Now maybe people will see that it all goes together. This is just like the Great Depression, where people forgot how to do business. We have to start producing things. Here is the link to the Hickory Daily Record article entitled Area jobless rate nears 16%.
My critiques of the bureaucracy and the people have been meant to sound a warning of the path that we have headed down. I knew it was too late to not feel the pain of the bad economic decisions made on personal and public levels, but I was hoping that we would get back on the right path. I don't care about credit and there are no accolades that go along with doom and gloom. The only thing I want is for things to get better.
I would like to commend the local city and county government for running a fiscally tight ship. They really do deserve credit for that foresight. I hope that they will soon get on board with me in condemning the reckless spending, fraudulent reasoning, and utter incompetence of Washington and Raleigh. If we play footsie with these people, then we will get treated like the management of the corporations that thought they were taking the easy road.
As a nation and a state, things aren't going to get better until we get back on a common sense, fiscally responsible path. Y'all can come join the Responsible Movement now or when things completely collapse, but I will guarantee you that if you choose to go down the reckless path that you will soon be back. What has happened over the last couple of years and especially since I really dove into all of this last September, is that many feelings that I have had since I was a youth have been re-enforced.
1) It seems we cannot get anything done as a nation until it becomes a crisis - I sure wish that we could change that mindset, but I fear that until we get back to what the founders envisioned that we will always be in crisis management mode. First, Congress doesn't deserve a penny until they get this ship righted. Everyone in the government needs to take a 10% to 25% salary cut. When the government gets back in the black then they get back to their current salary. We need to insist on term limits. It isn't fair to place them on some positions and not on others. This needs to happen in elected and unelected positions.
2) No one accepts a crisis until it personally affects them - I like the saying about what is the difference between a recession and a depression. A recession is when my neighbor loses his job and a depression is when I lose my job.
We can all see that the economy has slowed down. Some would like to say that this is psychological, but folks it isn't. Some of you think it is a problem of the mind, because you aren't in crisis mode, because you still have your job or maybe you are retired, but in some way you are the ones detached from reality. Your 401-k or IRA values aren't going to come back until this country gets back on the right track. I don't say any of this to insult you, I say it to try to kick you into crisis mode. It is time for action.
We are in the after effects of a debt bubble that has burst. It is irresponsible to keep trying to re-inflate that bubble. It is time to quit using debt until we get our personal and public houses in order. Think about it logically. Can you borrow your way out of debt. If you are $50,000 in debt and you borrow $50,000 are you out of debt? No you are $100,000 in debt. But, some people in our bureaucracy seem to believe that we can borrow our way out of debt.
3) People belly-ache, but they always take the path of least resistance - If you want to see a change, then you are going to have to become personally involved. If you look under the Problems and Solutions forum, you will see a link to all of our local officials addresses and e-mails. Please let them know that you are alive. Most of them don't even think you exist.
The Hound says: Rise and shine folks. It is time to wake up. We do get the government that we deserve, because we are supposed to be the government and we have abrogated our duty and responsibility. We have sought an insecure path to security and that is what has led us to where we are now. 19% of the adults in this area don't have a high school education. This is a burden to our community. Crime is on the rise and it isn't the best and the brightest of us that are perpetrating these offenses. It's time that we realize that from top to bottom, we are reaping what we have sown.
How do we change this? By becoming selfless. By realizing that a lot of thankless unpaid work is going to have to happen to turn things around. One person committing one good deed can lead to others doing the same and that is when we will turn this thing around. Please, we must do everything we personally can to turn things around. Please realize that we, as individuals, can sow seed that will bare good fruit.
Please write letters to our Government Leaders. Tell them whatever is on your mind about our local situation. Here is a link to those addresses:
Hickory Regional National and Local Representatives Address List
State House Representative List
State Senator List
Contact for Hickory Government
Contact Catawba County Board of Commissioners
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Thursday, April 2, 2009
Wednesday, April 1, 2009
Common Sense says the drought is over
We have had rain on 7 out of the last 8 days and plenty of rain going back to last summer. It is time that area officials fully explain why we are still under water restrictions. Believe me, I have heard anecdotal information about it being dry, but I have water standing on top of my yard and 10 days ago when I was tilling up my yard, getting ready for my garden, there was no evidence of dry soil. How about y'all?
If we are still under water restrictions, because of population reasons, then officials need to come out and say, "We are overpopulated so we are rationing water." Can someone please explain where and why the justification of this decision (or lack there of) to not lift water restrictions. I believe that we can positively suggest the best times and conditions for people to water without severely penalizing them with onerous fines. That is what marketing is for.
Is this just a control issue? Just doing this for the sake of doing it or just because they can? I am really trying to understand why these restrictions are still in effect, because it seems and it sounds like the only reasoning is quasi-bureaucratic-political jargon. In my opinion, if these restrictions aren't necessary, then they are unnecessary.
If we are still under water restrictions, because of population reasons, then officials need to come out and say, "We are overpopulated so we are rationing water." Can someone please explain where and why the justification of this decision (or lack there of) to not lift water restrictions. I believe that we can positively suggest the best times and conditions for people to water without severely penalizing them with onerous fines. That is what marketing is for.
Is this just a control issue? Just doing this for the sake of doing it or just because they can? I am really trying to understand why these restrictions are still in effect, because it seems and it sounds like the only reasoning is quasi-bureaucratic-political jargon. In my opinion, if these restrictions aren't necessary, then they are unnecessary.
Sunday, March 29, 2009
Response to comments about my President Obama article below
OK, I may have drawn the ire of some by calling President Obama, "Darth Obama." Did it get your attention? That was the point.
I get stats on the participation of people in this blog -- no specifics. One thing that I notice is that lately no one seems to care about the local issues going on. I have listed specifics about the local situation as far as unemployment, crime, Hickory By Choice, The New Cloninger Mill Park, and other issues. There has been no extremism on the Hound and nothing in this article is extreme other than calling out the extreme path that this President is leading us down. $14 trillion dollars in guarantees and spending under his direction; some Bush's fault, some carried forward that could be stopped, and a lot directly attributable to this President.
I know that some have cast their lot in with this President, no matter what he does, and seem to have a vested interest in seeing him succeed at all costs. I clearly stated that my interest is not about Party Idealism. My interest is in getting this country headed back in the right direction. This is not about Obama. It is about the Republic, Representative Government, and the United States of America. This is about the viability of our nation.
The middle class is not to blame for the current mess that our bureaucracy has gotten us into. As of February 1, 2009, we are at 9% unemployment as a nation, 10% as a state, and 14% in this area. Most of us have not enjoyed the fruits of what has been going on in this country over the last decade. That is not a Democrat or Republican statement. That is an American statement. The President's quote was, "I know that America bears its share of responsibility for the mess that we all face." I am sorry, but America does not share the responsibility. The bloated bureaucracy is solely responsible for any American blame and the cause (out of control spending) of those issues is being exacerbated by this President.
As many have already heard, Abraham Lincoln stated, "You can please all the people some of the time, and some of the people all the time, but you cannot please all the people all the time."
I am never going to please you all and that doesn't bother me, because it is impossible. Most people that have read this blog understand that I have no problem in addressing issues with my opinion, because I am real. And you are entitled to your opinion as well and I have respected those opinions. Point to where anyone has been censored on this blog, other than a couple of profane comments that were expunged.
To Anonymous: As far as the Darth Obama comment, what if I had drawn it as a cartoon. You know I am painting my picture with words. Have you seen Star Wars? Darth Vader was in charge of destroying the Republic and creating a Universal Empire. That is where we are currently heading and the comments that Obama made were made in favor of other nations at the expense of this nation's sovereignty. That is not a radical statement. If you believe that sitting back and letting Washington run the country into the ground because, "If your goal is to let off steam by writing articles blasting everyone and everything with which you disagree, power to you. But recognize that you lose the chance to make any real difference. You can help far more by helping those of us who want to make a local change for the better than crying to the wind about something that, in reality, you cannot make a significant difference."
The beauty of this country has been that we can try to make a difference where we wish. My goal is to seek Justice. I don't accept the defeatist attitude. If Washington pushes this country headlong into a national bankruptcy and takes away our liberty, then we cannot do anything for Hickory and I won't have made any difference. Can't you see that it all goes together?
Look at Geithner's comments about the dollar. The destruction of our currency is at the expense of America's citizens. You and I will pay the price for that. There isn't going to be any money left to do anything for Hickory, if we continue down the path that the state and federal government are leading us down. Soon you may realize that the people down here are in this together and the bureaucracy has been no ally. We have to have fair trade deals, we have to get back to producing products, we have to get people off of the dole, we have to quit throwing good money after bad.... How are Washington or Raleigh helping us to accomplish any of this?
To Ant: You know that I truly respect your opinion. I think you are cool, but many times we have to agree to disagree on certain issues. I completely disagree with that Op-Ed that you floated from the New York Times. The government has been the Numero Uno problem in this Banking Failure in so many ways (Fannie Mae, Freddie Mac, AIG, Goldman Sacs, Wachovia, Bank of America, Merrill-Lynch, The Bonuses, Stock Options, Taxes, Arbitrary Regulation, The Bailouts, The "Stimulus, etc., etc., etc.). And yet, have we seen the bureaucracy accept any culpability?
In my opinion, I have not "demonized" Obama. It has been more than obvious that the President could care less about what we Bachelors of Science in Middle America think. I said one thing about his blame game policies and I am getting lambasted, but that is fine. It is just like the AIG situation where binding contracts don't mean anything. Do honor and integrity mean nothing anymore? I have clearly delineated between fact reports and opinion in everything that I have written. I will continue to express my opinions on subjects.
To Harry: I wish people could hear our private conversations sometimes. They think we march in lock-step. Folks, we have vociferous disagreements sometimes. Harry is a statesman. I am an advocate.
To Mike W.: I have given this President the benefit of the doubt, up to this point, and I have just sat back and kept my mouth shut. But sometimes you have to stand up for what you believe in and I refuse to watch this country continually be bashed for political expediency. These countries do not and never have had interest in America's interests. America needs to protect its interests. The things this President has done have been huge mistakes. We are not going to appease China, if we default on our debt or inflate our currency. Look at what China has been saying about American and World Economics. That is a scary situation.
Check out the video of European Parliament Member Daniel Hannan loudly addressing British Prime Minister Gordon Brown. It is along the lines of what I said about our Bureaucracy and no one is calling him extreme, because rational people realize that it is the truth. Did you know this is one of the most viewed videos on Youtube over the last week?
The Hounds OPINION : As I have stated, I respect everyones opinion and I believe that I have done so. This isn't a newspaper, but I think the information I have provided has been valuable to this community. Me limiting my opinion is not going to make this a better website. You expressing yours is.
Please Wake Up!!! These National and State issues are very much relevant to Hickory's issues. We are by definition in a depression in this area. I know that some people have faired better than others, so they may not realize how much the average person is struggling. Unemployment is around 15% (in the Hickory Metro) today. If you include discouraged workers and part-timers, then that number jumps to about 25% of the local workforce. We all know people that are in this boat. Just think what the numbers are if you include those that are worried about losing their job. I guarantee that well over 50% of the people are in one of these categories. The anxieties are real.
This is not an issue of ego for me. This is an issue of Justice. Our Representatives are not representing us. We are a mere nuiscance to them. The American People don't deserve the blame. How many Credit Default Swaps have y'all been involved in? How many Sub-Prime loans have y'all been a part of? You want me to stay out of National Politics, then please tell the President to quit blaming Middle America for problems created by Washington's Bureaucracy and their special interest buddies.
This blog isn't just about City Council, Downtown, the Police, Hickory Alive, or county government. It isn't about egos or personalities. This blog focuses on the problems of accepting the status quo on all of the issues that we are facing. If you want to stick to reading local papers, to try and figure out what is going on, they are still available. I look at us as being food with flavor. There is always going to be something that someone doesn't like, but everyone can find something here that is palatable, and we do listen to suggestions.
I get stats on the participation of people in this blog -- no specifics. One thing that I notice is that lately no one seems to care about the local issues going on. I have listed specifics about the local situation as far as unemployment, crime, Hickory By Choice, The New Cloninger Mill Park, and other issues. There has been no extremism on the Hound and nothing in this article is extreme other than calling out the extreme path that this President is leading us down. $14 trillion dollars in guarantees and spending under his direction; some Bush's fault, some carried forward that could be stopped, and a lot directly attributable to this President.
I know that some have cast their lot in with this President, no matter what he does, and seem to have a vested interest in seeing him succeed at all costs. I clearly stated that my interest is not about Party Idealism. My interest is in getting this country headed back in the right direction. This is not about Obama. It is about the Republic, Representative Government, and the United States of America. This is about the viability of our nation.
The middle class is not to blame for the current mess that our bureaucracy has gotten us into. As of February 1, 2009, we are at 9% unemployment as a nation, 10% as a state, and 14% in this area. Most of us have not enjoyed the fruits of what has been going on in this country over the last decade. That is not a Democrat or Republican statement. That is an American statement. The President's quote was, "I know that America bears its share of responsibility for the mess that we all face." I am sorry, but America does not share the responsibility. The bloated bureaucracy is solely responsible for any American blame and the cause (out of control spending) of those issues is being exacerbated by this President.
As many have already heard, Abraham Lincoln stated, "You can please all the people some of the time, and some of the people all the time, but you cannot please all the people all the time."
I am never going to please you all and that doesn't bother me, because it is impossible. Most people that have read this blog understand that I have no problem in addressing issues with my opinion, because I am real. And you are entitled to your opinion as well and I have respected those opinions. Point to where anyone has been censored on this blog, other than a couple of profane comments that were expunged.
To Anonymous: As far as the Darth Obama comment, what if I had drawn it as a cartoon. You know I am painting my picture with words. Have you seen Star Wars? Darth Vader was in charge of destroying the Republic and creating a Universal Empire. That is where we are currently heading and the comments that Obama made were made in favor of other nations at the expense of this nation's sovereignty. That is not a radical statement. If you believe that sitting back and letting Washington run the country into the ground because, "If your goal is to let off steam by writing articles blasting everyone and everything with which you disagree, power to you. But recognize that you lose the chance to make any real difference. You can help far more by helping those of us who want to make a local change for the better than crying to the wind about something that, in reality, you cannot make a significant difference."
The beauty of this country has been that we can try to make a difference where we wish. My goal is to seek Justice. I don't accept the defeatist attitude. If Washington pushes this country headlong into a national bankruptcy and takes away our liberty, then we cannot do anything for Hickory and I won't have made any difference. Can't you see that it all goes together?
Look at Geithner's comments about the dollar. The destruction of our currency is at the expense of America's citizens. You and I will pay the price for that. There isn't going to be any money left to do anything for Hickory, if we continue down the path that the state and federal government are leading us down. Soon you may realize that the people down here are in this together and the bureaucracy has been no ally. We have to have fair trade deals, we have to get back to producing products, we have to get people off of the dole, we have to quit throwing good money after bad.... How are Washington or Raleigh helping us to accomplish any of this?
To Ant: You know that I truly respect your opinion. I think you are cool, but many times we have to agree to disagree on certain issues. I completely disagree with that Op-Ed that you floated from the New York Times. The government has been the Numero Uno problem in this Banking Failure in so many ways (Fannie Mae, Freddie Mac, AIG, Goldman Sacs, Wachovia, Bank of America, Merrill-Lynch, The Bonuses, Stock Options, Taxes, Arbitrary Regulation, The Bailouts, The "Stimulus, etc., etc., etc.). And yet, have we seen the bureaucracy accept any culpability?
In my opinion, I have not "demonized" Obama. It has been more than obvious that the President could care less about what we Bachelors of Science in Middle America think. I said one thing about his blame game policies and I am getting lambasted, but that is fine. It is just like the AIG situation where binding contracts don't mean anything. Do honor and integrity mean nothing anymore? I have clearly delineated between fact reports and opinion in everything that I have written. I will continue to express my opinions on subjects.
To Harry: I wish people could hear our private conversations sometimes. They think we march in lock-step. Folks, we have vociferous disagreements sometimes. Harry is a statesman. I am an advocate.
To Mike W.: I have given this President the benefit of the doubt, up to this point, and I have just sat back and kept my mouth shut. But sometimes you have to stand up for what you believe in and I refuse to watch this country continually be bashed for political expediency. These countries do not and never have had interest in America's interests. America needs to protect its interests. The things this President has done have been huge mistakes. We are not going to appease China, if we default on our debt or inflate our currency. Look at what China has been saying about American and World Economics. That is a scary situation.
Check out the video of European Parliament Member Daniel Hannan loudly addressing British Prime Minister Gordon Brown. It is along the lines of what I said about our Bureaucracy and no one is calling him extreme, because rational people realize that it is the truth. Did you know this is one of the most viewed videos on Youtube over the last week?
The Hounds OPINION : As I have stated, I respect everyones opinion and I believe that I have done so. This isn't a newspaper, but I think the information I have provided has been valuable to this community. Me limiting my opinion is not going to make this a better website. You expressing yours is.
Please Wake Up!!! These National and State issues are very much relevant to Hickory's issues. We are by definition in a depression in this area. I know that some people have faired better than others, so they may not realize how much the average person is struggling. Unemployment is around 15% (in the Hickory Metro) today. If you include discouraged workers and part-timers, then that number jumps to about 25% of the local workforce. We all know people that are in this boat. Just think what the numbers are if you include those that are worried about losing their job. I guarantee that well over 50% of the people are in one of these categories. The anxieties are real.
This is not an issue of ego for me. This is an issue of Justice. Our Representatives are not representing us. We are a mere nuiscance to them. The American People don't deserve the blame. How many Credit Default Swaps have y'all been involved in? How many Sub-Prime loans have y'all been a part of? You want me to stay out of National Politics, then please tell the President to quit blaming Middle America for problems created by Washington's Bureaucracy and their special interest buddies.
This blog isn't just about City Council, Downtown, the Police, Hickory Alive, or county government. It isn't about egos or personalities. This blog focuses on the problems of accepting the status quo on all of the issues that we are facing. If you want to stick to reading local papers, to try and figure out what is going on, they are still available. I look at us as being food with flavor. There is always going to be something that someone doesn't like, but everyone can find something here that is palatable, and we do listen to suggestions.
Saturday, March 28, 2009
President Obama blames Us
Overlord Obama's quote: (Video at "Times Online" Link)
"I know that America bears its share of responsibility for the mess that we all face. But I also know that we need not choose between a chaotic and unforgiving capitalism and an oppressive government-run economy. That is a false choice that will not serve anyone. This G20 meeting provides a forum for a new kind of global economic co-operation. Now is the time to work together to restore the sustained growth that can only come from open and stable markets that harness innovation, support entrepreneurship and advance opportunity."
I say this from a position of anger, because I love my country, but I see our country being stolen away by the corruption, incompetence, and greed of the bureaucracy. Why does Darth Obama say, "I know that America bears its share of responsibility for the mess that we all face."
Who does he mean when he says America? I sure know that I have seen 3+ years of contraction in my personal economic outlook and I know many others in similar circumstances, yet our bureaucratic government continues to grow at an obscene pace. The people that have brought the political system to this level of corruption, we are now seeing, are the people that should be held responsible. So Lord Obama, do not cast the average American in with the arrogant ilk that you represent.
The Ivy Leaguers haven't a clue about where they are taking us. Why would they protect and defend the Constitution, when they have no personal constitution. All they stand for is materialism and petty self interests. They expect us to trust them, but why should we ever trust these people. I am certainly not inspired by people that are so quick to play class warfare and always pit groups of people against one another. How many more broken promises and stolen liberties will it take until the majority of the people wake up to the reality of what is going on?
This isn't about party politics to me. The Republicans led us down this road by not following through on their promises. John McCain was a tragic choice for what Republican ideals are supposed to represent. The Republican party has lost its soul. If the Republicans are not going to stand for the Republic, then it is time to dismantle the party. We cannot get to the promised land with directionless, me too, Country Clubbers at the helm.
Who do our representatives represent? From local to national government it is time that our reprentatives begin to represent the whole public and not just Special Interests.. Right now it seems that they only represent those that will help them protect their precious positions and status. The behavior I have seen lately, at so many levels, reminds me so much of a bunch of rats scurrying for survival. I pray every night that it isn't already too late.
God Save the Republic
"I know that America bears its share of responsibility for the mess that we all face. But I also know that we need not choose between a chaotic and unforgiving capitalism and an oppressive government-run economy. That is a false choice that will not serve anyone. This G20 meeting provides a forum for a new kind of global economic co-operation. Now is the time to work together to restore the sustained growth that can only come from open and stable markets that harness innovation, support entrepreneurship and advance opportunity."
I say this from a position of anger, because I love my country, but I see our country being stolen away by the corruption, incompetence, and greed of the bureaucracy. Why does Darth Obama say, "I know that America bears its share of responsibility for the mess that we all face."
Who does he mean when he says America? I sure know that I have seen 3+ years of contraction in my personal economic outlook and I know many others in similar circumstances, yet our bureaucratic government continues to grow at an obscene pace. The people that have brought the political system to this level of corruption, we are now seeing, are the people that should be held responsible. So Lord Obama, do not cast the average American in with the arrogant ilk that you represent.
The Ivy Leaguers haven't a clue about where they are taking us. Why would they protect and defend the Constitution, when they have no personal constitution. All they stand for is materialism and petty self interests. They expect us to trust them, but why should we ever trust these people. I am certainly not inspired by people that are so quick to play class warfare and always pit groups of people against one another. How many more broken promises and stolen liberties will it take until the majority of the people wake up to the reality of what is going on?
This isn't about party politics to me. The Republicans led us down this road by not following through on their promises. John McCain was a tragic choice for what Republican ideals are supposed to represent. The Republican party has lost its soul. If the Republicans are not going to stand for the Republic, then it is time to dismantle the party. We cannot get to the promised land with directionless, me too, Country Clubbers at the helm.
Who do our representatives represent? From local to national government it is time that our reprentatives begin to represent the whole public and not just Special Interests.. Right now it seems that they only represent those that will help them protect their precious positions and status. The behavior I have seen lately, at so many levels, reminds me so much of a bunch of rats scurrying for survival. I pray every night that it isn't already too late.
God Save the Republic
Thursday, March 26, 2009
Why the original Hickory By Choice doesn't work
The Hickory By Choice 2030 Project
An anonymous poster commented in the article "Hickory By Choice 2030 Workshop: 1st Meeting": The original HBC plan was a good one. It was also created under a different city manager, different mayor, different council. Go figure.
Hickory by Choice has not been working. You can't blame Hickory By Choice on any of the city officials that were not present when HBC was instituted in 1999. The ideas behind it really are not implementable without major reconstruction and complete changes of reality. It is basically a dream, because the people behind it wanted to take an industrial city and turn it into a city with a sub-system of villages. We have to build a system around the realities of what people and the market demand, not what government wants to enforce.
The original HBC plan was essentially a scheme of self-preservation to please the Oakwood, Claremont, and other neighborhoods on the "right side of the tracks." It does not take into account the other parts of the city. Those other parts of the city were supposed to somehow fend for themselves within the structure laid out by this stifling Neighborhood Core system. The result: businesses continue to flock to the protected wealth areas of Hickory and the bad side of the tracks continue to deteriorate.
You want a statement of reality? What developer, proprietor, or corporation is going to want to build a neighborhood core around Ridgeview or Southwest Hickory under this current Hickory By Choice plan? They will continue to rot, while 127 and NW Hickory will continue the crowding process.
That neighborhood core (village) system might work in New York City, because NYC is built on a multitude of economies and 17 million people. It isn't going to work here without our local governmental leaders trying to run a completely authoritarian ship. It is like trying to fit a square peg into a round hole. It isn't rooted in common sense, because it only helps those that are already established. It does nothing for start-up businesses or the up and comers who would like to take a chance on a riskier investment(which could lead to a greater reward) on what is perceived as "the wrong side of the tracks."
Market forces must be allowed to dictate commerce. The city can use creative encouragement to try to get businesses into blighted areas and away from what is being over developed, but the original plan looks like a plan that was put together by yuppie housewives. Common Sense shows that the results we have now are the consequences of the original vision. HBC was all about neighborhoods, and business was an afterthought to the equation.There was no taking into account that we need major commerce and industry inside the city limits to occur. That creates jobs for our citizens, while keeping the tax base inside of the city for the city to utilize for the citizen's well-being and quality of life.
Hickory City proper is basically a 5.5 mile by 5.5 mile area. Any commerce that occurs is going to abut neighborhoods. The key is not to run businesses off, because you don't like them. The key is to get neighborhoods to peacefully co-exist with businesses. And that is the order that it has to work. The bourgeois that came up with the original plan must realize that the rest of us have to work and earn a living wage. Most of us aren't able to do this in the society that this city has devolved into.
We don't have the advantage of many cities on the eastern seaboard. They were developed along a river or other body of water. We are landlocked, but we do have the Interstate, Highway, and a great geographical location to take advantage of, but are we fully taking advantage of those opportunities?
We can have a positive vision wrapped around the realities of life! The original HBC was a Utopian's dream. This plan must be rooted in Common Sense and principle.
An anonymous poster commented in the article "Hickory By Choice 2030 Workshop: 1st Meeting": The original HBC plan was a good one. It was also created under a different city manager, different mayor, different council. Go figure.
Hickory by Choice has not been working. You can't blame Hickory By Choice on any of the city officials that were not present when HBC was instituted in 1999. The ideas behind it really are not implementable without major reconstruction and complete changes of reality. It is basically a dream, because the people behind it wanted to take an industrial city and turn it into a city with a sub-system of villages. We have to build a system around the realities of what people and the market demand, not what government wants to enforce.
The original HBC plan was essentially a scheme of self-preservation to please the Oakwood, Claremont, and other neighborhoods on the "right side of the tracks." It does not take into account the other parts of the city. Those other parts of the city were supposed to somehow fend for themselves within the structure laid out by this stifling Neighborhood Core system. The result: businesses continue to flock to the protected wealth areas of Hickory and the bad side of the tracks continue to deteriorate.
You want a statement of reality? What developer, proprietor, or corporation is going to want to build a neighborhood core around Ridgeview or Southwest Hickory under this current Hickory By Choice plan? They will continue to rot, while 127 and NW Hickory will continue the crowding process.
That neighborhood core (village) system might work in New York City, because NYC is built on a multitude of economies and 17 million people. It isn't going to work here without our local governmental leaders trying to run a completely authoritarian ship. It is like trying to fit a square peg into a round hole. It isn't rooted in common sense, because it only helps those that are already established. It does nothing for start-up businesses or the up and comers who would like to take a chance on a riskier investment(which could lead to a greater reward) on what is perceived as "the wrong side of the tracks."
Market forces must be allowed to dictate commerce. The city can use creative encouragement to try to get businesses into blighted areas and away from what is being over developed, but the original plan looks like a plan that was put together by yuppie housewives. Common Sense shows that the results we have now are the consequences of the original vision. HBC was all about neighborhoods, and business was an afterthought to the equation.There was no taking into account that we need major commerce and industry inside the city limits to occur. That creates jobs for our citizens, while keeping the tax base inside of the city for the city to utilize for the citizen's well-being and quality of life.
Hickory City proper is basically a 5.5 mile by 5.5 mile area. Any commerce that occurs is going to abut neighborhoods. The key is not to run businesses off, because you don't like them. The key is to get neighborhoods to peacefully co-exist with businesses. And that is the order that it has to work. The bourgeois that came up with the original plan must realize that the rest of us have to work and earn a living wage. Most of us aren't able to do this in the society that this city has devolved into.
We don't have the advantage of many cities on the eastern seaboard. They were developed along a river or other body of water. We are landlocked, but we do have the Interstate, Highway, and a great geographical location to take advantage of, but are we fully taking advantage of those opportunities?
We can have a positive vision wrapped around the realities of life! The original HBC was a Utopian's dream. This plan must be rooted in Common Sense and principle.
Tuesday, March 24, 2009
Hickory By Choice 2030 Workshop: 1st Meeting
Hickory By Choice 2030
Brian Frazier opened the meeting and gave a general overview of the orientation of what would be happening. He made introduction of Studio Cascade. He talked about the original document and reason for the creation of Hickory By Choice. There is a 16 member advisory committee that will be contributing to this process. They will also be working with City Staff, Studio Cascade, and the Hickory Regional Planning Commission.
Hickory By Choice is a document which is the Future Land Use and Transportation Plan. It is the vision statement and planning principle. It was adopted by Hickory City Council in 1999. For the most part it hasn't seen any amendments even though there were promises that it would be tweaked every year and majorly reviewed and rewritten every five years. The follow up Land Development Code (LDC) was introduced in 2001, which is the law. The LDC has been changed numerous times, because times, demographics, and the economy have changed.
1999 was pretty much the height of Hickory's economic prosperity. Things had changed for better and for worse in the previous 10 years. Things went well the first few years, but the documents now need to be addressed and changed. The LDC is over 430 pages. It needs to be made more user friendly. Hickory By Choice and the LDC need to be made copacetic. There are too many disconnects. The process will take 16 to 18 months. It will be all encompassing. There will be six workshops. Mr. Frazier wants participation.
William (Bill) Grimes of Studio Cascade addressed the workshop participants. He spoke about the demographic changes in the local area since 1999. Family income was a little over $54,000 per year. Household income was $17,000 less. In 2000, 29% of the people had a Bachelor's Degree and 20% of the population had not graduated from High School. Household size is 2.42 people per unit. The median value of the home is $143,000.
He stated that these plans are a monster. Hickory has done quite a bit of planning. They want to incorporate the policies of the smaller, special purpose plans into the LDCs. The comprehensive plans should be long range. The city will use these plans to prioritize what they will be spending their money on. Helps to make decisions about individual land use. It is a long range strategic tool. The development of this plan is an opportunity to let the community participate in the decision making process.
The best plans are built upon community input so that they truly fit the community. If written in a vacuum it will not be successfully implemented. Their needs to be a support system. He is not looking to drastically change the direction of Hickory By Choice. He wants to generate excitement among the populace.
This plan needs to have a large scope and it needs to be vision based. This will help it to be seen through. Plans are only as good as there implementation. Needs to be pragmatic. Elements should include land use, transportation, housing, economic development, the environment, energy, conservation, environmental protection, public facilities, services, utilities, and parks and recreation.
Hickory By Choice basically has not been changed in ten years. It is generalized. The Zoning map should be consistent with Hickory By Choice, but it hasn't been. The plan was supposed to develop neighborhood cores and centers, but our development has been along corridors. There is a definite disconnect. The Land Development Code has to be made more workable. Studio Cascade wants to bring consistency to these documents. This workshop was meant to critique Hickory By Choice.
The Vision is about empowering Hickory By Choice so that Hickory can be what it wants to be in the next 20 years. This is about ironing out our concerns and finding a way to address them. Hickory By Choice was developed during a time of optimism. We need to think about this a little more critically.
The overriding principle was to create a network of neighborhoods, housing, parks, and schools placed within walking distance of shops, civic services, and employment. Mr. Grimes believes this was pretty progressive statement for 1999. The neighborhood cores should only take 5 or 10 minutes to walk to a destination. The neighborhood core was complemented by a commercial core, which is a more intensely developed commercial area. 20% of the city's land was dedicated to industrial use.
The big issues are core development versus corridor. We have developed into corridors and this makes more sense, because of the movement of people. Development of "Cores" will necessitate strong policy intervention. We would have to view that there is something more important than economics. He isn't saying which is right or wrong.
Hickory is going to have to change its identity. How can Hickory change what it is known for. What will Hickory decide to become. The adaptability issue -- this plan will have to allow Hickory change what it is periodically. Identity, flexibility, and adaptation are the issues. Studio Cascade will help create a land use plan that is clear towards this direction and implementable through level policy. The goal is to get past Hickory By Choice (the vision) quickly and into the LDC (the laws) soon.
We tailed off into a group of 5 people (I estimate that there were 75 people at this meeting) and went over a worksheet that included statements on policy documents and goals that are vision related. These pertain to developments over the last 10 years. We were to rate the relative importance between 1(bad/totally disagree) and 5(great/totally agree). Mr. Grimes wanted us to spotlight what we felt were the most important issues.
The main issues that my group discussed were flexibility from any plan, a business friendly environment for development, reducing urban sprawl, reconciling commercial development with reality pertaining to costs and aesthetics, economic development based upon demand of consumers, Public Notification of City Changes in Ordinances by letters, and bureaucrats lack of understanding about what it takes to profit in specific businesses.
The larger group discussion: the first group discussed the inclusion and understanding of green industry, spoke of connectivity of travel, looking at social marketing instead of social engineering -- how do we promote this and get people to buy into it, channeling people to specific developed areas, what is the appropriate use for that, annexation and bringing in outside land, stoplights on 127 and working with the state.
The second group discussed business friendliness, businesses pick an area based upon employee lifestyle, issue of healthcare and the meaning -- does it mean increasing the identity or actual facilities, being change friendly -- environmentally, transportation, development, existing versus new structure development, historical protection versus preservation, redevelopment friendly -- need to be bold and visionary.
The third group wanted to add that we could use more flexibility and carrots towards developing new buildings. Instead of discussing what we don't want (negative), let's focus on what we do want (positive). Let's give density credits to attract businesses to locate in specific areas. Mr. Grimes contributed that this would mean that the community would be more proactive in determining what they would like to see and the city can facilitate the kind of growth that fulfills the vision.
The fourth group stated that we need a plan that is clearly articulated. The world has completely changed. How do we make Hickory attractive.
The Hickory By Choice 2030 Project
Studio Cascade awarded contract at November 4, 2008 City Council meeting
Brian Frazier opened the meeting and gave a general overview of the orientation of what would be happening. He made introduction of Studio Cascade. He talked about the original document and reason for the creation of Hickory By Choice. There is a 16 member advisory committee that will be contributing to this process. They will also be working with City Staff, Studio Cascade, and the Hickory Regional Planning Commission.
Hickory By Choice is a document which is the Future Land Use and Transportation Plan. It is the vision statement and planning principle. It was adopted by Hickory City Council in 1999. For the most part it hasn't seen any amendments even though there were promises that it would be tweaked every year and majorly reviewed and rewritten every five years. The follow up Land Development Code (LDC) was introduced in 2001, which is the law. The LDC has been changed numerous times, because times, demographics, and the economy have changed.
1999 was pretty much the height of Hickory's economic prosperity. Things had changed for better and for worse in the previous 10 years. Things went well the first few years, but the documents now need to be addressed and changed. The LDC is over 430 pages. It needs to be made more user friendly. Hickory By Choice and the LDC need to be made copacetic. There are too many disconnects. The process will take 16 to 18 months. It will be all encompassing. There will be six workshops. Mr. Frazier wants participation.
William (Bill) Grimes of Studio Cascade addressed the workshop participants. He spoke about the demographic changes in the local area since 1999. Family income was a little over $54,000 per year. Household income was $17,000 less. In 2000, 29% of the people had a Bachelor's Degree and 20% of the population had not graduated from High School. Household size is 2.42 people per unit. The median value of the home is $143,000.
He stated that these plans are a monster. Hickory has done quite a bit of planning. They want to incorporate the policies of the smaller, special purpose plans into the LDCs. The comprehensive plans should be long range. The city will use these plans to prioritize what they will be spending their money on. Helps to make decisions about individual land use. It is a long range strategic tool. The development of this plan is an opportunity to let the community participate in the decision making process.
The best plans are built upon community input so that they truly fit the community. If written in a vacuum it will not be successfully implemented. Their needs to be a support system. He is not looking to drastically change the direction of Hickory By Choice. He wants to generate excitement among the populace.
This plan needs to have a large scope and it needs to be vision based. This will help it to be seen through. Plans are only as good as there implementation. Needs to be pragmatic. Elements should include land use, transportation, housing, economic development, the environment, energy, conservation, environmental protection, public facilities, services, utilities, and parks and recreation.
Hickory By Choice basically has not been changed in ten years. It is generalized. The Zoning map should be consistent with Hickory By Choice, but it hasn't been. The plan was supposed to develop neighborhood cores and centers, but our development has been along corridors. There is a definite disconnect. The Land Development Code has to be made more workable. Studio Cascade wants to bring consistency to these documents. This workshop was meant to critique Hickory By Choice.
The Vision is about empowering Hickory By Choice so that Hickory can be what it wants to be in the next 20 years. This is about ironing out our concerns and finding a way to address them. Hickory By Choice was developed during a time of optimism. We need to think about this a little more critically.
The overriding principle was to create a network of neighborhoods, housing, parks, and schools placed within walking distance of shops, civic services, and employment. Mr. Grimes believes this was pretty progressive statement for 1999. The neighborhood cores should only take 5 or 10 minutes to walk to a destination. The neighborhood core was complemented by a commercial core, which is a more intensely developed commercial area. 20% of the city's land was dedicated to industrial use.
The big issues are core development versus corridor. We have developed into corridors and this makes more sense, because of the movement of people. Development of "Cores" will necessitate strong policy intervention. We would have to view that there is something more important than economics. He isn't saying which is right or wrong.
Hickory is going to have to change its identity. How can Hickory change what it is known for. What will Hickory decide to become. The adaptability issue -- this plan will have to allow Hickory change what it is periodically. Identity, flexibility, and adaptation are the issues. Studio Cascade will help create a land use plan that is clear towards this direction and implementable through level policy. The goal is to get past Hickory By Choice (the vision) quickly and into the LDC (the laws) soon.
We tailed off into a group of 5 people (I estimate that there were 75 people at this meeting) and went over a worksheet that included statements on policy documents and goals that are vision related. These pertain to developments over the last 10 years. We were to rate the relative importance between 1(bad/totally disagree) and 5(great/totally agree). Mr. Grimes wanted us to spotlight what we felt were the most important issues.
The main issues that my group discussed were flexibility from any plan, a business friendly environment for development, reducing urban sprawl, reconciling commercial development with reality pertaining to costs and aesthetics, economic development based upon demand of consumers, Public Notification of City Changes in Ordinances by letters, and bureaucrats lack of understanding about what it takes to profit in specific businesses.
The larger group discussion: the first group discussed the inclusion and understanding of green industry, spoke of connectivity of travel, looking at social marketing instead of social engineering -- how do we promote this and get people to buy into it, channeling people to specific developed areas, what is the appropriate use for that, annexation and bringing in outside land, stoplights on 127 and working with the state.
The second group discussed business friendliness, businesses pick an area based upon employee lifestyle, issue of healthcare and the meaning -- does it mean increasing the identity or actual facilities, being change friendly -- environmentally, transportation, development, existing versus new structure development, historical protection versus preservation, redevelopment friendly -- need to be bold and visionary.
The third group wanted to add that we could use more flexibility and carrots towards developing new buildings. Instead of discussing what we don't want (negative), let's focus on what we do want (positive). Let's give density credits to attract businesses to locate in specific areas. Mr. Grimes contributed that this would mean that the community would be more proactive in determining what they would like to see and the city can facilitate the kind of growth that fulfills the vision.
The fourth group stated that we need a plan that is clearly articulated. The world has completely changed. How do we make Hickory attractive.
The Hickory By Choice 2030 Project
Studio Cascade awarded contract at November 4, 2008 City Council meeting
Monday, March 23, 2009
Hal Row's Show this AM about AIG Bonuses
I listen to Hal Row's program every morning. We are very fortunate to have a show such as this in this area. Bob and Sherry, John Boy and Billy, or those guys on 95.1 have no impact on this area, but I guess if you are looking for your fill of mindlessness, then have at it. I think Hal does very well in capturing the sentiments local area people are thinking and what they find important.
This morning he played psychologist and let people vent about the AIG bonus issue. I can understand people being upset about these bonuses after these people have made such bad decisions, but these are valid contracts. The biggest problem that we have with our economy is the issue of trust. If contracts aren't binding, then our society is finished.
It is time to get over the class warfare. The government for years has fomented anxieties between socio-economic classes and they go right down the middle and continue to destroy us all. For people of faith, we are supposed to not covet what others have. Why be jealous towards businessmen over this? If laws were broken, then put the put the buggers in jail; but if laws have not been broken then be honorable and honor these contracts. We may not like it, but it is the right thing to do.
A valuable lesson should be learned from all of this. The Congress and President are trying to divert the public's attention away from their incompetence. We owe $60 trillion in unfunded liabilities towards Social Security and Medicare. I said on Hal's Radio show that those unfunded liabilities are 30,000 times more than these AIG bonuses, but it is actually 300,000 times. That shows how ludicrous these numbers are. That Social Security money is gone. The Social Security "Trust" Fund is anything but trustworthy.
What about the monies being paid towards the President, Congress, and Bureaucrats' salaries and benefits. This country has been run into the ground under their watch. Let's cut their pay. Let's make their pay performance based. Let them go find their own health plan. Let them experience the drop in value of their 401-k. For too long, we have shielded the Buraucracy from moral hazard and we are now suffering the results. Who is regulating our governmental representation?
The guaranteed liabilties towards the banking system are over $14 trillion. Do you think we will get that money back. This is destroying our currency. The AIG money will be chump change, when the Hyper-Inflationary period kicks in. Just think of the people that did the right thing and saved for their retirement. Now that money will lose its purchasing power and security value. What will these retirees do?
The bottom line is that we have issues that deal with a lack of morals at the highest echelons of our government, We are destroying our society. We have no right to dictate how much money someone else earns. We don't have the right to say who deserves what. First they go after the rich guys and then they go after you!!!
Hal said we need to right letters to our Government Leaders. Here is a link to those addresses:
Hickory Regional National and Local Representatives Address List
State House Representative List
State Senator List
Contact for Hickory Government
Contact Catawba County Board of Commissioners
This morning he played psychologist and let people vent about the AIG bonus issue. I can understand people being upset about these bonuses after these people have made such bad decisions, but these are valid contracts. The biggest problem that we have with our economy is the issue of trust. If contracts aren't binding, then our society is finished.
It is time to get over the class warfare. The government for years has fomented anxieties between socio-economic classes and they go right down the middle and continue to destroy us all. For people of faith, we are supposed to not covet what others have. Why be jealous towards businessmen over this? If laws were broken, then put the put the buggers in jail; but if laws have not been broken then be honorable and honor these contracts. We may not like it, but it is the right thing to do.
A valuable lesson should be learned from all of this. The Congress and President are trying to divert the public's attention away from their incompetence. We owe $60 trillion in unfunded liabilities towards Social Security and Medicare. I said on Hal's Radio show that those unfunded liabilities are 30,000 times more than these AIG bonuses, but it is actually 300,000 times. That shows how ludicrous these numbers are. That Social Security money is gone. The Social Security "Trust" Fund is anything but trustworthy.
What about the monies being paid towards the President, Congress, and Bureaucrats' salaries and benefits. This country has been run into the ground under their watch. Let's cut their pay. Let's make their pay performance based. Let them go find their own health plan. Let them experience the drop in value of their 401-k. For too long, we have shielded the Buraucracy from moral hazard and we are now suffering the results. Who is regulating our governmental representation?
The guaranteed liabilties towards the banking system are over $14 trillion. Do you think we will get that money back. This is destroying our currency. The AIG money will be chump change, when the Hyper-Inflationary period kicks in. Just think of the people that did the right thing and saved for their retirement. Now that money will lose its purchasing power and security value. What will these retirees do?
The bottom line is that we have issues that deal with a lack of morals at the highest echelons of our government, We are destroying our society. We have no right to dictate how much money someone else earns. We don't have the right to say who deserves what. First they go after the rich guys and then they go after you!!!
Hal said we need to right letters to our Government Leaders. Here is a link to those addresses:
Hickory Regional National and Local Representatives Address List
State House Representative List
State Senator List
Contact for Hickory Government
Contact Catawba County Board of Commissioners
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