostered by some of the leaders of this community. They take the low road on some issues. If you don't agree with the company line, then there is supposedly something wrong with you. Honesty, Integrity, Honor, and Loyalty are the most important codes that we should live by, in order to build a bond of trust with others. Without espousing to these ideals, one cannot be a good leader on any level. Obfuscation, Duplicity, and Abandonment do not engender trust.
I carried a sign today, which is something that Gerald Celente has espoused over the last year. My sign stated, "City Council votes No to Justice. Yes! To just-us." All people want is justice and equity from our leaders. When leaders choose winners and losers, then whether you understand it or not, you are a living under a tyrannical form of government. No one is going to expressly state that you are living in tyranny. It is a feeling and it speaks for itself.
I am tired of shallow politics. I'm sure that most of you understand that I am not a shallow person. I am by no means perfect, and I make and have made plenty of mistakes in my life, but I always aspire to excellence, while trying to remain humble. Sometimes I demand too much of others, because of my own ways. I am sure that others aspire to excellence in some regard related to their personal life, but I feel they lose sight of the important things in life.
Last week, at the City Council meeting, I saw a man get very emotional about the process that he was witnessing City Council move forward with regarding the pools. He had no idea that this issue was on the agenda. He was at the meeting as part of a presentation to the Hickory Landmark Society. He ended up addressing council on this issue. You could understand that the Ridgeview pool had a significant meaning in his life. He basically begged them to table the issue. I doubt they even understood what he was saying. To the Council, the City Council meetings are just a ceremonial show. The real decisions are figured out well before the pageantry presentation to the public.
I have seen a hollow, matter of fact, lack of compassion come from this group on many occasions over the last few years. I can't figure out whether they are tone deaf or lack cognitive skills. There are consequences for actions that one takes, and one cannot absolve themself from their input in the public decision-making process. That is the reason why those who take on government roles, whether elected or bureaucratic, are supposed to be thought of as public servants; because their role is to serve the public. Not the other way around.
There is a club mentality with Hickory's City Council. Remember the last city election. The Mayor stated that he would like to see the Council re-elected, "because they are all of one mind" -- then they proceeded to throw Z. Anne Hoyle under the bus. There is an us versus them mentality when it comes to the council's relationship with the people of this community. It is almost a type of divine right mentality, as has been displayed by royal figures in the past. Another comment that I heard from Gerald Celente, in the past few weeks, mirrors what comes to my mind in relation to this issue. "Marie Antoinette said let them a cake. Our leaders say let them have nothing."
You may think this is extreme, but I don't. Who is still going on trips and vacations? Who still has benefits? Who is still not taking a major hit to their lifestyle? Who is still enjoying the amenities of life?... And the working-class people of Hickory can't even have a pool anymore!
There is a resentment that is building in this community. In these hard times, our community should be coming together, and yet it is falling apart. Whose fault is that?
The people of the South side of the tracks are looked down upon by the "Powers that Be," and their community is being stripped down to nothing. Is this some sort of master plan? Is there something behind this? I have seen a lot of people suffer, because of the city's abandonment of the South side of the tracks. This has gone on for a long, long time.
I am not trying to be contentious by pointing to the obvious. I have seen hundreds of thousands of dollars spent on downtown. I have seen a once thriving airport brought to its knees. An airport that could be thriving and is currently hemorrhaging cash due to the malfeasance in relation to a contract that was negotiated and signed under very unusual circumstances. I have heard the rumblings about legal cases where the city has had to negotiate their way out of trouble through settlements, which end up totaling a ridiculous amount of money.
I have been made privy to alternative solutions offered by private citizens, which could remedy this pools issue. I know for a fact, because I know the people involved, that an Olympic size swimming pool in the City of Hickory is a definite possibility. I know that an Olympic style sports facility was on the horizon for Hickory until our local government botched it. Yet, we hear nothing about this from our local media. The Mayor and the City Manager are given Carte Blanche and an open mic to say whatever they want when they stand before the media. And no one ever demands anything more.
The things that have been going on around here just do not add up unless you have had the privilege to gain a broad understanding from those who understand the undercurrent of the history of the "City of Hickory" and its effects on the surrounding area.
In the upcoming year, it is my hope to dig deeper and bring to you some of the wise, diverse voices of the local area who can give you the knowledge that you need to understand what is happening in this area, and how we got to this point. If the people in the public, who care about this community, begin to communicate with one another and put behind them the contentious, shallow politics offered by the Republican and Democrat parties, then we can move this area forward. We've got to start working with one another. In the end, we all want the same thing -- a better Hickory!
Sunday, December 26, 2010
Charlotte Observer covers the City Pools issue
Hickory to get rid of pools - The decision angers some, who say the city is ignoring poor and minority residents.
The Hound thinks City Manager Berry's obsession with all things related to the city's bureaucracy is a MAJOR(!!!) problem. I have the whole history of this issue at my blog -- the Hickory Hound. The Ridgeview community has asked for action on this issue for 2 years and they have been railroaded at every step. Harry Hipps had it as part of his platform during the last City Council election.
City directives always focus on the Haves (Downtown and Northwest Hickory). Nothing substantial is ever done to uplift the Have-Nots (Southeast and Southwest quadrants) of the city. There is no equity in our governance. It is all about Tinkle Down Economics. Our forefathers built these pools as a way to show respect and increase the Quality of Life of the working class people in this community. The current lot talk about Quality of Life, but whose quality of life are they talking about.
We don't strive for excellence in this community. We are part of the Race to the Bottom. We are at the bottom of almost every ranking. Gallup-Healthway, Milken, Forbes, Portfolio.com "Brainiest",,, This story is not about the City's challenges. It is about a City Government with no Vision!!!
I hope that you will study the history of this issue, because I believe that it will change a lot of perceptions about it. This issue is a microcosm of what has been happening around here for a long, long time. Manager Berry said the other night that this issue has been being debated for 6 months. Uhh-Nope! This issue has been debated for almost 2 years, since the pools were originally closed (2009) and you promised to get them opened for the next season (2010). Manager Berry stated that the Insurance company sent a letter addressing the Liability issue. My question is, did the insurance company send the letter voluntarily or did Mick Berry request the letter as a way to mollify those who have not been privy to the way that this city has operated over the last few years?
Karen Hoyle stated that the pools have been closed for two years and no one has been stating that they are a nuisance. The Parks and Rec Commission comes forward with its recommendation and all of the sudden we get a letter from the Insurance company stating that the pools are a nuisance and a liability. Very convenient wouldn't you say?
Were the City pools a nuisance in the fall and winter of the years that the pools were in operation? Are you going to go after the YMCA, because someone could jump that fence? Are you going to go after Lake Hickory Country Club, because someone could try skateboarding there? Will there be equity of justice? Will the City be going after every homeowner in the city who owns an outdoor pool, because their pools aren't being used currently and they are more dangerous, because they are full of water!!!
I think the nuisance is a City Government rife with self-interests and conflicts of interest. A Council that constantly goes against the will of the majority of Hickory's citizens. A Council that appears to serve at the pleasure of a City Manager, instead of the way it's supposed to work. An autocratic City Manager who constantly tries to evade and skirt our legitimate system of governance through obfuscation of issues and frequently slipping major decisions under the radar at the last minute through the City Council's Consent Agenda. A mayor who is conspicuously absent when a very contentious issue is deliberated at a City Council Meeting held just a few days before Christmas...
Are you beginning to get the picture... It seems we have what appears to be an abuse of Power on many levels in this community!!! Do our eyes deceive us?
Newsletter about the City Council meeting of December 21, 2010
Newsletter about the City Council meeting of December 21, 2010 - Addendum to Decommission and Permanently Secure Ivey and Ridgeview Pools
Why We Must Act! - Citizens for Equity in Government
Newsletter about the City Council meeting of November 16, 2010 - Addendum on the Hickory City Pools
City Pools issue displays Local Officials' Myopic Views
REBUILDING & EMPOWERING FROM THE BOTTOM UP -- Citizens for Equity in Government
Citizens Of Ridgeview address the City Council about the City Pools Issue
Newsletter about the City Council meeting of July 20, 2010 - Addendum on the Hickory City Pools
More than Pools
Hickory City Pools -- Told You So 8)
Continuing the Rant - The City of Hickory's Budget
Newsletter about the City Council meeting of June 15, 2010
Newsletter about the City Council meeting of May 4, 2010
HDR Editorial - Hickory council needs a member with vision
The City Council Candidate Forum Last Night - 10/29/2009 - (Audio Available)
From the Hickory Daily Record - Election issues discussed at forum
The Hound thinks City Manager Berry's obsession with all things related to the city's bureaucracy is a MAJOR(!!!) problem. I have the whole history of this issue at my blog -- the Hickory Hound. The Ridgeview community has asked for action on this issue for 2 years and they have been railroaded at every step. Harry Hipps had it as part of his platform during the last City Council election.
City directives always focus on the Haves (Downtown and Northwest Hickory). Nothing substantial is ever done to uplift the Have-Nots (Southeast and Southwest quadrants) of the city. There is no equity in our governance. It is all about Tinkle Down Economics. Our forefathers built these pools as a way to show respect and increase the Quality of Life of the working class people in this community. The current lot talk about Quality of Life, but whose quality of life are they talking about.
We don't strive for excellence in this community. We are part of the Race to the Bottom. We are at the bottom of almost every ranking. Gallup-Healthway, Milken, Forbes, Portfolio.com "Brainiest",,, This story is not about the City's challenges. It is about a City Government with no Vision!!!
I hope that you will study the history of this issue, because I believe that it will change a lot of perceptions about it. This issue is a microcosm of what has been happening around here for a long, long time. Manager Berry said the other night that this issue has been being debated for 6 months. Uhh-Nope! This issue has been debated for almost 2 years, since the pools were originally closed (2009) and you promised to get them opened for the next season (2010). Manager Berry stated that the Insurance company sent a letter addressing the Liability issue. My question is, did the insurance company send the letter voluntarily or did Mick Berry request the letter as a way to mollify those who have not been privy to the way that this city has operated over the last few years?
Karen Hoyle stated that the pools have been closed for two years and no one has been stating that they are a nuisance. The Parks and Rec Commission comes forward with its recommendation and all of the sudden we get a letter from the Insurance company stating that the pools are a nuisance and a liability. Very convenient wouldn't you say?
Were the City pools a nuisance in the fall and winter of the years that the pools were in operation? Are you going to go after the YMCA, because someone could jump that fence? Are you going to go after Lake Hickory Country Club, because someone could try skateboarding there? Will there be equity of justice? Will the City be going after every homeowner in the city who owns an outdoor pool, because their pools aren't being used currently and they are more dangerous, because they are full of water!!!
I think the nuisance is a City Government rife with self-interests and conflicts of interest. A Council that constantly goes against the will of the majority of Hickory's citizens. A Council that appears to serve at the pleasure of a City Manager, instead of the way it's supposed to work. An autocratic City Manager who constantly tries to evade and skirt our legitimate system of governance through obfuscation of issues and frequently slipping major decisions under the radar at the last minute through the City Council's Consent Agenda. A mayor who is conspicuously absent when a very contentious issue is deliberated at a City Council Meeting held just a few days before Christmas...
Are you beginning to get the picture... It seems we have what appears to be an abuse of Power on many levels in this community!!! Do our eyes deceive us?
Newsletter about the City Council meeting of December 21, 2010
Newsletter about the City Council meeting of December 21, 2010 - Addendum to Decommission and Permanently Secure Ivey and Ridgeview Pools
Why We Must Act! - Citizens for Equity in Government
Newsletter about the City Council meeting of November 16, 2010 - Addendum on the Hickory City Pools
City Pools issue displays Local Officials' Myopic Views
REBUILDING & EMPOWERING FROM THE BOTTOM UP -- Citizens for Equity in Government
Citizens Of Ridgeview address the City Council about the City Pools Issue
Newsletter about the City Council meeting of July 20, 2010 - Addendum on the Hickory City Pools
More than Pools
Hickory City Pools -- Told You So 8)
Continuing the Rant - The City of Hickory's Budget
Newsletter about the City Council meeting of June 15, 2010
Newsletter about the City Council meeting of May 4, 2010
HDR Editorial - Hickory council needs a member with vision
The City Council Candidate Forum Last Night - 10/29/2009 - (Audio Available)
From the Hickory Daily Record - Election issues discussed at forum
Saturday, December 25, 2010
Merry White Christmas 2010 - Hickory, NC - 12/25/2010
The first white Christmas since 1947 in Hickory. I hope that you all had a wonderful Christmas and enjoyed this event that has been very rare. I remember it snowing a few times on Christmas, but nothing that lasted and nothing that accumulated to this degree. It began snowing around 9am and it has not let up since.
My Travels down Geitner road to my Grandmother's house:
The National Weather Service Forecast -
Winter Storm Warning for Catawba, NC
Issued by The National Weather Service
Greenville-Spartanburg, SC
9:45 pm EST, Sat., Dec. 25, 2010
... WINTER STORM WARNING REMAINS IN EFFECT UNTIL NOON EST SUNDAY...
A WINTER STORM WARNING REMAINS IN EFFECT UNTIL NOON EST SUNDAY.
* LOCATIONS... THE FOOTHILLS AND NORTHWEST PIEDMONT OF NORTH CAROLINA.
* HAZARDS... SNOW WILL CONTINUE TO GRADUALLY WIND DOWN OVERNIGHT.
* TIMING... AREAS OF MODERATE SNOW WILL DIMINISH OVERNIGHT.
* ACCUMULATIONS... STORM TOTALS OF 5 TO 9 INCHES.
* IMPACTS... WITH TEMPERATURES NEAR FREEZING... ROADS WILL REMAIN SLICK AND SNOW COVERED AND TRAVEL WILL BE DANGEROUS. SNOW MAY ALSO BRING DOWN A FEW TREES AND POWER LINES.
* TEMPERATURES... LOWS IN THE MID TO UPPER 20S TONIGHT. HIGHS IN THE MID 30S SUNDAY.
PRECAUTIONARY/PREPAREDNESS ACTIONS...
A WINTER STORM WARNING FOR HEAVY SNOW MEANS SEVERE WINTER WEATHER CONDITIONS ARE EXPECTED OR OCCURRING. SIGNIFICANT AMOUNTS OF SNOW ARE FORECAST THAT WILL MAKE TRAVEL DANGEROUS. ONLY TRAVEL IN AN EMERGENCY. IF YOU MUST TRAVEL... BE SURE TO TAKE ALONG YOUR CELL PHONE. WEAR A WARM COAT... GLOVES... AND BOOTS. KEEP A BLANKET... FLASHLIGHT... FOOD... AND WATER IN YOUR VEHICLE IN CASE OF AN EMERGENCY.
My Travels down Geitner road to my Grandmother's house:
The National Weather Service Forecast -
Winter Storm Warning for Catawba, NC
Issued by The National Weather Service
Greenville-Spartanburg, SC
9:45 pm EST, Sat., Dec. 25, 2010
... WINTER STORM WARNING REMAINS IN EFFECT UNTIL NOON EST SUNDAY...
A WINTER STORM WARNING REMAINS IN EFFECT UNTIL NOON EST SUNDAY.
* LOCATIONS... THE FOOTHILLS AND NORTHWEST PIEDMONT OF NORTH CAROLINA.
* HAZARDS... SNOW WILL CONTINUE TO GRADUALLY WIND DOWN OVERNIGHT.
* TIMING... AREAS OF MODERATE SNOW WILL DIMINISH OVERNIGHT.
* ACCUMULATIONS... STORM TOTALS OF 5 TO 9 INCHES.
* IMPACTS... WITH TEMPERATURES NEAR FREEZING... ROADS WILL REMAIN SLICK AND SNOW COVERED AND TRAVEL WILL BE DANGEROUS. SNOW MAY ALSO BRING DOWN A FEW TREES AND POWER LINES.
* TEMPERATURES... LOWS IN THE MID TO UPPER 20S TONIGHT. HIGHS IN THE MID 30S SUNDAY.
PRECAUTIONARY/PREPAREDNESS ACTIONS...
A WINTER STORM WARNING FOR HEAVY SNOW MEANS SEVERE WINTER WEATHER CONDITIONS ARE EXPECTED OR OCCURRING. SIGNIFICANT AMOUNTS OF SNOW ARE FORECAST THAT WILL MAKE TRAVEL DANGEROUS. ONLY TRAVEL IN AN EMERGENCY. IF YOU MUST TRAVEL... BE SURE TO TAKE ALONG YOUR CELL PHONE. WEAR A WARM COAT... GLOVES... AND BOOTS. KEEP A BLANKET... FLASHLIGHT... FOOD... AND WATER IN YOUR VEHICLE IN CASE OF AN EMERGENCY.
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