Several of you have asked about the status of local issues — most of them dealing with the city commission. For a more issues-oriented blog, see Between Rivers by James Jordan. While I'll touch on issues, the main focus here is the political motivations and influences behind the issues.
One reader wants to know whether issues such as ec. dev., the hike bike trail, cleaning up downtown and housing, are still going on. I'd say they are. Some have been more in the news lately than others The City Commission is setting its goals soon, and we'll see where its priorities lay. This will be the first goal setting session with the new commission. Certainly the Lowe's debate has everybody focused on economic development. James Jordan did an excellent job writing stories on each commissioner's views of economic development. Check Traveler online archives in January.
One question I have about all this is whether the commission will work with Ark City Industries and the Home National Bank Crowd after the rift over the Lowe's. Whatever your view of them, AC Industries has had a major impact on development in this town and hold some keys with the ownership of Goff industrial park and some of the people who can drive economic decisions in this community.
In my opinion, it would be too bad if elected officials chose to ingore them in the fallout of the Lowe's decision ....
Subscribe to:
Post Comments (Atom)
8 comments:
Didn't the commission state how they felt about Ark City Industries when they rejected Lowe's? The commission's response was that Ark City Industries did not have what is best for Arkansas City in mind and that they wanted only what was best for Ark City Industries.
Or did the city commission have an ulterior motive working against Ark City Industries?
I agree, Ark City Industries has been the primary developer for industry for decades. Why would the commission reject this work out of hand, not allowing the move forward with no expectation from the city? Why wouldn't the city not only work with, but support the only industrial developer in town?
Local officials have already chosen to neglect them. It was apparent in the Lowe's decision. It appears to be further apparent by them de-annexing the property on Skyline. If they could have worked together that property would have been lined up for something else.
It is obvious that our elected officials are snubbing Ark City Industries, and making no move to work together with them in the future.
Is the city going to spend the money for land, services, manpower and promotions to create their own version of Ark City Industries? Who will run it? How much will it cost? Why are they insistent on spending our money when Ark City Industries is already doing the job for us for free?
Why would they even consider something like this?
Anybody that creates a further rift between AC Industries and Ark City should be tarred, feathered and ridden out of town on a post.
The purpose of Ark City involvement in industrial development is to put use to available and otherwise unused land and to increase tax revenue to benefit Ark City, like every other town in the US. It's a no-brainer.
Any cost will be repaid ten times over with the first landed deal.
By the way, the Lowes deal was to be annexed and was to benefit the City's tax base.
Are the local issues political?
Would the actions of the city, and the commission in general be considered politics? Outside of being elected they don't seem to have much in touch with the public.
How do you define politics? Is it the differences of opinion? A contrast, like the 3 new commissioners versus the 2 that have been on longer?
Is it their personal views? How each sees the effects of policy on the city, or on their businesses, or just on them?
What would it take to bring democracy back? Involve all of us and give each a vote on every subject? Or is anyone still interested?
How do we define politics locally, and how can we use it to our advantage?
I think a response from David Allen would be welcome here....
Thanks for having a spot for local politics. I've been listening to a lot about our city commissioners, but not much of anything about the county commissioners.
A few years ago there was a lot of flap about the different commissioners. What bothers me most is lately we haven't heard anything from them except the jail and the raise for the county administrator.
What are they doing that will impact us? Are they looking for economic development too? How will they help the cities? What little they have done in the past seems to ignore the cities and just respond to the rural parts of the county. People in the cities pay 2/3 of the county taxes, but what do we receive in return?
Gary Wilson is always glad to say nice things, but what does he do? Carmelita Clarkson is usually the devil's advocate, but how does she support progress. Dick Bonfy has the wisdom of years in service, but how does he guide the other two?
We have a lot of concerns at the city level, but that just seems to hide the nothing going on in the county. Does the county recognize that their disregard for the cities is holding back the whole county?
Ark City Industries had a long meeting the other night with the City Commission. It would appear there are some attempts being made to work in the same direction for the good of the city. Why do all of you ignore this and just write about what you want to instead? Why do you ignore something like this? Instead of attacking and criticizing, why aren't you seeing what is really happening? Everyone realizes it is in the best interest of the city for the two entities to work together. It looks that there are plans or attempts for that to happen. You are right about politics on this page and in the city. Politics are what happens when you can't or are unwilling to see past your own outmoded opinions to be be able to understand the position of another.
AC Industries working with the City?
Good for them.
"We mean by 'politics' the people's business - the most important business there is."
- Adlai Stevenson
If it is in the best interest of the 2 entities to work together, why did the commission shoot down the big box development without taking a second look? Wouldn't you think they would have discussed it with Ark City Industries. Or at least discuss it with the developers? Or did they? Were there a lot of secret negotiations we were not aware of?
Back to the issue at hand. Is there any chance that Ark City Industries will be able to work something out with the commission? Will the commission put limits and blinders on Ark City Industries allowing them only to bring in what the commissioners want? And we won't even get into what the people want.
It looks like there has been some kind of break. The questions are, who broke it, and can it be mended?
Post a Comment