Prudence With Water

originally published May 14, 2008

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 OE’s 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large, tutorial endorsements of our tax dollars spiraling down a drain of self-serving comfort-driven officials with outdated reservoir schemes.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?

originally published May 14, 2008

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 legitimate concern in our community. A referendum 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 conclusions of careful stewards of important information. 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 officials, 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 specific 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 referendum before denigrating the concerns of many?

W. Richard Hargrove

Watkinsville

RE: ACC Budget

originally published May 14, 2008

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 reassessed, at least for this fiscal year.

What to cut? Good question. Cutting budgets 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 department, 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 prefer 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 traffic 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 imperative 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