Submitted by Harry Hipps II
In the past few days we have seen yet again corruption surrounding the North Carolina Department of Transportation. This time it is the allegation that Lewis Sewell Jr. of Jacksonville steered $375,000 of state money to transportation projects near land that he owns. Obviously, one should not use public funds for private enrichment. Also, he is a fundraiser for Beverly Purdue, who is the Democratic candidate for governor, so it points to the rotten core of backscratchers in Raleigh who have gotten away with corruption and cronyism for way too long.
What is wrong with this situation is clear and simple! What is not so clear and simple is why no government official from the Hickory area has voiced concern or any outrage over this. Why is there no outcry from Mayor Wright about why Sewell could get his $375,000 for Jacksonville and we have unfunded projects. If Senator Austin Allran is not screaming about this, then what will it take to get a rise out of him?
Have any protests been lodged? Any motions to condemn this been offered? Or are we simply going to moan “oh well” and continue to murmur amongst ourselves that, “we just don’t get no respect?”
It would seem that every Lewis Sewell story that surfaces from our state government presents an opportunity to point out that State corruption is costing US (the City of Hickory and Catawba County). Sure, the options are limited. Protests and indignation in the media will not immediately send dollars here. A resolution from the city to condemn actions like this won’t either. But, it would seem that drawing attention to the fact that when money is improperly steered to one of Raleigh’s “good ole boys” someone else is losing out.
All too often it is Hickory. Local officials have to use every situation like this to point out our unmet needs and the unfair and unequal treatment that has gone on for too long.
Hey Rudy, hey Austin, the silence is deafening.
-- Harry Hipps II
http://www.newsobserver.com/politics/story/1226696.html
http://www.charlotteobserver.com/opinion/story/212351.html
http://www.newsobserver.com/politics/story/1232857.html
http://www.newsobserver.com/1565/story/1231970.html
http://www.newsobserver.com/politics/story/1231475.html
http://www.newsobserver.com/politics/story/1230097.html
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Saturday, September 27, 2008
Friday, September 26, 2008
This Ain't Podunkville Anymore
A month ago, I wanted to look into our population numbers, to see where we stood as a city growth wise. The numbers are really quite impressive for a town that really has not had a good economy for 8 years. I have grown weary of hearing the terms “small town” or “small city” bandied about by people that have a certain agenda for the direction that they want to take us.
Their code words are terms such as “controlled growth” or “neighborhood core.” These terms fall under the City’s Codes and Mandates, which are bound in a micromanagerial volume called “Hickory by Choice.”
It is my opinion that this cumbersome set of over 400 pages is part of what is holding this community back. We need to be asking businesses what they need to motivate them to locate here; instead, we are mandating what we want from them before they even take a look at us. Those two ideals are obviously incongruent.
I have already stated the direction that I believe that we should be moving our economy toward. We need to be looking 20 to 50 years down the road with a futurist's vision. What will the world be like in 50 years and how do we get there?
At the bottom right hand corner of this page, there is a set of links titled "Main Information Links" (I may reorganize this soon, but it will still be there). There is a link about Kannapolis’s Biotech plans. You should click on it. It takes you to a set of Google links.
Kannapolis is a city much like Hickory, with the exception that they are a little closer to Charlotte. Kannapolis was a one-horse town. They didn’t even incorporate until 1984. The city was all about Cannon Mills and Textiles. There was no diversification of industry there. When textiles left, that city was reeling at a much worse level than what we have gone through.
You see, I know this because my great Uncle (in-law) owns Whitley’s funeral home there. When my cousin Whit started telling me about the Biotech plans at the Cannon Mills property, I thought man that sounds cool. He never mentioned anything about the water transfer, but this was over five years ago and everyone in our city’s government seems oblivious to what was going on, at that time, 50 miles down the road.
That just shocks me in so many different ways. It seems to me that our government officials here would be trying to find out what is going on with the other communities in our surrounding region. Wouldn’t you be curious when you first heard about these Biotech plans that David Murdoch was trying to bring to fruition?
I would think you would be calling up the mayor or city manager there and lending an ear to get the lowdown. I would think that you’d be seeing if the tentacles of this development could possibly benefit our city or county.
Instead we have acted like we have been blindsided and bamboozled. We act like Concord and Kannapolis are cheating us somehow. Frankly, I think it all stems from jealousy, because they have something that our governmental leaders wish that they could have. And we’re still holding the bag, searching, searching, searching…..waiting, waiting, waiting….
I have crunched the numbers and the links are provided below. By 2010 our population should be over 42,000 people within Hickory proper and Catawba County should have a census of around 160,000 people. That means that more than 25% of the people in Catawba County live within the City Limits of Hickory. Including St. Stephens and Mountain View, over 40% of the county resides in Hickory Township. Hickory is the focal point of this region.
Cabarrus County, which was 10% to 20% smaller than Catawba County as little as ten years ago, projects to have 5,000+ more people, than Catawba County, living within its borders by 2010. The rate of growth for that county is double what we have here in Catawba County. In 20 years Catawba County should have over 200,000 people, while Cabarrus County will be close to a quarter of a million people.
People might sarcastically say “good” about Cabarrus County’s growth compared to ours. They might even say OH BOY! When they think of our City (under it’s current boundaries) nearing 60,000 people by 2030. The only problems we inherit from this situation are nostalgia and complacency.
All of the counties surrounding Mecklenburg, with the exception of Gaston, have realized exceptional gains in growth over the last 20 years. These counties are all over 40% growth in that time period. Hickoryites better soon realize that Charlotte is coming our way. We should be happy, not depressed, about the urbanization that will take place as a result. In my opinion it will mean better jobs, more activities, and easier access to public transportation around the area.
I believe that with proper planning that we will easily be able to manage this projected growth, but we must not live in the past. When my grandparents moved here in 1946 and 1950, there were only 14,000 people living in Hickory. When I was born there were only 20,000 people living here. For many, it is hard to accept the fact that our once small town is going to be so large in 20 years.
They are afraid of the unknown and what the future holds. But, we know that as sure as the sun will rise in the east tomorrow morning that the future is coming. We must embrace that future or we will continue to suffer the stagnation of the last eight years. We cannot afford to live in a world of denial that this is “Little Ole Hickory” anymore. That is what got us into this current predicament.
Mayor McDonald and the council (pre-2000) did not set us up for the 21st century. Times were good in the late 80s and all the way through the 90s. This town didn’t and still doesn’t really have a history to fall back on, so we just figured the good times would roll on forever. This period (the 00s) is our history. We didn’t have a backup plan. We must learn from this lesson and teach future generations not to repeat it.
We have good, honest, industrious, hardworking people. That is what we are known for and there is absolutely nothing wrong with that. We can use those principles to build a history. That history needs to start now and it needs to begin with leadership and foresight.
I know that times are hard, but most times that is when movements take root. We need to tell our local officials what we want. Those of us that have connections need to use them and the rest of us need to keep moving forward and try to be more involved.
I will cut our city leaders some slack, because of the circumstances that they have inherited. But, it is time to move forward. It is time to embrace the 21st century and move past the Podunkville mentality. You should feel insulted when someone says Little Ole Hickory, They are saying that we are irrelevant.
It is time to be inclusive towards all of our citizens from every ward and give them all the respect they deserve. It is time to quit being judgmental. Every one of us is relevant. You never know when that person, you give that opportunity to, might become the iconic figure that puts Hickory at the forefront of history.
Hickory Census vs Cabarrus vs Mecklenburg
http://hickoryhound.googlegroups.com/web/hickory%20census%20vs%20Mecklenburg%20and%20Cabarrus.xls?gsc=6jxCdQsAAADUsl3AgISC6zjsxi141qaJ
Hickory Census Projections
http://hickoryhound.googlegroups.com/web/hickory%20census%203%20projections.xls?gsc=6jxCdQsAAADUsl3AgISC6zjsxi141qaJ
Their code words are terms such as “controlled growth” or “neighborhood core.” These terms fall under the City’s Codes and Mandates, which are bound in a micromanagerial volume called “Hickory by Choice.”
It is my opinion that this cumbersome set of over 400 pages is part of what is holding this community back. We need to be asking businesses what they need to motivate them to locate here; instead, we are mandating what we want from them before they even take a look at us. Those two ideals are obviously incongruent.
I have already stated the direction that I believe that we should be moving our economy toward. We need to be looking 20 to 50 years down the road with a futurist's vision. What will the world be like in 50 years and how do we get there?
At the bottom right hand corner of this page, there is a set of links titled "Main Information Links" (I may reorganize this soon, but it will still be there). There is a link about Kannapolis’s Biotech plans. You should click on it. It takes you to a set of Google links.
Kannapolis is a city much like Hickory, with the exception that they are a little closer to Charlotte. Kannapolis was a one-horse town. They didn’t even incorporate until 1984. The city was all about Cannon Mills and Textiles. There was no diversification of industry there. When textiles left, that city was reeling at a much worse level than what we have gone through.
You see, I know this because my great Uncle (in-law) owns Whitley’s funeral home there. When my cousin Whit started telling me about the Biotech plans at the Cannon Mills property, I thought man that sounds cool. He never mentioned anything about the water transfer, but this was over five years ago and everyone in our city’s government seems oblivious to what was going on, at that time, 50 miles down the road.
That just shocks me in so many different ways. It seems to me that our government officials here would be trying to find out what is going on with the other communities in our surrounding region. Wouldn’t you be curious when you first heard about these Biotech plans that David Murdoch was trying to bring to fruition?
I would think you would be calling up the mayor or city manager there and lending an ear to get the lowdown. I would think that you’d be seeing if the tentacles of this development could possibly benefit our city or county.
Instead we have acted like we have been blindsided and bamboozled. We act like Concord and Kannapolis are cheating us somehow. Frankly, I think it all stems from jealousy, because they have something that our governmental leaders wish that they could have. And we’re still holding the bag, searching, searching, searching…..waiting, waiting, waiting….
I have crunched the numbers and the links are provided below. By 2010 our population should be over 42,000 people within Hickory proper and Catawba County should have a census of around 160,000 people. That means that more than 25% of the people in Catawba County live within the City Limits of Hickory. Including St. Stephens and Mountain View, over 40% of the county resides in Hickory Township. Hickory is the focal point of this region.
Cabarrus County, which was 10% to 20% smaller than Catawba County as little as ten years ago, projects to have 5,000+ more people, than Catawba County, living within its borders by 2010. The rate of growth for that county is double what we have here in Catawba County. In 20 years Catawba County should have over 200,000 people, while Cabarrus County will be close to a quarter of a million people.
People might sarcastically say “good” about Cabarrus County’s growth compared to ours. They might even say OH BOY! When they think of our City (under it’s current boundaries) nearing 60,000 people by 2030. The only problems we inherit from this situation are nostalgia and complacency.
All of the counties surrounding Mecklenburg, with the exception of Gaston, have realized exceptional gains in growth over the last 20 years. These counties are all over 40% growth in that time period. Hickoryites better soon realize that Charlotte is coming our way. We should be happy, not depressed, about the urbanization that will take place as a result. In my opinion it will mean better jobs, more activities, and easier access to public transportation around the area.
I believe that with proper planning that we will easily be able to manage this projected growth, but we must not live in the past. When my grandparents moved here in 1946 and 1950, there were only 14,000 people living in Hickory. When I was born there were only 20,000 people living here. For many, it is hard to accept the fact that our once small town is going to be so large in 20 years.
They are afraid of the unknown and what the future holds. But, we know that as sure as the sun will rise in the east tomorrow morning that the future is coming. We must embrace that future or we will continue to suffer the stagnation of the last eight years. We cannot afford to live in a world of denial that this is “Little Ole Hickory” anymore. That is what got us into this current predicament.
Mayor McDonald and the council (pre-2000) did not set us up for the 21st century. Times were good in the late 80s and all the way through the 90s. This town didn’t and still doesn’t really have a history to fall back on, so we just figured the good times would roll on forever. This period (the 00s) is our history. We didn’t have a backup plan. We must learn from this lesson and teach future generations not to repeat it.
We have good, honest, industrious, hardworking people. That is what we are known for and there is absolutely nothing wrong with that. We can use those principles to build a history. That history needs to start now and it needs to begin with leadership and foresight.
I know that times are hard, but most times that is when movements take root. We need to tell our local officials what we want. Those of us that have connections need to use them and the rest of us need to keep moving forward and try to be more involved.
I will cut our city leaders some slack, because of the circumstances that they have inherited. But, it is time to move forward. It is time to embrace the 21st century and move past the Podunkville mentality. You should feel insulted when someone says Little Ole Hickory, They are saying that we are irrelevant.
It is time to be inclusive towards all of our citizens from every ward and give them all the respect they deserve. It is time to quit being judgmental. Every one of us is relevant. You never know when that person, you give that opportunity to, might become the iconic figure that puts Hickory at the forefront of history.
Hickory Census vs Cabarrus vs Mecklenburg
http://hickoryhound.googlegroups.com/web/hickory%20census%20vs%20Mecklenburg%20and%20Cabarrus.xls?gsc=6jxCdQsAAADUsl3AgISC6zjsxi141qaJ
Hickory Census Projections
http://hickoryhound.googlegroups.com/web/hickory%20census%203%20projections.xls?gsc=6jxCdQsAAADUsl3AgISC6zjsxi141qaJ
Wednesday, September 24, 2008
Cloninger Mill Park - 1st meeting - Preliminary Proposal
I went to the meeting on the proposed Cloninger Mill Park tonight thinking that it was going be a positive discussion on preliminary proposals about the master plan. This meeting is to be followed by a second meeting where a more definitive plan will be shown. The meeting broke down somewhat into a rant of hypothetical conjecture from Cloninger Mill area homeowners mistakenly aimed at the developers.
City of Hickory Parks and Recreation Director Mack McLeod was the first to speak. He gave a historical perspective about the origins of the park proposal. In 1979, a Hickory Park Master Plan was developed which designated the Cloninger Mill site as a future site of interest. In 1997 the Master Plan was reviewed and Cloninger Mill came to the forefront as a good area to develop a new park. They realized at that time that it would need to be developed as a passive recreational park. Money subsequently dried up and until now the park has not been a priority.
A passive recreational park has outdoor activities compatible with preserving natural resources such as wildlife habitats and floodplain protection. This park would allow for limited picnicking, walking trails, bike trails, and scenic views of nature near Lake Hickory. It could even host an amphitheatre. All of this could be done without costing the city very little, while enhancing what is an undeveloped asset.
Site Solutions (http://www.sitesolutionspa.com/PROFILE.HTM) is the firm that has been chosen to develop the site. Derek Williams gave an overview about what developing a passive park on this site involved. He displayed a map of the proposed 75-acre site, which included 2 areas that would be held back from the proposed parks development.
One of the two areas abuts Hwy127. This area would be used as a proposed commercial site. The other area, at the opposite side of the park, would be used for residential real estate development. There are full utilities capabilities and the city could sell these pieces of real estate and infuse those proceeds back into the park.
Jeff Ashbaugh gave a more thorough overview of the land, its terrain, and the issues involved in the development of the project. The area is heavily wooded, there is a natural waterfall at the center of the park (though it is more of a runoff area), the property has many steep graded slopes, and there are very few level areas. That is the reason that the area is proposed as a passive park.
Interjecting into the discussion were mostly residents of the area. Many seemed not to support the proposed project. One issue is that of parking. The people didn’t like the proposed parking areas in the preliminary drawings.
The residents didn’t like the thoughts of projected increases in traffic along Cloninger Mill Road, 9th st ne, and 45th ave lane. They stated that children play out there and there is already a high level of traffic on those streets.
Several people told developers that there needed to be a traffic light where 9th st ne meets Cloninger Mill Rd. The developers tried to explain that that may be proposed in the master plan, but that was the city’s responsibility. Mr. Ashbaugh said that maybe these residents might want to talk to the city about a proposed traffic light. He said that the developers would look into it.
Another issue that was expounded upon was that of security. Issues of robbery, break-ins, and drugs were brought up. Residents stated that there were already issues of crime in those neighborhoods and they were worried that they would worsen. .
One lady seemed frightened at the thoughts of the park buttressing her back yard. She asked about the definition of a buffer and what was the state code on that buffer. Mr. Ashbaugh stated that he believed it to be 12 feet, but that they were going to make it much greater than that.. The lady cackled that she wanted a buffer the distance of a football field.
Another lady asked about where proposed picnic areas would be. When shown the general area, she firmly scoffed that it was in her backyard. Mr. Williams pointed more specifically that the area was "a football field away" from her house.
One gentleman attending the meeting said that he lived in northwest Hickory, within walking distance of Geitner Park and Hilton Park. He stated that maybe the residents of the Cloninger Mill area might want to talk to residents of northwest Hickory about the effects of parks on their area and the implications a park might have on the Cloninger Mill area.
They had people at the meeting take five dots and place them on a list of ten areas of activity interest in the proposed park. Mr. Williams and Mr. McLeod discussed and then promised to put the proposed design plans for the park online. There were various discussions taking place, as I left.
In the Hounds Opinion, This meeting was embarrassing to this city. People! This was a proposal! Why were you frothing at the mouth? We can have better and more positive roundtable (sort of) discussions about PROPOSED (!!!) ideas. God, no wonder we can’t move forward on real issues, when you act like this about a park.
Someone in that neighborhood had to have been fostering this discontent before the meeting. It was more than obvious that many of the people had made up their mind, on the subject of a park, before attending this meeting. When it comes to a park, I think that you can afford to come in with a somewhat open mind.
I believe that it is alright to have concerns. That was what this meeting was about. It was about giving you a voice. They wanted to hear what you had to say, but why be so abrasive towards developers about a park. Those concerns would be better served by contacting the Mayor, City Council, or City Staff. It was embarrassing to treat people from a top-notch development firm (and guests of this city) the way that you did.
I personally believe that the idea of this park is a sound one. These people said that they had illegal activity going on in this area and they believed it would be exacerbated by the development of this park. I believe that is wrong on many, many levels. I think this would be an enhancement to your area and make it a lot more secure.
These residents can make a deal with the city and developers to put some recreation equipment on this property for their kids and then their kids won’t be playing in the streets. These developers have some of the best engineers in the world working for them. They aren’t going to slap this park up willy-nilly.
I really think that the parking situation will be resolved. There are a couple of access points that can easily be engineered to be more agreeable to these residents. Heck, they will probably get their light and/or new residential exiting roads to Cloninger Mill Road. This could be re-engineered so that residential exits will be better than they currently are. That is win-win-win.
Why so dour? Sometimes a gift is a gift and there doesn’t always have to be a catch. I wish I could have this park in my backyard. A place to walk or run besides the streets, the same for biking, a nice place to have a picnic, a developed setting to go sit and meditate by the lake, and/or a cleaned up site that has a reduced chance of wildfire. Ask people that live on a golf course, there are many more benefits than the minimal intrusion to privacy – and how would that be guaranteed anyway?
This will be an enhancement to the area and many people will be more attracted to an area with such a development so close. The aesthetics, along with simple supply and demand, will mean that you have a great real estate investment on your hands. And guess what? It will be the cheapest investment, with the least risk and the biggest reward that you could ever dream of.
City of Hickory Parks and Recreation Director Mack McLeod was the first to speak. He gave a historical perspective about the origins of the park proposal. In 1979, a Hickory Park Master Plan was developed which designated the Cloninger Mill site as a future site of interest. In 1997 the Master Plan was reviewed and Cloninger Mill came to the forefront as a good area to develop a new park. They realized at that time that it would need to be developed as a passive recreational park. Money subsequently dried up and until now the park has not been a priority.
A passive recreational park has outdoor activities compatible with preserving natural resources such as wildlife habitats and floodplain protection. This park would allow for limited picnicking, walking trails, bike trails, and scenic views of nature near Lake Hickory. It could even host an amphitheatre. All of this could be done without costing the city very little, while enhancing what is an undeveloped asset.
Site Solutions (http://www.sitesolutionspa.com/PROFILE.HTM) is the firm that has been chosen to develop the site. Derek Williams gave an overview about what developing a passive park on this site involved. He displayed a map of the proposed 75-acre site, which included 2 areas that would be held back from the proposed parks development.
One of the two areas abuts Hwy127. This area would be used as a proposed commercial site. The other area, at the opposite side of the park, would be used for residential real estate development. There are full utilities capabilities and the city could sell these pieces of real estate and infuse those proceeds back into the park.
Jeff Ashbaugh gave a more thorough overview of the land, its terrain, and the issues involved in the development of the project. The area is heavily wooded, there is a natural waterfall at the center of the park (though it is more of a runoff area), the property has many steep graded slopes, and there are very few level areas. That is the reason that the area is proposed as a passive park.
Interjecting into the discussion were mostly residents of the area. Many seemed not to support the proposed project. One issue is that of parking. The people didn’t like the proposed parking areas in the preliminary drawings.
The residents didn’t like the thoughts of projected increases in traffic along Cloninger Mill Road, 9th st ne, and 45th ave lane. They stated that children play out there and there is already a high level of traffic on those streets.
Several people told developers that there needed to be a traffic light where 9th st ne meets Cloninger Mill Rd. The developers tried to explain that that may be proposed in the master plan, but that was the city’s responsibility. Mr. Ashbaugh said that maybe these residents might want to talk to the city about a proposed traffic light. He said that the developers would look into it.
Another issue that was expounded upon was that of security. Issues of robbery, break-ins, and drugs were brought up. Residents stated that there were already issues of crime in those neighborhoods and they were worried that they would worsen. .
One lady seemed frightened at the thoughts of the park buttressing her back yard. She asked about the definition of a buffer and what was the state code on that buffer. Mr. Ashbaugh stated that he believed it to be 12 feet, but that they were going to make it much greater than that.. The lady cackled that she wanted a buffer the distance of a football field.
Another lady asked about where proposed picnic areas would be. When shown the general area, she firmly scoffed that it was in her backyard. Mr. Williams pointed more specifically that the area was "a football field away" from her house.
One gentleman attending the meeting said that he lived in northwest Hickory, within walking distance of Geitner Park and Hilton Park. He stated that maybe the residents of the Cloninger Mill area might want to talk to residents of northwest Hickory about the effects of parks on their area and the implications a park might have on the Cloninger Mill area.
They had people at the meeting take five dots and place them on a list of ten areas of activity interest in the proposed park. Mr. Williams and Mr. McLeod discussed and then promised to put the proposed design plans for the park online. There were various discussions taking place, as I left.
In the Hounds Opinion, This meeting was embarrassing to this city. People! This was a proposal! Why were you frothing at the mouth? We can have better and more positive roundtable (
Someone in that neighborhood had to have been fostering this discontent before the meeting. It was more than obvious that many of the people had made up their mind, on the subject of a park, before attending this meeting. When it comes to a park, I think that you can afford to come in with a somewhat open mind.
I believe that it is alright to have concerns. That was what this meeting was about. It was about giving you a voice. They wanted to hear what you had to say, but why be so abrasive towards developers about a park. Those concerns would be better served by contacting the Mayor, City Council, or City Staff. It was embarrassing to treat people from a top-notch development firm (and guests of this city) the way that you did.
I personally believe that the idea of this park is a sound one. These people said that they had illegal activity going on in this area and they believed it would be exacerbated by the development of this park. I believe that is wrong on many, many levels. I think this would be an enhancement to your area and make it a lot more secure.
These residents can make a deal with the city and developers to put some recreation equipment on this property for their kids and then their kids won’t be playing in the streets. These developers have some of the best engineers in the world working for them. They aren’t going to slap this park up willy-nilly.
I really think that the parking situation will be resolved. There are a couple of access points that can easily be engineered to be more agreeable to these residents. Heck, they will probably get their light and/or new residential exiting roads to Cloninger Mill Road. This could be re-engineered so that residential exits will be better than they currently are. That is win-win-win.
Why so dour? Sometimes a gift is a gift and there doesn’t always have to be a catch. I wish I could have this park in my backyard. A place to walk or run besides the streets, the same for biking, a nice place to have a picnic, a developed setting to go sit and meditate by the lake, and/or a cleaned up site that has a reduced chance of wildfire. Ask people that live on a golf course, there are many more benefits than the minimal intrusion to privacy – and how would that be guaranteed anyway?
This will be an enhancement to the area and many people will be more attracted to an area with such a development so close. The aesthetics, along with simple supply and demand, will mean that you have a great real estate investment on your hands. And guess what? It will be the cheapest investment, with the least risk and the biggest reward that you could ever dream of.
Saturday, September 20, 2008
Why not Hickory?
A city always eyeing the Next Big Thing (Charlotte Observer)
http://www.charlotteobserver.com/104/story/205298.html
Region has power to be a leader on energy (Charlotte Observer)
http://www.charlotteobserver.com/588/story/205066.html
http://www.charlotteobserver.com/104/story/205298.html
Region has power to be a leader on energy (Charlotte Observer)
http://www.charlotteobserver.com/588/story/205066.html
Thursday, September 18, 2008
A Nation of Laws, Not of Men
Submitted by Harry Hipps II
Every day governments at every level make and change laws and statutes -- conditions change, ideas change, and/or circumstances change. God blessed America with the wisdom of the extraordinary men that created this exceptional country. Our Founding Fathers set us up with a constitutional framework dedicated to freedom from tyranny. Once we start to ignore our principles and ramrod things through by treating one person one way and someone else differently, then we are on the path to chaos.
Once this happens, we will see oppression of weaker, less powerful citizens by the richer, more connected ones; we will have mob rule; or both. We are seeing this happen almost routinely by the federal government and I fear we may be seeing this happen locally.
The City of Hickory certainly has the right to amend ordinances. If a moratorium on bars and nightclubs allows the city government and staff time to study any proposed changes to the code, then this is not unreasonable. Personally I do not see why we need a moratorium. The issue could be studied without the moratorium and changes could be submitted for consideration at any time.
The problem in this whole issue is the way the permit, that has been submitted by prospective club operators at the former Ferguson’s Plumbing, has been handled. As attorney Larry Johnson has stated, the permit process was initiated well before the moratorium was passed.
The city council and staff embarrassed themselves by not following proper procedures for notices on public hearings. They seem unwilling to grant or deny the permit under the law that was in effect at that time. One irony is that the Ferguson's Plumbing property is a suspected Brownfield property. I suppose the City did not care to inform the owner that grant money is available to evaluate the property, as they claim they are interested in doing in Hickory.
The real issue is “due process.” Laws are to be executed as they exist. They may have been different in the past, they may be different in the future, but the law today is the law of the land. To not follow the laws, because the Mayor, Council, or anyone else sees a result they deem undesirable, is just not acceptable.
Laws are not perfect. But, given the choice between living under imperfect laws or living under the whims and impulses of people who don't think they have to obey the law, I would certainly choose the former.
I don’t go to bars and will never set foot in this proposed nightclub. But, if we don’t speak up when other’s rights are trampled on, who will speak up for us when our rights are trampled on? Furthermore, do we really want to spend taxpayer dollars defending the indefensible? Are we a nation of laws or of men?
- Harry Hipps II
Every day governments at every level make and change laws and statutes -- conditions change, ideas change, and/or circumstances change. God blessed America with the wisdom of the extraordinary men that created this exceptional country. Our Founding Fathers set us up with a constitutional framework dedicated to freedom from tyranny. Once we start to ignore our principles and ramrod things through by treating one person one way and someone else differently, then we are on the path to chaos.
Once this happens, we will see oppression of weaker, less powerful citizens by the richer, more connected ones; we will have mob rule; or both. We are seeing this happen almost routinely by the federal government and I fear we may be seeing this happen locally.
The City of Hickory certainly has the right to amend ordinances. If a moratorium on bars and nightclubs allows the city government and staff time to study any proposed changes to the code, then this is not unreasonable. Personally I do not see why we need a moratorium. The issue could be studied without the moratorium and changes could be submitted for consideration at any time.
The problem in this whole issue is the way the permit, that has been submitted by prospective club operators at the former Ferguson’s Plumbing, has been handled. As attorney Larry Johnson has stated, the permit process was initiated well before the moratorium was passed.
The city council and staff embarrassed themselves by not following proper procedures for notices on public hearings. They seem unwilling to grant or deny the permit under the law that was in effect at that time. One irony is that the Ferguson's Plumbing property is a suspected Brownfield property. I suppose the City did not care to inform the owner that grant money is available to evaluate the property, as they claim they are interested in doing in Hickory.
The real issue is “due process.” Laws are to be executed as they exist. They may have been different in the past, they may be different in the future, but the law today is the law of the land. To not follow the laws, because the Mayor, Council, or anyone else sees a result they deem undesirable, is just not acceptable.
Laws are not perfect. But, given the choice between living under imperfect laws or living under the whims and impulses of people who don't think they have to obey the law, I would certainly choose the former.
I don’t go to bars and will never set foot in this proposed nightclub. But, if we don’t speak up when other’s rights are trampled on, who will speak up for us when our rights are trampled on? Furthermore, do we really want to spend taxpayer dollars defending the indefensible? Are we a nation of laws or of men?
- Harry Hipps II
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