Newspaper Page Text
CONTACT US AT P.O. BOX 1027, ATHENS, GA 30603, LEnERS@FLAGPOLE.COM
OR VIA THE “TALK BACK TO US” LINK AT FLAGPOLE.COM
PRUDENCE WITH WATER
Lest the Oconee Enterprise come to regard
itself as the Village Voice, please be aware
that state agencies have reissued a status of
drought on our area. Reservoir water levels
are declining. The OFs Editorial of May 1 is
misguidedly serene: business-as-usual against
all evidence to the contrary, invest in Hard
Labor Creek and Barnett Shoals reservoirs.
And—what was that you said?—accept it as a
fact of life?
I very much DON'T accept it. A reservoir or
two does NOT the rain maketh! Tighten your
belt. The fat century is over, and the lean
times are upon us. God gave us brains for
prudence in stewardship, not large, tutorial
endorsements of our tax dollars spiraling down
a drain of self-serving comfort-driven officials
with outdated reservoir schemes.
Diane Cronin
Oconee County
BIO-LAB REFERENDUM?
The presumption of those who desire to
locate NBAF on the Athens-Clarke/Oconee
county line is that only a small group of
"aginners" criticize this proposition. Writer
Blake Giles (The
Oconee Enterprise,
May 1) attempts
to make a divisive
Republican/Democrat
issue of this legiti
mate concern in our
community. A ref
erendum in Athens-
Clarke and Oconee
Counties (and perhaps others) is required for
measuring the real level of support for the
proposed NBAF location.
We have been supposed to have been
bowled over by the UGA and special-interests
push for this location. Exaggerations as to
future economic benefits and diminution of
the size of Wal-Marts are hardly the conclu
sions of careful stewards of important infor
mation. Some leaders and boosters don't seem
to want to look a gift horse-disease in the
mouth. But it might be a good idea to lake
another look.
Surely it is not lunacy to want the non-
scientific community, especially elected offi
cials, to have a greater understanding of this
project than they presently admit to.
DHS has yet to definitively address traffic
congestion, water supply and consumption,
and waste disposal and holds that more spe
cific plans are necessary for consideration. It
would seem premature to rush to judgment,
given so many uncertainties. But before the
mayor and commissioners assume community
support or act against the best interests of
our wonderful region; shouldn't they at the
minimum learn of their levels of support? Sure
reasoning requires more evidence than has
thus far been received. How about a referen
dum before denigrating the concerns of many?
W. Richard Hargrove
Watkinsville
RE: ACC BUDGET
Pete, I enjoyed your editorial, "Cut It
Out" [Pub Notes, May 7]. I'm one of those
self-described independent "progressives"
who could afford to pay additional taxes,
myself, but who believes now is not the time
to increase the millage rate—that a so-called
tax-and-spend perspective should be reas
sessed, at least for this fiscal year.
What to cut? Good question. Cutting bud
gets is always painful and never brings more
votes for elected officials. But, since you
ask, for example, one approach to budget
cutting would be a
presumed 2 percent
across-the-board cost
reduction for every
program and depart
ment, allowing each
department head to
rebut the presumed
cut—and letting it
be known that those
department heads who make proposed cuts
that are designed to be alarmist (a traditional
response) will have their judgment questioned
and the task assigned to someone else. This
is a form of zero-based budgeting and would
allow the commission to engage in a serious
discussion and prioritization of the true need
and effectiveness of the various programs and
departments.
Reducing personnel through attrition
accompanied by a presumed hiring freeze
might allow certain department heads to pre
fer such a reduction in personnel if balanced
by a needed "above-average" pay increase. For
example, does our police department really
need as many personnel assigned to traf
fic enforcement in non-accident situations?
Would an above-average pay increase better
serve the department?
Delaying any expansion of our bus service
(which I generally have strongly supported)
until the economy improves seems to be a
sensible choice, at least until bus ridership
increases further. Perhaps certain routes
should be redesigned where there is greater
demand elsewhere, at least for this year.
Anyone who has worked in government—at
every level—knows that public officials almost
never recommend a budget decrease for their
department for fear it might reflect that what
they do will be perceived to be less important.
Cutting the budget is possible if the imper
ative is to avoid a difficult economic situation
from becoming worse and creating greater
damage, as apparently has happened in
Atlanta. So, for the time being, the Mayor and
Commission should work together to eliminate
pet projects, or increases to them, for the
common good—and avoid a millage increase.
Jim Ponsoldt
Athens
To* thc
PANCVN4
BY
fcu&EM
ROLLING
MATE
THE MCOCONSERVATIVE
“GIVE ME AN INCH,
i'll Take your yaRP‘
OKAY, NATE. YOU CAN
LEAVE my property now/
*• '• * • *
r WEY, YOUR OCtiSf I PON'T)
BEEN NOSING/' HAVE *
AROUNP MY L A VOQp,
GARPEN NEXT C, NATE
onnP /
BUMPERSTICKER OF THE WEEK:
Shut Up and Eat Your Grits!
Send sightings to ben@flagpole.com
or call 706-549-9523. Thanks.
www.FloraHydroponics.com • 706-353-2223 • Mon-Sat 11am-7pm
2475 Jefferson Rd • Athens * in the Homewood Village Shopping Center
wuog
90.5*
the station with
26,000 watts and
almost as many choices.
www.wuog.org 542.4567
4 FLAGPOLE.COM • MAY 14, 2008
NEWS & FEATURES I CALENDAR I MOVIES I A&E I MUSIC I COMICS 8c ADVICE I CLASSIFIEDS
QIST 8VUNIVERSAL PffESS SYNDICATE 02008 R. gOLtWCr- -699- Wvs/w-to<V^thedaiV:iOQbu9*Co<v^