Listen to the link below where Alice Walker, who wrote the book The Color Purple, talks about this time period in history.
Alex begins this sequence talking about there are some good people in government and they have written some good laws, but the Corporate Culture is twisting everything. That is what leads to the conversation above. Ms. Walker says that she wants to go down in consciousness with good people surrounding her.
'When Blacks were slaves in this country, white people thought they could never be slaves and would be in control'... Alex says, 'Sharecroppers were just as bad off in a lot of ways, but at least they could be mean to the black people.' Ms. Walker says, 'now many Whites are getting to see the system and how Blacks have been living.' She says she likes to call this awakening 'Endarkenment.'
'Its all about exploitation. The great Native American Russell Means said the Federal Government broke every treaty they made with us and now they are breaking the treaty they made with you - The Constitution. Your skin is not going to save you.'
Saturday, May 10, 2014
Friday, May 9, 2014
Newsletter about the City Council meeting of May 6, 2014
I began video recording the City Council in 2012, because of my desire that the City do it on their own as any modern 21st century community began doing long ago. I had people tell me that they couldn't make it to the meetings, but they would like to see what is going on. I was also told by some council members that my summaries did not truly reflect the record, so having a video/audio recording cannot be misinterpreted.
So below is the City Council meeting. With each agenda item, you can click on the links and it will take you to that specific point in the meeting. You can always drag the marker on the video display to the point in the broadcast that you are interested in seeing.
Agenda about the City Council meeting of May 6, 2014
Thoughts about last night's Hickory City Council meeting - May 6, 2014
Invocation by Rev. Whit Malone, Pastor, First Presbyterian Church
Special Presentations
A. Proclamation for National Police Week May 11-17, 2014. - Mayor Wright read and presented the National Police Week Proclamation to Chief Tom Adkins, and other members of the Hickory Police Department.
B. Proclamation for Lupus Awareness Month May 2014. - Mayor Wright read and presented the Lupus Awareness Month Proclamation to Ms. Angela Berasa.
Mayor Wright recognized Scouts in attendance from First United Methodist Church, Troop 234, and Scouts from Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, Troop 300.
Mayor Wright also recognized students from Ms. Davis’, St. Stephens Honor Civics class.
Persons Requesting to be Heard
Cliff Moone - addressed Council on Inspiring Spaces. He commented that he is for Inspiring Spaces and for letting the people have a referendum to let Council know how they feel. He believes in referendums, and he also believes in Council making decisions. He knows that when we do things, when we go up, and standup, and start doing something, new people will come. It will be a good thing. He has served on Inspiring Spaces Committees and on Innovate Catawba, and he has seen the ideas. He is not for every idea that is put out there, and he will challenge them when he feels the need. He is with Council, he if for this, and he hopes Council is for it, and fully behind it. He thinks it will make our City a better place to live work and grow.
Larry Pope - addressed Council on Inspiring Spaces. He stated he was taking a different position than Reverend Moone took on Inspiring Spaces. He has been disappointed within the last several years about how money, City Council has spent, and City Council not accounting for the expenditure of that money. He stated that City Council had disbanded the Inspiring Spaces Committee because, when they went to Charlotte to meet with the consultants, they found out as a City Council that Committee could not exist, and Council will do a referendum for the funding that Council feels is needed for the Inspiring Spaces. He stated that once a referendum is done the same Committee will be reappointed, because that is the only legal way that Council can do it. He is tired of Council playing games with the City to accomplish the things that Council wants to accomplish that may not be the best for this City. He referenced survey’s done regarding the swimming pools, and commented that it was voted by citizens in Northeast, Northwest Hickory, that they wanted a swimming pool in every quadrant of the City, and a centrally located swimming pool. Council paid for that survey, and for those consultants to do the work. Council turned around, because they got bit in the backside, because they did not expect those citizens to vote that way, and put that on the shelf, and it is somewhere on a shelf collecting dust. If Council can’t raise the taxes, then they are talking about doing a bond referendum to have every citizen in this City to pay for a bond. That work may not be done within their communities to improve their communities, but they are going to have to pay for that bond. He stated that he will be the most outspoken person that ever existed to encourage citizens to vote against that bond. He will also be very vocal to encourage citizens to raise cane if Council tries to raise their taxes, because we have so many senior citizens in our City that are property owners, that cannot afford to have their taxes raised. Council spent, they claim, $500,000 plus dollars for the Sails on the Square, Council took the money that was designated for a parking deck and used it. When that money was raised for that parking deck, which was much needed downtown, what is going to happen now to folks that come downtown for events and there is nowhere to park. We are going to have to quit telling citizens that we are raising money for one thing, and then turn around and do something else with those funds. Bond referendum, no. Raising taxes, no. Council can find another way to do what they want to do.
Consent Agenda:
Item L was removed from the Consent Agenda and discussed - Release of Bond Claim and Assignment of Claims Executed by the City of Hickory to Westchester Fire Insurance Company. - Council previously declared American LaFrance to be in default of a contract to build a ladder engine truck for the Hickory Fire Department after American LaFrance closed its operation and failed to deliver the truck to the City. American LaFrance had purchased a performance bond from Westchester Fire Insurance to cover such instances of default. Notice was given to Westchester in March that the City was making a claim on the bond for the amount paid to American LaFrance for the ladder truck in the amount of $729,864. Westchester has investigated the City’s claim on the bond and made the determination the claim is valid. Westchester will pay the claim in full subject to the City executing a release form. The release form was received and reviewed. Seeing no issues with the release’s provisions, staff executed the release and returned to Westchester to expedite the process. Staff requests Council to ratify the execution of the release and assignment of claims.
Informational Item
A. Report of Mayor Wright’s travel to Asheville, North Carolina
New Business - Departmental Reports
1. Vacant Building Revitalization and Demolition Grant for 56 3rd Street SE - Dave Leonetti Presentation - Unanimous Consent
2. Street Resurfacing - Public Services Director, Chuck Hansen will present an analysis of the City’s street program resurfacing. - Chuck Hanson - Unanimous Consent
General Comments
Alderman Seaver stated that he was substituting at Hickory High School and had attended the Academic Awards Banquet and Dr. Blake Brandes was the speaker. He was a former Key Club President of Hickory High in 2002. He works in a Champions for Kids program raising money to help kids. He has helped over a million kids in three years. At the Key Club Banquet, the year that he was President, Graylyn Scholarship Committee was present there to observe him, and interview him after the banquet. He received that prestigious scholarship through Wake Forest. While at Wake Forest he received the Marshall Scholarship, which paid for his Masters, and his PhD at Kent University in England. While there, he was operating a business, he was making albums while he was in High School. Alderman Seaver tried to get Mr. Brandes to attend the Kiwanis meeting to speak but he was busy with some other schools in the Rowan Salisbury School District, and some others around the State. He is moving from New York City to San Diego as well. Alderman Seaver commented that maybe we could get him to attend a Council meeting to speak.
Alderman Seaver also commented that he had Kiwanis pancake tickets for sale. The event would take place Thursday, Friday, and Saturday, at St. Luke’s United Methodist Church.
Mayor Wright commented that it is good breakfast and the money is for the kids.
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Hound's Notes: Not much to add to the notes. Go read my thoughts about the meeting. The next meeting will be the City Manager's recommended budget. I saw in the Hickory Daily Record that Newton raised its tax rate to cover operational costs and also spoke about the loss in revenue due to loss of property value. That is exactly what I was addressing in my notes. Just to remain revenue neutral, Hickory Inc. is going to have to raise the property tax rate; add to that the monies they want to spend on their proposed projects and there should be a substantial increase in the property tax rate.
So below is the City Council meeting. With each agenda item, you can click on the links and it will take you to that specific point in the meeting. You can always drag the marker on the video display to the point in the broadcast that you are interested in seeing.
Agenda about the City Council meeting of May 6, 2014
Thoughts about last night's Hickory City Council meeting - May 6, 2014
Invocation by Rev. Whit Malone, Pastor, First Presbyterian Church
Special Presentations
A. Proclamation for National Police Week May 11-17, 2014. - Mayor Wright read and presented the National Police Week Proclamation to Chief Tom Adkins, and other members of the Hickory Police Department.
B. Proclamation for Lupus Awareness Month May 2014. - Mayor Wright read and presented the Lupus Awareness Month Proclamation to Ms. Angela Berasa.
Mayor Wright recognized Scouts in attendance from First United Methodist Church, Troop 234, and Scouts from Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, Troop 300.
Mayor Wright also recognized students from Ms. Davis’, St. Stephens Honor Civics class.
Persons Requesting to be Heard
Cliff Moone - addressed Council on Inspiring Spaces. He commented that he is for Inspiring Spaces and for letting the people have a referendum to let Council know how they feel. He believes in referendums, and he also believes in Council making decisions. He knows that when we do things, when we go up, and standup, and start doing something, new people will come. It will be a good thing. He has served on Inspiring Spaces Committees and on Innovate Catawba, and he has seen the ideas. He is not for every idea that is put out there, and he will challenge them when he feels the need. He is with Council, he if for this, and he hopes Council is for it, and fully behind it. He thinks it will make our City a better place to live work and grow.
Larry Pope - addressed Council on Inspiring Spaces. He stated he was taking a different position than Reverend Moone took on Inspiring Spaces. He has been disappointed within the last several years about how money, City Council has spent, and City Council not accounting for the expenditure of that money. He stated that City Council had disbanded the Inspiring Spaces Committee because, when they went to Charlotte to meet with the consultants, they found out as a City Council that Committee could not exist, and Council will do a referendum for the funding that Council feels is needed for the Inspiring Spaces. He stated that once a referendum is done the same Committee will be reappointed, because that is the only legal way that Council can do it. He is tired of Council playing games with the City to accomplish the things that Council wants to accomplish that may not be the best for this City. He referenced survey’s done regarding the swimming pools, and commented that it was voted by citizens in Northeast, Northwest Hickory, that they wanted a swimming pool in every quadrant of the City, and a centrally located swimming pool. Council paid for that survey, and for those consultants to do the work. Council turned around, because they got bit in the backside, because they did not expect those citizens to vote that way, and put that on the shelf, and it is somewhere on a shelf collecting dust. If Council can’t raise the taxes, then they are talking about doing a bond referendum to have every citizen in this City to pay for a bond. That work may not be done within their communities to improve their communities, but they are going to have to pay for that bond. He stated that he will be the most outspoken person that ever existed to encourage citizens to vote against that bond. He will also be very vocal to encourage citizens to raise cane if Council tries to raise their taxes, because we have so many senior citizens in our City that are property owners, that cannot afford to have their taxes raised. Council spent, they claim, $500,000 plus dollars for the Sails on the Square, Council took the money that was designated for a parking deck and used it. When that money was raised for that parking deck, which was much needed downtown, what is going to happen now to folks that come downtown for events and there is nowhere to park. We are going to have to quit telling citizens that we are raising money for one thing, and then turn around and do something else with those funds. Bond referendum, no. Raising taxes, no. Council can find another way to do what they want to do.
Consent Agenda:
Item L was removed from the Consent Agenda and discussed - Release of Bond Claim and Assignment of Claims Executed by the City of Hickory to Westchester Fire Insurance Company. - Council previously declared American LaFrance to be in default of a contract to build a ladder engine truck for the Hickory Fire Department after American LaFrance closed its operation and failed to deliver the truck to the City. American LaFrance had purchased a performance bond from Westchester Fire Insurance to cover such instances of default. Notice was given to Westchester in March that the City was making a claim on the bond for the amount paid to American LaFrance for the ladder truck in the amount of $729,864. Westchester has investigated the City’s claim on the bond and made the determination the claim is valid. Westchester will pay the claim in full subject to the City executing a release form. The release form was received and reviewed. Seeing no issues with the release’s provisions, staff executed the release and returned to Westchester to expedite the process. Staff requests Council to ratify the execution of the release and assignment of claims.
Informational Item
A. Report of Mayor Wright’s travel to Asheville, North Carolina
New Business - Departmental Reports
1. Vacant Building Revitalization and Demolition Grant for 56 3rd Street SE - Dave Leonetti Presentation - Unanimous Consent
2. Street Resurfacing - Public Services Director, Chuck Hansen will present an analysis of the City’s street program resurfacing. - Chuck Hanson - Unanimous Consent
General Comments
Alderman Seaver stated that he was substituting at Hickory High School and had attended the Academic Awards Banquet and Dr. Blake Brandes was the speaker. He was a former Key Club President of Hickory High in 2002. He works in a Champions for Kids program raising money to help kids. He has helped over a million kids in three years. At the Key Club Banquet, the year that he was President, Graylyn Scholarship Committee was present there to observe him, and interview him after the banquet. He received that prestigious scholarship through Wake Forest. While at Wake Forest he received the Marshall Scholarship, which paid for his Masters, and his PhD at Kent University in England. While there, he was operating a business, he was making albums while he was in High School. Alderman Seaver tried to get Mr. Brandes to attend the Kiwanis meeting to speak but he was busy with some other schools in the Rowan Salisbury School District, and some others around the State. He is moving from New York City to San Diego as well. Alderman Seaver commented that maybe we could get him to attend a Council meeting to speak.
Alderman Seaver also commented that he had Kiwanis pancake tickets for sale. The event would take place Thursday, Friday, and Saturday, at St. Luke’s United Methodist Church.
Mayor Wright commented that it is good breakfast and the money is for the kids.
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Hound's Notes: Not much to add to the notes. Go read my thoughts about the meeting. The next meeting will be the City Manager's recommended budget. I saw in the Hickory Daily Record that Newton raised its tax rate to cover operational costs and also spoke about the loss in revenue due to loss of property value. That is exactly what I was addressing in my notes. Just to remain revenue neutral, Hickory Inc. is going to have to raise the property tax rate; add to that the monies they want to spend on their proposed projects and there should be a substantial increase in the property tax rate.
Wednesday, May 7, 2014
Thoughts about last night's Hickory City Council meeting - May 6, 2014
Agenda about the City Council meeting of May 6, 2014
The Hound's Notes:
1) The most interesting events of the evening were the presentations made during Persons Requesting to be Heard. Cliff Moone speaks for Inspiring Spaces and the Bond referendum and Larry Pope speaks against the Inspiring Spaces process and the Bond referendum. Take note that when Mr. Moone speaks he is not given the 3 minute time notification. Mr. Pope is given the 3 minute time notification. Is this because Mr. Moone is speaking in support of the Council?
Hound Note: I do find Mr. Moone's unconditional support of this initiative to be troubling to the extent that it certainly seems to be following the pattern of the "Sails on the Square" project. A project that Mr. Moone stood in opposition to many times.
Once again we have been witnessing Hickory Inc. ramrodding a process... putting the cart before the horse. There has been no citizen input to this point and through everything that has been said thus far, Hickory Inc. intends to find a way to do these projects by hook or by crook. Witness City Manager Berry telling a group of citizens that if the Plan A Bond Referendum does not pass, then they will go to Plan B. Then he refuses to address Plan B, when asked to explain Plan B. How can the public make informed decisions, when Hickory Inc. refuses to provide vital information. Information that by all rights belongs to the public.
The City is playing a Shell game here, as Mr. Pope gets into. And being a Shell, I know one when I see one.
2) From the Agenda as produced here. I spoke about the City’s street resurfacing program. I do believe that there are legitimate issues with the city streets in Hickory. The $450,000 shown in the graphic below, that has been shown multiple times on this site was the monetary number that Mr. Hanson revealed last night - $450,000. So if that number is relevant to carry forward into the picture, then the others must be also.
This subject last night in my opinion was a pre-salvo volley to lend legitimacy to the necessity as to why Hickory Inc. is going to raise property taxes this year. As already stated multiple times, this isn't new information. City Manager Berry talked about it at the City Council meeting of May 21 of last year (2013). Below is the screenshot of estimated costs including street resurfacing, revenue losses and operational increases, and what they call an Economic Competitiveness Plan, which includes their Inspiring Spaces plan.
Last year they told the public that the cost of moving to a 30 year resurfacing plan from the current 58 year resurfacing plan would be a 1-cent increase in the property tax rate.
The next city council meeting will be the meeting where the City Manager will unveil the Recommended Annual Budget for Fiscal Year 2014-15. The Budget has to be approved in June for the Fiscal Year that begins on July 1, 2014. The present year's budget was approved on June 4, 2013.
So, all indications seem to point to Chuck Hansen telling you that your property tax rate will be rising in part to pay for street resurfacing.
3) Plan B is that the City is going to raise your taxes above what they need to cover the necessary operational expenses and the road improvements. If the bond referendum fails, then they will take the additional revenue coming into the General Fund, that would be "Unfunded Balance" and they will earmark it to begin work on the Linear Park sidewalk from Union Square to Lenoir-Rhyne. The failure of the bond referendum will force them to do Hickory Inc.'s Inspiring Spaces program piecemeal, but they are going to do it whether the public wants it or not.
The Mayor says in the Hal Row interview this week that a $40 million bond would result in an $80 increase in the tax bill for a $100,000 home owner. Look at the above Power Point slide. That number falls in line with what they are proposing for the Economic Competitiveness Plan; although Inspiring Spaces is only supposed to be one part of that plan. Also factor in that Steve Mull, a member of the Inspiring Spaces Committee, is stated in a Hickory Daily Record article, from last week from the Inspiring Spaces meeting, as saying that what was proposed would cost $45 to $55 million. He also added that any plan should include all four quadrants of the city to get buy-in.
So in looking at the Power point slide we can assume an additional 1.5-cents for operation expenses + 1-cent for road improvements + 8-cents for Inspiring Spaces alone. The city will be asking for a 10.5 cent increase in the property tax rate, if the Sites and Buildings monies and Redevelopment monies that are in the slide above are lumped in with that total. It will be more if they aren't. So at a minimum City of Hickory residents will see their property tax rate rise from 50-cents to at least 60.5 cents.
Please also remember that with the devaluation of much of the Commercial and Industrial property that much of the property tax base burden has been shifted onto residential properties at a time when homes in the area have also lost value. The loss of assessed property value alone will require a property tax rate increase, if the county is honest about the assessed valuations. Morganton residents saw their tax rate rise by 21-cents this year ((5-cent increase for the City of Morganton - from 48-cents to 53-cents) and a (16-cent increase for Burke County - from 52-cents to 68-cents)), Don't think something like that can't happen in Hickory, if Hickory Inc. bites off more than it can chew with its spending spree.
The Mayor said in the Hal Row interview that the worst thing that can happen is that 'We spend the money and the businesses don't come here, but we live in a nicer community.' The part he fails to mention is the little part about having to pay back the $40 million in debt. We also see with the roads situation that it isn't only about building. The community has to maintain what it's got. I think Hickory Inc. needs to work on fixing what it's got before spending more money on adding. There's no need to buy a 100-inch 3D Television, if the walls are going to fall down around you.
Final Thought
When you constantly operate in a behind the scenes, dark, closed door, hide the information, non-transparent manner against the wishes of the majority of the people, then that by definition is Tyranny.
Tyranny
1. arbitrary or unrestrained exercise of power; despotic abuse of authority. Synonyms: despotism, absolutism, dictatorship.
The Hound's Notes:
1) The most interesting events of the evening were the presentations made during Persons Requesting to be Heard. Cliff Moone speaks for Inspiring Spaces and the Bond referendum and Larry Pope speaks against the Inspiring Spaces process and the Bond referendum. Take note that when Mr. Moone speaks he is not given the 3 minute time notification. Mr. Pope is given the 3 minute time notification. Is this because Mr. Moone is speaking in support of the Council?
Hound Note: I do find Mr. Moone's unconditional support of this initiative to be troubling to the extent that it certainly seems to be following the pattern of the "Sails on the Square" project. A project that Mr. Moone stood in opposition to many times.
Once again we have been witnessing Hickory Inc. ramrodding a process... putting the cart before the horse. There has been no citizen input to this point and through everything that has been said thus far, Hickory Inc. intends to find a way to do these projects by hook or by crook. Witness City Manager Berry telling a group of citizens that if the Plan A Bond Referendum does not pass, then they will go to Plan B. Then he refuses to address Plan B, when asked to explain Plan B. How can the public make informed decisions, when Hickory Inc. refuses to provide vital information. Information that by all rights belongs to the public.
The City is playing a Shell game here, as Mr. Pope gets into. And being a Shell, I know one when I see one.
2) From the Agenda as produced here. I spoke about the City’s street resurfacing program. I do believe that there are legitimate issues with the city streets in Hickory. The $450,000 shown in the graphic below, that has been shown multiple times on this site was the monetary number that Mr. Hanson revealed last night - $450,000. So if that number is relevant to carry forward into the picture, then the others must be also.
This subject last night in my opinion was a pre-salvo volley to lend legitimacy to the necessity as to why Hickory Inc. is going to raise property taxes this year. As already stated multiple times, this isn't new information. City Manager Berry talked about it at the City Council meeting of May 21 of last year (2013). Below is the screenshot of estimated costs including street resurfacing, revenue losses and operational increases, and what they call an Economic Competitiveness Plan, which includes their Inspiring Spaces plan.
Last year they told the public that the cost of moving to a 30 year resurfacing plan from the current 58 year resurfacing plan would be a 1-cent increase in the property tax rate.
The next city council meeting will be the meeting where the City Manager will unveil the Recommended Annual Budget for Fiscal Year 2014-15. The Budget has to be approved in June for the Fiscal Year that begins on July 1, 2014. The present year's budget was approved on June 4, 2013.
So, all indications seem to point to Chuck Hansen telling you that your property tax rate will be rising in part to pay for street resurfacing.
3) Plan B is that the City is going to raise your taxes above what they need to cover the necessary operational expenses and the road improvements. If the bond referendum fails, then they will take the additional revenue coming into the General Fund, that would be "Unfunded Balance" and they will earmark it to begin work on the Linear Park sidewalk from Union Square to Lenoir-Rhyne. The failure of the bond referendum will force them to do Hickory Inc.'s Inspiring Spaces program piecemeal, but they are going to do it whether the public wants it or not.
The Mayor says in the Hal Row interview this week that a $40 million bond would result in an $80 increase in the tax bill for a $100,000 home owner. Look at the above Power Point slide. That number falls in line with what they are proposing for the Economic Competitiveness Plan; although Inspiring Spaces is only supposed to be one part of that plan. Also factor in that Steve Mull, a member of the Inspiring Spaces Committee, is stated in a Hickory Daily Record article, from last week from the Inspiring Spaces meeting, as saying that what was proposed would cost $45 to $55 million. He also added that any plan should include all four quadrants of the city to get buy-in.
So in looking at the Power point slide we can assume an additional 1.5-cents for operation expenses + 1-cent for road improvements + 8-cents for Inspiring Spaces alone. The city will be asking for a 10.5 cent increase in the property tax rate, if the Sites and Buildings monies and Redevelopment monies that are in the slide above are lumped in with that total. It will be more if they aren't. So at a minimum City of Hickory residents will see their property tax rate rise from 50-cents to at least 60.5 cents.
Please also remember that with the devaluation of much of the Commercial and Industrial property that much of the property tax base burden has been shifted onto residential properties at a time when homes in the area have also lost value. The loss of assessed property value alone will require a property tax rate increase, if the county is honest about the assessed valuations. Morganton residents saw their tax rate rise by 21-cents this year ((5-cent increase for the City of Morganton - from 48-cents to 53-cents) and a (16-cent increase for Burke County - from 52-cents to 68-cents)), Don't think something like that can't happen in Hickory, if Hickory Inc. bites off more than it can chew with its spending spree.
The Mayor said in the Hal Row interview that the worst thing that can happen is that 'We spend the money and the businesses don't come here, but we live in a nicer community.' The part he fails to mention is the little part about having to pay back the $40 million in debt. We also see with the roads situation that it isn't only about building. The community has to maintain what it's got. I think Hickory Inc. needs to work on fixing what it's got before spending more money on adding. There's no need to buy a 100-inch 3D Television, if the walls are going to fall down around you.
Final Thought
When you constantly operate in a behind the scenes, dark, closed door, hide the information, non-transparent manner against the wishes of the majority of the people, then that by definition is Tyranny.
Tyranny
1. arbitrary or unrestrained exercise of power; despotic abuse of authority. Synonyms: despotism, absolutism, dictatorship.
Joe Fox - Desperate Robocalls do nothing to help ones cause or move a community forward
We've seen the future and it's the same as the past. We can expect it to happen again during the upcoming bond referendum process that Hickory Inc. is pushing forward with. Listen to Hickory Inc.'s chosen candidate in an 11th hour desperate, night before the election, robocall; where he tried to evoke fear and hatred by mischaracterizing a person's support of a single issue.
Thank You Hickory Area citizens, by a vote of more than 4 to 1 margin, you rejected this type of fear based, lowball politics.
Mr. Fox, your mother is one of the greatest community organizers that this community has ever known. She is one of a handful of people who spearheaded the Hickory Downtown Development Association movement; which is one of the, if not THE, most powerful political forces in the Hickory Community. She also spearheaded the movement towards local neighborhoods having their own associations to (drum roll please!!!) organize. I also remember seeing your mother at both Clinton and Obama events in photographs. Besides that, I have never heard anything but admiration come from Jay Adams mouth, when it comes to speaking about your mother's passion for the community.
Mr. Adams was never a part of the CEG. He has never attended a meeting of the CEG, other than one meeting that was open to the public (that means everyone) in which ward specific voting was talked about. He did voice his support of the referendum on ward specific voting. I won't debate the merits of ward specific voting in this post, other than to say that there is nothing radical about it. There are plenty of communities that vote that way throughout the United States.
I've seen the list of people who endorsed Jay Adams and many of those people stood staunchly against the referendum. I am sure that those people were not happy that you were basically lumping them in with the Citizens for Equity in Government. Again, I will not get into how Hickory Inc. has unfairly mischaracterized the CEG and created a rift in this community.
If you compare Jay Adams to Barack Obama, then you certainly don't know Jay Adams -- or you are lying. If people want to move this community forward, then it is time to call out and put a stop to these disingenuous political practices.
Thank You Hickory Area citizens, by a vote of more than 4 to 1 margin, you rejected this type of fear based, lowball politics.
Mr. Fox, your mother is one of the greatest community organizers that this community has ever known. She is one of a handful of people who spearheaded the Hickory Downtown Development Association movement; which is one of the, if not THE, most powerful political forces in the Hickory Community. She also spearheaded the movement towards local neighborhoods having their own associations to (drum roll please!!!) organize. I also remember seeing your mother at both Clinton and Obama events in photographs. Besides that, I have never heard anything but admiration come from Jay Adams mouth, when it comes to speaking about your mother's passion for the community.
Mr. Adams was never a part of the CEG. He has never attended a meeting of the CEG, other than one meeting that was open to the public (that means everyone) in which ward specific voting was talked about. He did voice his support of the referendum on ward specific voting. I won't debate the merits of ward specific voting in this post, other than to say that there is nothing radical about it. There are plenty of communities that vote that way throughout the United States.
I've seen the list of people who endorsed Jay Adams and many of those people stood staunchly against the referendum. I am sure that those people were not happy that you were basically lumping them in with the Citizens for Equity in Government. Again, I will not get into how Hickory Inc. has unfairly mischaracterized the CEG and created a rift in this community.
If you compare Jay Adams to Barack Obama, then you certainly don't know Jay Adams -- or you are lying. If people want to move this community forward, then it is time to call out and put a stop to these disingenuous political practices.
Tuesday, May 6, 2014
20140505 - Monday Morning Meeting with the Mayor
The following is the interview of Mayor Rudy Wright on 1290 WHKYam Radio's First talk program with Hal Row.
WHKY does not archive these programs and make them available to the public, so I am putting this important public interview up under Fair Use guidelines.
The Mayor talks about Transportation Insights move to the Old Lyerly Mill Building. He gives his reasoning for wanting to have the bond referendum, but gets into no specifics. He does talk about a $40 million referendum costing the person who owns a $100,000 house an an additional $80 per year if it were to pass. He does believe there will be a referendum this year. He talks about the lack of population growth in the community.
Listen and fill free to comment.
WHKY does not archive these programs and make them available to the public, so I am putting this important public interview up under Fair Use guidelines.
The Mayor talks about Transportation Insights move to the Old Lyerly Mill Building. He gives his reasoning for wanting to have the bond referendum, but gets into no specifics. He does talk about a $40 million referendum costing the person who owns a $100,000 house an an additional $80 per year if it were to pass. He does believe there will be a referendum this year. He talks about the lack of population growth in the community.
Listen and fill free to comment.
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