Sunday, May 04, 2008

Couple of things

- Um, you run over my foot in a careless fashion, and you'll be lucky if the only thing I do is kick your bumper.

- My forum, as well as some additional explanations, on the funding of the East Athens Development Corporation and Hancock Corridor Development Corporation for your reading pleasure.

- J.T. was nice enough to publish said forum, but I'm torn on his piece on the 'insensitivity of the mayor and commission because it doesn't approach it from the 'this is the perception of this community' angle, but falls back on the 'four commissioners live close to Cobbham and Five Points' angle. I just don't see how that makes for a compelling counterargument to the increase in the millage rate. While I think Don raises some good questions by focusing on the property reassessments, J.T.'s column feels more disjointed to me in the sense that he's trying to connect some issues which are related. I get his larger point, even if I don't necessarily agree with it, but it seems hard to say that the millage raet increase isn't an economic issue when, in fact, it really is one.

- That said, I agree with this.

- Isn't labeling Jimmy Carter an 'angry man' kinda, well, completely wrong? You may not like Carter's views or actions, but to say he's some angry, bitter person in the vein of either Zell Miller or Jeremiah Wright only suggests to me that Bill Shipp needed a few more paragraphs to fill out his column.


Anonymous Anonymous said...

J.T. is the one really out of touch, I think.

He complains, in his editorial, that the M&C made a few people mad by not giving them a ton of money that they really should not have for reasons previously cited.

He complains that the government shouldn't make a few people mad for trying to meet the demand for services that they have repeatedly demanded.

Trying to tie together a bunch of unrelated issues that have, collectively, upset a handful or people and calling that "out of touch" is ludricous.

Whatever happened to we elect people to study the issues and make the hard decisions? Every hard decision makes somebody unhappy, doesn't it?

His rant on the trails is also pretty stupid. It's just an idea and nobody knows how much it will cost or whether it will even cost a penny. Nobody knows whether the M&C, other than Carl, will even like the idea.

Sometimes I really think the M&C should not ever tell anybody about anything until they've decided whether they want to vote it up or down because the media is always grabbing onto to these suggestions and possible issues and totally jumping everything that even resembles a shark.

BTW - I actually met JT for the first time, yesterday. Seriously. I had never met the man, before. Given my level of activity in this community for about the last 25 years, I'd say that says a whole lot more about him than it does me.

Feel free to disagree.


4:28 PM  
Blogger jmSnowden said...

J.T. pointed out that a mostly in-town commission is increasingly enacting and funding in-town and niche desires to the extent that they cannot control their own budget. He also points out that rather than control spending; commissioners continue to push pet projects which require more money this city does not have.

I think judging someone’s involvement in this community by whether or not they have met you is pretty arrogant and grandiose. You’ve done a fine job of furthering the perception that some people in this town believe everyone else adhere to some code of where to eat, live, shop and hang out, lest they be left out.

4:54 PM  
Blogger Jmac said...


I don't necessarily agree with this assessment Jeff in the sense that regardless of them being 'in-town' or 'out-of-town' the growth of the budget has substantially more to do with the increase in the cost of delivering the services rather than a rapid expansion of pet projects. Granted, as with any budget I'm sure there are areas to trim up a little bit, but the primary reason for the proposed millage increase is the simple fact that a lot of things cost a whole heck of a lot more (that and our population continues to steadily grow meaning we have more services to provide to more people).


Now, I just respectfully disagreed with Jeff, and I'm going to return the favor here Al ... regardless of the cost - and it's going to cost something - it's not exactly the smartest thing in the world to pitch an idea that would include either forcible acquistion of private property or an expenditure of public money to acquire private property for what truly is a pet project and then not expect to face some criticism for it.

I can concede that J.T. might have tried to connect too many dots here, but, at the same time, I can't fathom how you can expect to ask folks to pay more in taxes because existing services cost more and then say we need X amount of more money for this project which only will serve a small percentage of the population.

That doesn't mean I think Carl's out of touch, but I do think it means some priorities are mixed up in light of the impending concern over rising property costs and potential millage rate increases.

6:38 PM  
Anonymous Anonymous said...

Whoa, there's a difference between Jim as a person, and Jim as editorial writer.

The Jim I know helped me when way back (in Betsy Shearron's days-I do NOT think that is how she spelled her maiden name, but we went to highschool together) when she would toss me esp. poverty related stories to do a free-lance piece on from time to time.

And when I showed up at various commission and planning dept stuff for WUGA, showed me where to find the white book under the podium for the public, would ask me what I was working on and then deliberately let me overhear conversations between him and some other folks, knowing I was listening, and needed the background for anything I might produce to make sense, lol. He is a generous person, professionally, for sure and double sure. I have always had a few good friends at the paper over the years, or felt as if I did, anyway...

I don't know how you two have missed each other over the years, Al, either. But then, to be honest, I have always needed Jim, or access to something or someone Jim knew or could find for me at the paper, way more than he needed me.

I'm kind of surprised you haven't made the same realization, and sought him out yourself. AND been respectful and helpful to him and his fellow staff at the paper at every opportunity to boot. They actually called me to let me know Jerry Garcia had passed, and get the name of another friend to put into the story, too! I have learned FROM them folks over there that they love hot tips, deep background, off the record, on the record, w/flatter you w/calls for the real story behind stuff, ask you who they should call to get a quote when you can't give one, thank you every time you link something to them, every time you tell a candidate who they should talk to over there, stuff like that.

Never mind it can actually pay off in some weird hotel california kind of way when it comes time to try to beg, borrow or buy cheap advertising for those rare occassions when you're not doing a non-profit thing, but are running, say, a political campaign. (sorry, couldn't resist that one, Al).

Then there are all the worthy causes I've had some event or another going on for over the years, in which case you go to beg for a line in the calendar, or a PSA, or even, if you're really lucky, a mention, or COVERAGE (sometimes they even send a photographer!)or an actual story w/a byline and everything.

I am not always happy w/the ABH, but I think even through some doozies of editorial staff they've had over the years over there, there have always been GOOD people there, well worth knowing. Such is Jim.

I mean, c'mon, you gotta love anyone who bikes to work for a week, Al I feel certain you would like him very much.

I'm sorry you haven't known him all this time, I don't claim a personal friendship w/him, but he's been an exceedingly valuable contact for me for a long time.

I hope you know I am not meaning to be harsh here, you know I have a deep and abiding respect for you and your craft. You da best.

It's Sunday, and beautiful, and I feel like I have pulled my arms out of their sockets trying to drain out and clean the inside of my rain barrels, which got gross and smelly as all get out over the winter, sighs... and am not touching the rest of this issue or rather any of the issues in this post w/a ten foot pole. Unless anyone here knows where I could find one of those ;)

I am going to walk around my yard to see if the backbreaking weeding and stuff has paid off at all this beautiful Beltane weekend, and leave you guys to solve poverty, institutional racism, editorial stylings, or the lack thereof and all the other good stuff JMac has given us to ponder.

Until later,

8:04 PM  
Anonymous Anonymous said...

Given that Commission districts are carved up based on equalizing population, and given that most of ACC's population lives within the loop, why is it any surprise that at least 4 commissioners live "in-town"? Is this the sum total of JT's grand conspiracy thinking? If so, it's pretty thin gruel.

PS: David Lynn, George Maxwell, and Harry Sims also live inside the loop!

8:39 PM  
Anonymous Anonymous said...

PPS: My PS meant to say that Carl Jordan, George Maxwell, and Harry Sims also live inside the loop!

8:42 PM  
Blogger jmSnowden said...

"They actually called me to let me know Jerry Garcia had passed"

Easily the best line in this thread.

8:36 AM  
Anonymous Anonymous said...

the first poster makes some excellent points but missed one that I found particularly troubling with Thompson's serial ranting about stuff he knows nothing about - the time frame. Not only are there no facts about costs but there is also no known facts about WHEN this might happen. It does not have to happen at the same time as the sewer line installation - which will take years.

All the whining about "in these tough times" and "in this tight budget year" has no context with regard to this idea that hasn't even been proposed in an actionable way.

10:42 AM  
Blogger hillary said...

serial ranting about stuff he knows nothing about

This is sort of the definition of daily editorials, right? It's going to be true a lot of the time, at any rate.

5:05 PM  

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