Friday, July 17, 2009

Couple of things

- A pair of Oconee County schools were 'almost' investigated, which is kind of like how the Athens-Clarke County Commission 'almost' violated the state's sunshine laws.

- We've seen a lot in the news recently about Bigger Vision, and folks should be encouraged to support the organization. It provides an essential service that, quite frankly, no one else is willing to do, but ... there are some concerns that are being glossed over in these forums and letters. The organization, by my last check, still had not completed the necessary work to become a 501(c)3 non-profit organization. Likewise, despite repeated pleas for funding, my church - thanks in large part to my advocacy - allocated a portion of money from its missions budget for Bigger Vision. Our church policies state that a copy of the 501(c)3 status was required. Despite being approached by a well-meaning supporter of the organization who made the initial request, I never heard anything from them. I, as well as others from my church, made repeated attempts to reach various individuals involved with Bigger Vision to inquire about their non-profit status and find a way to deliver an already approved payment and heard nothing. It's fine to solicit funding for an arguably worthy cause, but it's another to have all your ducks in a row and be able to effectively manage that funding. My experiences with Bigger Vision suggest they may not be able to do so.

- I would question the logic of the developer seeking to go through this song and dance again. It's obvious that, as Athens-Clarke County District 10 Commissioner Mike Hamby pointed out, Publix won't build a pair of stores roughly side-by-side, so that's one strike. Another one, of course, is the almost unified opposition to the project by the neighborhood, as well as the fact that previous plans approved by the community in 1970 stipulate leaving the proposed area untouched.

- There are a lot of typos in this week's The Oconee Enterprise.