Forget about Brain Drain. How about Brain Gain!!!

(From Wikipedia) - Brain drain or human capital flight is a large emigration of individuals with technical skills or knowledge, normally due to conflict, lack of opportunity, political instability, or health risks. Brain drain is usually regarded as an economic cost, since emigrants usually take with them the fraction of value of their training sponsored by the government. It is a parallel of capital flight which refers to the same movement of financial capital. The term was coined by the Royal Society to describe the emigration of "scientists and technologists" to North America from post-war Europe.

Brain drains are common amongst developing nations, such as the former colonies of Africa, the island nations of the Caribbean, and particularly in centralized economies such as former East Germany and the Soviet Union, where marketable skills were not financially rewarded.

The Hickory Metro's Economic Statistics correlate highly with those of Michigan, Ohio, and the rest of what is called America's Rust Belt. That area is also seeing a great loss of the younger demographic as manufacturing capacity and economic opportunity continue to decline. Here is a link to an article about how Detroit is addressing its issue of Brain Drain - Stopping Detroit's Brain Drain. There are a lot of other interesting subjects that are part of this CNN Money Series - Assignment Detroit. Although I don't think Hickory is to the level of Economic decay Detroit is, nor the scale of size, there are definitely some ideas here that our city should consider.

Here is a link to an article that was in this past Sunday's Parade Magazine entitled "A City for Entrepreneurs." The article is about how Cleveland, Ohio is attempting to foster start-up businesses in the city. Cleveland was once a platform where Standard Oil and General Electric's Lighting Division were started; but like many other manufacturing hubs, Cleveland has seen a precipitous decline in jobs from the manufacturing sector over the last 20 years.

A few items from that article really have relevance to Hickory's situation and what we have addressed here on The Hound. Here is a great quote from Ohio Lieutenant Governor Lee Fisher - “Every large company started in someone’s garage or basement. Why shouldn’t it be in Ohio?”

We have spoken of this need to start a garage economy here in this area. This is where our old school Manufacturing companies (textiles, furniture) got there start. Somewhere along the line, we have lost our way. Many of us have heard the story about how Art Viles personally sold stock to start Superior Cable, which became Siecor and then Corning Cable Systems. That led to Commsope and Alcatel (which is now Draka) coming to the area. Why couldn't we go back to that entrepreneurial spirit that once thrived here? Who can stop us other than ourselves?

Here is an excellent town hall meeting that John Kasich and Mike Huckabee held at Ohio State University on October 13, 2009. This does have political moments, but the message is truly valid.


John Kasich talks about the issues of leadership in the face of adversity and how Ohio is going to have to do it themselves. Whether you are conservative or not this message is valid. Mike Huckabee talks about Government being the facilitator of Free Enterprise, instead of the complicator of Free Enterprise. Kasich talks about how Ohio has driven the best and the brightest away and how they are going elsewhere -- sound familiar?

Huckabee talks about the challenge of being a good leader and not allowing the status quo to dominate. He says people don't expect perfection, but they expect integrity and authenticity. Leaders need to speak the same message to every audience, instead of delivering messages that you think people want to hear. People expect high standards and accountability.

Kasich talks about the tea parties and how people are sick of broken promises. He says he would rather lose than do that. People are losing faith, because of the broken promises. He says he has already developed a plan.

Huckabee talks about having people job ready and raising the standards. You have to keep score and make people accountable. Jobs flow like water. If it is difficult to set up jobs, then companies will go elsewhere. Third, he says that you must have a desirable culture where people want to live and be a part of.

Further discussion devotes time towards the creative economy and idea teams.

The Hound: Look at the National studies like the Milken Institute numbers and the Forbes numbers and you will see an objective view of what investors think about our area. We have to change the paradigm. Some people want to talk about quality of life issues. Well, in my opinion, the number one factor that will determine the quality of your life is the quality of your occupation. And at the same time what is the largest and most integral facet of a company's operations? LABOR!!!

A few issues that truly need to be addressed in this area:

1) Get rid of the concept of Low Hanging Fruit - Kept hearing this during the intra-city visit / Revitalization Conference. Lazy approach, bad approach, and not even a valid analogy, because fruit ripens as fast at the top of a tree as it does at the bottom. This is what has been stated when it comes to developing Hickory's retirement community. Honestly, talking about Low Hanging Fruit is very depressing.

2) Hickory's unofficial motto - "It's better than nuthin" - Are we supposed to lower our life expectations? I hear people addressing the underemployed in this area by telling them that they should be happy that they have the job they are overqualified and/or underpaid to perform, because it's better than nothing. I am sick of people adapting down and not expecting excellence in this community. We must demand excellence. Will we be better off than our parents? Will future generations be better off than us? Should we not expect and demand progress?

3) Cheap begets Cheap - In my opinion that is what has led to the economic implosion that we have seen in this community. You can cut your costs to zero, but it doesn't mean you are going to make a penny. Instead, we have devalued our product (Hickory) to the extent that no one looks at us as providing value anymore. This has created a domino effect. We may even be beyond the tipping point on this issue. If so, then we will have to work twice as hard to rebuild our infrastructure and this is going to be hard to do when people have a mindset where they would rather live in squalor than spend money, even when it obviously needs to be spent.

The Hound knows that one can honestly compare our area to some of the most challenging economic environments in the modern world. That is what has caused the Brain Drain. We have a substantial disparity in incomes in this area, both within the community and vis a vis the nation at large. People can easily move here from more affluent metropolitan areas and live twice as good, but our area's indigenous inhabitants can't afford to move to these other metro areas.

Think of people from New York, Los Angeles, San Francisco, Chicago, or Seattle moving here. They can live like kings. Think of one of us trying to move to one of these cities. Most of us would have to live in extreme poverty if we tried to make that transition on our current income and assets. We seem to wear our affordability as a badge of honor, but I believe that it is one of the issues that is truly killing us.

We have got to start growing this economy again and creativity is the only way to do that. That will not come from people who are winding it down. That takes energy and energy comes from young people who want to enjoy the future that is still ahead of them. Young people are a community's seeds. We all benefit when our community sows seeds and lays a path of opportunity for young people to be creative and innovative. The sooner we get started, the sooner we can make this happen and start moving in a truly positive and sustainable direction.

Retirement Communities Ain't No Panacea

Erickson Retirement Communities files for Chapter 11 - Article from the Baltimore Sun

Erickson's real estate arm, which acquires land for campuses and builds projects, has been hurt by the recession, as seniors who couldn't sell existing homes put off moving to continuing-care communities....... The economy has hurt the entire retirement community industry, prompting many companies to offer incentives just to move in, experts said. Many new developments have been delayed because of the tight market. But continuing-care facilities such as Erickson, which allow seniors to progress from independent living to assisted living, have suffered more, experts said..... People who move into assisted-living facilities usually don't have a choice, said Rick Grimes, president and CEO of the Assisted Living Federation of America. "The problem that Erickson seems to be facing is that they're not getting as many people in on the independent-living side, so they're not getting people into the cycle."

You're only as secure as the retirement home - Excellent article from the Washington Post that is related to the above article about Erickson Retirement Communities.

Ingleside's trouble was that the cost of caring for its residents was outstripping the fees they were paying. "There was a business model here that wasn't sustainable," said Richard Woodard, chief operating officer of the nonprofit....

Retirement Communities Respond to Housing, Market Drops - from U.S. News and World Report - (11/10/2008)

Primary residences are the greatest source of wealth for most retirees, and the sale of those homes is the most common way to generate retirement-community entrance fees, which range from $100,000 at the low end, upwards of $500,000 and much more at the highest-end communities.

Income from pensions and investments is a major source of monthly maintenance payments across the spectrum of senior housing. Financial support from children and other family members often enables retirement home occupants to make ends meet.

All sources are now being sharply compromised. And while it's too early to see the full effect of the impact, it's clear it will be extensive.

Elderly Forgo Move to Assisted Living Because They Can’t Sell Homes - From the Website Senior Living Solutions (5/29/2009)

The housing crisis has kept thousands of older Americans who need support and care from moving into retirement communities or assisted-living centers, effectively stranding them in their own homes.

The Hound: I know that the new context has been put in place when area leaders try to change to the new paradigm called "Active Retirees." It truly sounds great in theory, that we are going to bring these early retirees, typically in their late 50s and early 60s in here and they will work and contribute to our economy, while enjoying all of the amenities Hickory has to offer. They will all be millionaires who play golf by day and desire Dom Perignon and lobster at night. The only problem is that economic realities are a speed bump that precludes this from happening.

How do we market this area to these folks? We tell them it is affordable. In other words, we are telling them we have cheap housing, cheap food, cheap retail, and cheap services... By riding down 29th avenue NE, one can see what the vision has been for quite some time. We have a couple of gated retirement communities, several moderate to upscale assisted living centers, and even a funeral home right in the midst of it all. This is exactly what the company above, Erickson Retirement Communities, has tried to do. These companies want to get the older generations into the pipeline and move them from the gated communities, to the assisted living centers, then to the nursing home, and finally to the funeral home.

This vision was laid out long ago in this area and it was done at the expense of balance. All of the cards were laid upon the table, all chips are in, and one would have to be blind not to acknowledge the implementation. This community is geared towards Seniors come (you know where) or high water. Is it true that Seniors get a discount on their property taxes? If they do, does that make sense? What would justify that?

Now we are seeing the beginning of what I addressed to you earlier this year. We are going to see Socialized Healthcare. Congress passed the initial bill, which will soon be reconciled in the Senate. I don't think there is any way to stop this. So medicare is going to be cut for seniors and we all know how much seniors rely on medicare. As the economy continues to implode, the local area is going to be expected to pick up more of the tab for these seniors who cannot make ends meet. It is a vicious never ending cycle and it will be exacerbated unless we begin to try to restore balance to the demographics of this community.

Once again, Hickory is dealing with a Monoculture. We are moving from a monoculture of manufacturing to a monoculture of "retirement community." Honestly folks, can we afford to put all of our eggs in one basket again? We must stop this skewed growth in its tracks and insist on balanced demographic marketing and development. If we don't, then we may be seeing the fatal blow to Hickory's economy that it will never be able to recover from.

Say we were successful in marketing to the active retirees. How long will they stay active. Retirement = Winding it down. This is not the way to grow the community. So, if you are going to stay here, then you have to accept that your life's potential will be limited. I know that this reality can be viewed negatively, as though I am picking on the senior demographic, but there are plenty of resources that have been provided on this blog and elsewhere that will help you objectively ascertain a conclusion and I believe that it will be similar to my own.

Links to past articles involving this subject:
Hickory, North Carolina 2009
Fixing Hickory - A Demographics and Marketing Discussion Panel
Fixing Hickory - Narrowing Our Focus Economic Stimulus Package for Catawba County Finalized (The Finale)
Hickory - Time to put the Puzzle together

Newsletter about the City Council meeting of November 3, 2009

This newsletter is about the Hickory City Council meeting that I attended this past week. City council meetings are held on the first and third Tuesdays of each Month in the Council Chambers of the Julian Whitener building.

At the bottom right of this page under main information links is a Hickory's Local Government link. If you click on that link, it takes you to our city’s website, at the bottom of the page you will see the future dates for meetings scheduled for this year.

At the top of the page, if you click on the “Documents” link, you will find historic Agenda and Minutes links. Agendas show what is on the docket for the meeting of that date. The Minutes is an actual summary of the proceedings of the meeting of that date.

Here is a summary of the agenda of the 11/3/2009 meeting. There were a couple of important items that were discussed at this meeting and the details are listed further below

Invocation by Rev. Cindy Jordan of Spiritual Care Catawba Valley Medical Center

Special Presentations:
A. Presentation of Proclamation to Sue Huttman, Women’s Resource Center Outreach Coordinator Declaring the Month of November, 2009 as “Nonprofit Awareness Month” in the City of Hickory - The Mayor made the presentation and talked about how Non-Profits - Link to the Proclamation - Link to the Homepage

The Hound thanks these women in these times of need and hopes they are successful in their efforts of outreach to our local community.

B. Proclamation Presented to Nancy Compton, President of Waverly Book Club Proclaiming November 3, 2009 as “The Waverly Book Club of Hickory, NC Day” in the City of Hickory - The Mayor said he had the delight in meeting these people a couple of weeks ago. In 1909 a group of women formed an embroidery club. At three course luncheons, the group would do their embroidery, while one of the ladies would read chapters from a current book. In 1925 the Waverley Book Club was formally formed to reflect the groups strong interest in reading. The group was named after Sir Walter Scott's Waverley Novels. The group reflects high standards of Citizenship, Patriotism, and Altruism. Early membership included Msr. LP Franz, Mrs. AL Shuford, Mrs. George Ivey, Mrs CL Mosteller, and Mrs. AJ Moretz. Present membership is limited to twelve members. They are committed to the promotion of literacy and cultural improvement.

The Hound believes that any organization that has survived over 100 years is awesome. I hope that this group can survive for generations to come. Look at the fact that this group has survived through two World Wars and the tumult of many hard economic times. A group like this is the tie that binds the strong foundation of a community at large. These are the types a traditions that one can truly appreciate and a community can hang its hat on.

Photo of a collection of bookmarks, some around 100 years old, made by members of the Waverly Book Club of Hickory. - Boyd Family Genealogy and Local History Room at the Patrick Beaver memorial Library - Hickory, Catawba County - 375 3rd Street, Northeast Hickory NC 28601-5126

Consent Agenda:
Call for Public Hearing Regarding Consideration of an Economic Development Agreement with Fiserv, Inc. to be Located at 2415 Century Place, SE (Authorize Public Hearing for November 17, 2009)

Approve Application for the Use of Union Square by Girls on the Run of Catawba Valley/YMCA of Catawba Valley, Inc. for the Girls on the Run 5K Event to be Held on December 12, 2009 from 7:00 a.m. to 1:00 p.m.

Transfer of Cemetery Lots in Oakwood CemeteryFrom Eric Avant Brown, Personal Representative of the Estate of John W. Brown to David M. Dauler. Transfer of Cemetery Lots in Oakwood Cemetery. From Robert R. Yoder to Paul R. Dickinson and wife, Patricia M. Dickinson

Approve Fourth Amendment to Lease Agreement With New Cingular Wireless PCS, LLC for Lease of Ground Space at the City’s Water Plant for Location of Communication Equipment - Staff recommends approval and 2 readings.

Budget Ordinance Amendment No. 9
1. To budget a total of $32 in donations ($26-Catawba County Hispanic Ministry and $6 Cash) to the International Council line item for sodas at the Health Fair.

2. To appropriate $78,153 of General Fund to the District Court Capital Reserve account. This appropriation represents the amount of funds remaining from their FY08-09 budget.

3. To appropriate $101,130 of General Fund to the Multi-Year Grant Fund. This amendment represents the City of Hickory’s 50% matching funds required for year 3 of the Governor's Highway Safety Program grant award.

Grant Project Ordinance No. 8
1. To accept and budget a $101,130 transfer from the General Fund and to budget $101,130 of Multi-Year Governor's Highway Safety grant funds in several Police Department line items. The Governor’s Highway Safety Program-Year 3 grant provides funding to pay the salary for three (3) Officers, one (1) Sergeant and equipment. Equipment to be purchased will include hand held lasers, crash zone software, crash data retrieval system, software for retrieval system, travel and printed materials.

Grant Project Ordinance Amendment No. 5
1. To decrease Restricted Intergovernmental Revenue from Caldwell County by $30,000 and the Right of Way Acquisition expenditure line item by $30,000. Caldwell County will share 50/50 with the City of Hickory in the purchase of the right of way for the US 321 to Grace Chapel Road Connector. However, this will not be a reimbursement payment from Caldwell County to the City of Hickory for their portion. Therefore a $30,000 decrease to the Restricted Intergovernmental Revenue line item and the Right of Way Acquisition is necessary.

Informational Items:
A. Report of Alderwoman Hoyle’s Travel to the 2009 NCLM Annual Conference in Greenville, NC - From October 24 – 27, 2009; hotel - $384.18; registration - $494.00; per diem - $59.50; mileage - $270.60

B. Report of Mayor Wright’s Travel to the 2009 NCLM Annual Conference in Greenville, NC - From October 25 – 26, 2009; hotel - $112.86; registration - $400.00 (Mayor Wright reimbursed the City $50.00 for golf fee); per diem - $8.50; mileage - $282.70

New Business - Departmental Reports:
New Cingular Wireless PSC, LLC is the owner of a cellular tower and other ground equipment located at the City’s water treatment plant off Old Lenoir Road a/k/a Horse Farm site. Initially the City entered into an agreement with Gearon & Co., Inc. in August, 1996, who subsequently assigned its rights to BellSouth Carolinas PCS. In November, 2007 the City and New Cingular executed the third amendment to the agreement which extended the term of the initial agreement and outlined other provisions. The fourth amendment will be with New Cingular Wireless PCS, LLC and provides for alternative utilization of space on the tower along with other changes. As part of its radio rebanding and upgrade projects, the Hickory Police Department will need to locate a public safety antennae and other equipment on the cell tower. There is additional space on the tower for placement of other public safety communications equipment. The City will pay for any necessary improvements to the tower so the structure will support the equipment. In exchange for the reserved space, New Cingular will be relieved of certain prior maintenance oligations at the site. Due to time constraints for the Hickory Police Department’s installation of equipment, staff requests two (2) readings on November 3, 2009.

1. Second Reading - Approve Fourth Amendment to Lease Agreement With New Cingular Wireless PCS, LLC for Lease of Ground Space at the City’s Water Plant for Location of Communication Equipment. Due to time constraints for the Hickory Police Department’s installation of equipment.

*** General Comment by Alderman Lail - Veteran's day is celebrated on the eleventh day of the eleventh month and in the eleventh hour. In the City of Hickory, the Hickory Elk's Club has a tradition of remembrance that is held at sunset (5pm) at Oakwood Cemetary. The service will be held at the site of the tomb of the unknown soldier. The public is invited and he encourages everyone to attend. This year they will be recognizing a fallen soldier, who was killed in Afghanistan in January of this year.

The Hound thinks that we need to begin to recognize the sacrifice that the people make who serve in this country's armed services. We really cannot afford to take these guys for granted the way we do in this country. Veteran's day was traditionally observed as Armistice day after World War I. Armistice day was originally a recognition of cessation of hostilities along the western front in Europe. That happened November 11, 1918. Approximately 20 million people died during that war.

THANKS TO ALL

I want to thank Thom for his help and his friendship in the election. While I am disappointed that I lost, it was indeed a postive experience. I was able to put some ideas on the table, change some minds, meet numerous great people, and hopefully the campaign made some difference. There are too many people to thank here, but it's been a pleasure to have lived through it.

This city has a tough road ahead, and if there is one great negative about the election it is that few came out to vote, and fewer of them took the time to really do the work of citizenship in a democracy. We, as a people, have to learn that elections are about governance, not just a horse race, personality contest, or any personal animosity that may exist. It's a shame that people only turn out (as in the Burke Co School Board race), when there is a fight. We need to adopt a mature attitude towards vision and policies and not just let adrenaline determine if we are going to vote or not.

Government is the vehicle for doing the people's business. Whether we like it or not our money is being used to provide for needs and regulate resources and people. The decisions we made in years past have put us where we are now. And the future is constantly being shaped. I wish the Mayor and Council the best and pray that they will diligently work to improve our lot as Hickoryites.

Again thanks to all . Harry Hipps

Congratulations Rudy, Sally, Jill, and Hank

It was a forgone conclusion that Mayor Wright would be reelected and Sally Fox would once again represent Union Square for the next 4 years.

Jill Patton has won over Harry Hipps in overwhelming fashion by a 2:1 margin in Ward 6 as has Hank Guess over Z. Anne Hoyle in Ward 4. The only precinct that has not been reported is Sandy Ridge, in which only 38 votes were cast.

Here is the breakdown of the totals:

The Hounds Objective point of view - This city is what it is. It is a city where ideas take a backseat to status. In my opinion that is what has led to the malaise. Look at how we keep electing Republicans to state positions just because they are registered Republicans, when they have done nothing to promote our area's cause in Raleigh and people are told to wait their turn.

These candidates are the winners and they will be our leaders for the next four years. They probably think the Hound's over and this whole thing was geared towards this election. Well, there is always a silver lining, because now Harry is going to be able to help me more with this blog and I have had another person come forward that wants to help also. So now I can work on some even more complex issues. It ain't about the horse race. It's about governance.

Look how many RINOs we have in this area. Real Republicans believe in individual freedom. That is the reason why the Republican Party is dead, because the GOP wants to pick winners and losers based on a caste system. We used to be a Meritocracy, now it's about nepotism, cronyism, and out and out corruption. Look at the comments from people on this blog, where people state that this city is so Status Quo. Clue 1 - It ain't only me folks.

My true feelings about this election - Someone said that Jill Patton wasn't running against Harry. That she was running against me. It takes a really lower IQ for someone to think that. Harry Hipps is one of the smartest people I have ever known. To think that he was espousing my ideas alone, belittles him, insults my integrity, and shows a truly simple mind. Look to the right of this blog and see that he is a listed contributor.

When it comes to Mrs. Patton, I know that I have been overly critical of her at times. I have allowed her to voice her grievances with me. She is approachable and does listen to those people at the neighborhood meetings and I think they supported that today. But, she is going to have to become a leader with her own ideas, agenda, and stand out on her own sometimes.

Come on out here on the plank with us sometime Jill and feel it. It can be more stress than one can bear, but avant garde has so much more meaning than status quo. That is why 1% of us look at this city as clueless, but 1% ain't gonna win no elections, and 7% ain't gonna get anything substantive done (that total equals the 8% who even care enough to vote).

Harry Hipps has been a close friend to me for 25 years - through good times and bad. If the knuckle dragging rich elite in this community can't figure out that we are just as intelligent as them, then that is their loss. We are victims of your Steak 'n Shake, Chick-fil-a, Bojangles, fast food economy. I heard some elitists say that Harry's just a Pretzel Maker. Harry has run that store for over 5 years and has grown the company in double-digit percentages annually since he took it over. How many businessmen can say that in this area. And the rent in that little space he works in is over $5,000 per month. He does honest work and no one like that sits on that council, so the average person once again goes unrepresented.

Harry did work for Brett Self at Stone Hearth Bakery before that. Brett is a graduate of the CIA (Culinary Institute of America for the Brain Challenged Bourgeois). Brett couldn't make a go of it, because people can get the Cream filled Krispy Kreme donuts so much cheaper than them thangs he called Cannoli's. So Brett had to move away to Atlanta. Typical talent loss here in the home of "It's better than nuthin." People in this area want Fat (I mean Fast) Food. That is how L-R got that grant, because we have instituted the Golden Corral, J&S mentality as part of our culture, which is no culture.

Look at myself. I never talk about my own educational achievements on this blog. I have a degree in Economics and Finance from UNC-Wilmington. Folks, that isn't an easy degree to obtain. And I have a degree in Culinary Arts from Central Piedmont Community College, which is one of the best Community College Culinary programs in the country. My cumulative Grade Point Average in obtaining that degree was a perfect 4.0. I earned a Presidential (as in United States) honor during my time there for my academics. That ain't braggin', It's just the facts.

Yet, here in Rudyville I can't utilize my skills, because no one wants anything other than fast food. You know your Country Clubs, fast food, whether you like hearing that or not. And anyway, there isn't anyone here that I really care to work for any more, because they don't want to pay you a living wage. They don't respect chef's here in the Chicken Wing and Ranch Dressing capital of the world. (Sorry I had to digress for context, back to the subject)

I love talking politics and life with Harry, because he is a well rounded person, who is comfortable in his own skin. He is a statesman. Anyone who speaks with him will understand that. He, like myself, isn't only a listener. And folks we are definitely not of one mind. He is an assimilator. He draws off of what others say and their experiences to increase the own contexts of his human being. Talking with him tonight, he chalked it up to an experience and a life lesson. He would like to have won, but as he said, "it is what it is." I like when he says, "If you keep doing what your doing, you're going to get what you've got." Hickory, your reality awaits you.

Frankly, I don't have a good feeling about this City Council and it isn't because Harry lost. I meant what I said. These people look at being on that Council as a position of status and not a position of leadership. There are a couple of people on there who have leadership capabilities, but they weren't up for election this time, and capabilities aren't necessarily abilities. These people don't even seem to care that only about 1 in 12 registered voters turned out, as long as they won. That's all that matters to them and to me that is sad.

It is upsetting to me the way that the Mayor said this Council was all of one mind, which most of us who pay attention interpreted as "in it together" back in July, when they all announced at the same time. It wasn't long before some of them just threw Z. Anne Hoyle under the bus with no support. That shows their principles. Look at how Mrs. Patton supported Hank Guess in a very public way and I also have been told that Mrs. Fox was talking him up in public. I honestly do appreciate how Mayor Wright stayed above such purely political posturing. I think that is going to always stick out in my mind, because I think that Ms. Hoyle is a very kind lady. Even if she was going to lose, she deserved better treatment than what she got in the end. Mark my words that that is always going to be remembered. If you weren't going to support Ms. Hoyle, then state it from the get-go.

Hank Guess is a hot commodity, the golden boy, but is he going to be able to live up to the billing. I can promise you that if he follows in the footsteps of Sally, like Jill has, then he is going to really hate being an Alderman, because he is going to be called on it from some of his most ardent supporters. Hank says he wants to represent all of the Ward. Well Hank, you are supposed to represent the whole city. Soon, feet may be meeting fire.

I have been in lockstep with no Alder and I have admitted where I agree and disagree with each of them. But, I do not pretend to be one of them and this isn't about my relationship with any of them. It is about their governance of Hickory. We need real jobs and economic development in this area and anything that goes against that will not work. "Buy Local" doesn't work if we aren't producing things locally and this city is not going to be revived on Mom and Pop retail stores. We need ingenuity and innovation. Will Hank and company help foster a New Hickory or will he fall in line with Old Hickory's entrenched interests and clique mentality?

To be continued....

HDR Editorial - Hickory council needs a member with vision

Hickory Daily Record Version Link - Hickory council needs a member with vision (It is the second article in their Your Voice section) - I think HDR did an excellent job on the edit. I have no problems with it. In my opinion, it doesn't take away from the context.

Why I think you should vote for Harry Hipps (The Unedited Version)

I am writing this message of endorsement for my friend Harry Hipps, who is running for Hickory City Council in Ward 6 this Tuesday. At a time like this, I truly believe that Harry would be the person who can transform the City Council and move that body in the direction it needs to go.

Many of you don't understand how important the role of Hickory's City Council is. Frankly, I don't think the people on the Council understand how crucial their role of governance is. This city needs some direction and these people are supposed to be our leaders. Instead, they have looked at this job as a position of status and not of governance. We need economic development, which will lead to jobs; instead we get awnings downtown and hundreds of thousands of dollars spent on signs and logos, with very little citizen input. Have these issues made your life better?

When you speak to Mrs. Patton, you find out that she is a nice lady. She does attend community events and she does listen to people, but where has what she heard from the average citizen led to major action that will make them better off? She has not provided "the Voice" that she promised four years ago. Instead, she has fallen in line with the crowd of comfort on the City Council. Think of who amongst them really represents the needs of the average citizen of Hickory. She tells us about the Brownfields and Operation No Vacancy. What are those projects going to do now for those people who live within these blighted boundaries? They want them cleaned up NOW!!! And what is City Council doing to get these people back to work ASAP?

Harry Hipps has vision, he sees the big picture, he has goals, and he wants to build connections with everyone in this city - both rich and poor. He wants to get the city pools opened back up in Ridgeview and West Hickory to give those poor kids something to do to keep them out of trouble in the summer and he wants to clean up the blighted sections of Hickory NOW!!! He wants to update our infrastructure, so that we aren't continuing to fall behind in this modern world. He wants to make Hickory Small Business Friendly and develop connections with the State Commerce Department, so that we can make worldwide connections, and bring Hickory forward into the 21st century.

You see folks, we cannot continue to roll around in this uncomfortable malaise and pretend that everything will eventually be alright. Do you think it's alright? We need to shake up the status quo that resides on that Council and get them to understand that they are getting paid to work for all of the people of Hickory. It's time for some put up or shut up politics and I know that my friend is not afraid of the challenge. I hope that you will see fit to give him your vote in this election.

James Thomas Shell

***Below are the links to the articles about the City Council Forum that was held last Thursday, if you would like to listen to the different contexts of the individual candidates.

From the Hickory Hound - The City Council Candidate Forum Last Night - 10/29/2009 - (Audio Available)
From the Hickory Daily Record - Election issues discussed at forum

The City Council Candidate Forum Last Night - 10/29/2009 - (Audio Available)

I attended last night's City Council forum at the Chamber of Commerce. I want to thank the Hickory Young professional for providing this format. I want to thank the Chamber for allowing the use of their venue. I want to thank the candidates for their participation. I want to thank all of the people who attended the event

I think that each candidate represented themselves well. I thought that the questions and statements from the audience were fair and representative of what the public, in this community, desires to here. Below is a summary of each of the candidates, who they are, and which ward they are running for:

Z. Ann Hoyle is the incumbent in Ward 4. She is from the Ridgeview area and is a strong supporter and advocate for the African-American community. She has served on the city council since 1990.

Hank Guess is the challenger in Ward 4. He is a Retired former Police Captain with the City of Hickory. He resides in the Mountain View area.

Jill Patton is the incumbent in Ward 6. She lives in Northwest Hickory. She is the Vice-President of DeFeet International in Hildebran. Mrs. Patton has served on the council since 2005.

Harry Hipps is the challenger in Ward 6. He is from Newton and a lifelong resident of Catawba County. He has been a resident in Hickory since 1998 and manages the Pretzel Time store in the Valley Hills Mall.

Below is the audio from the forum. Most of you know that I support Harry Hipps, who is a contributor on this blog and a person that I have known for 25 years. I do not want to influence your opinions of the answers that were given during this debate, so I will not provide commentary in this article. I tried to amplify the recording and reduce the hiss level to the best of my ability. So without further adieu, here are the audio links:

City Council Candidate Forum - Segment 1
City Council Candidate Forum - Segment 2
City Council Candidate Forum - Segment 3
City Council Candidate Forum - Segment 4
City Council Candidate Forum - Segment 5

Below are the download links to the recordiing of each candidate from WHKY's First Talk Show -
Audio Download link to Ms. Hoyle's appearance on Hal Row's Show.
Audio Download link to Mr. Guess's appearance on Hal Row's Show.
Audio link to Mrs. Patton's appearance on Hal Row's Show.
Audio Link to Mr. Hipp's appearance on Hal Row's Show.