|
TODAY'S
ISSUE
Local
bankers know area, serve in many capacities
By Otis White
Reprinted with permission
(Editor's Note: Otis White of Atlanta. a public
policy consultant, is a columnist for Governing magazine This
article first appeared in a recent New York Times, and is re-published
with permission from the author.)
AUG. 4, 2006 -- After winning re-election as New Orleans's mayor,
C. Ray Nagin promised a new beginning and an economic boom for his
city fueled by federal financing for reconstruction. But in fulfilling
that pledge, Mr. Nagin and his fellow Gulf Coast political leaders
lack a vital resource that their predecessors had: strong and engaged
local bankers.
One example would be Donald E. Powell, President Bush's coordinator
for Gulf Coast rebuilding. Mr. Powell built a career the old-fashioned
way: starting out as loan officer at a savings and loan in his hometown,
Amarillo, Tex., and working his way to the top. By 1987, he was
the chief executive of First National Bank of Amarillo and, in time,
he wore every civic badge worth wearing. Had disaster struck Amarillo
in the mid-1990s, Mr. Powell could have stood at the front of the
room and told federal officials every project worth supporting and
every politician to avoid.
Bankers rarely lead cities that way anymore, and their exit from
the stage speaks to how communities have changed and why it may
be harder to mend them when disasters strike.
From the 1950s to the 1980s, bank chiefs ran important companies,
but that wasn't why they were powerful. Their power came from perpetual
involvement in civic work, an intimate knowledge of their communities
and their occasional boldness.
Ivan Allen Jr., the former mayor of Atlanta, wrote about a meeting
with the president of Citizens and Southern National Bank, Mills
B. Lane Jr., in the mid-1960s. Mr. Allen wanted to bring major league
baseball to Atlanta but lacked a credible plan for building a stadium.
"How bad do you want this stadium, Ivan?" Mr. Lane asked.
"Bad."
"You got it," said Mr. Lane, who added that he would
pledge the full credit of his bank to build the stadium and that
he and other local executives would oversee construction.
Mr. Allen was stunned that Mr. Lane was willing to venture the
bank's money on such a speculative civic project, but such things
were possible in the 1960s because banks were joined at the hip
to their communities. The law prohibited bank companies from owning
banks outside their home states and sometimes even outside their
home counties. So Citizens and Southern could grow only if Atlanta
grew, too.
And today? In most cities, the chief executives of the largest
banks are no more involved in civic work than the branch manager
of IBM. That's because, since the 1980s, bank-holding restrictions
have eased, local banks have been bought by out-of-state companies
and the people who run the banks have become branch managers themselves.
Bank presidents have become corporate nomads. A few years ago,
I calculated how long bank executives from First Union Bank (now
part of Wachovia Bank) stayed in Atlanta. From June, 1994 to September,
2000, there were three regional chief executives. The average tenure
was 20 months, barely time to attend a few chamber of commerce meetings,
much less to lead the organization.
The decline of bankers as leaders has made cities more dependent
on political leadership. There are few Mills Lanes around to instruct
mayors on how to get things done.
Nor are there many bankers left with the knowledge or authority
to invest their banks' resources in bold rebuilding efforts. But
as the main federal contact for congressional, state, local and
private leaders in supporting the recovery of the Gulf Coast, Mr.
Powell must already be painfully aware of their passing.
ELLIOTT
BRACK
Run-offs will see minority of voters nominating
candidates
By
Elliott Brack
Editor and Publisher
GwinnettForum.com
AUG. 4, 2006 -- Here we go again.
Brack |
Georgia holds a runoff primary in both the Republican and Democratic
parties on Tuesday. Turnout is expected to be low throughout the
state, even though there are statewide races in both parties.
The abysmally low number of people who vote is bad enough. For
instance, in the first round of voting 17 days ago, only 22 per
cent of those registered to vote in Georgia went to the polls. (In
Gwinnett, that figure was 18.8 per cent, also low.)
But mark this down: if more than ten per cent of Georgians registered
vote in the run-off, it'll be surprising. What this does, of course,
is to give tremendous influence to the majority of the few voters
who nominate candidates to be their party's standard-bearer in the
November elections. And with there being no opponent in the fall
for many primary candidates, that means this minority actually puts
some of these candidates into office.
Lamentations by state officials and the media over the low voter
turnout won't help. It'll happen just as sure as hope spring eternal
even this year for Braves' fan(atic)s.
In local runoff races, the candidates facing one another will benefit
from there being at least statewide races in both parties to bolster
a turnout. If a local runoff was set without statewide races, the
voter turnout in that particular county would be even less.
It's easy to predict the winner, the old political saw goes: the
candidate who gets his or her supporters to return to the polls.
But in a runoff, there is another saying: "Anything can happen."
Many times the candidate who placed second in the initial voting
winds up winning in a runoff.
Key runoffs:
Lieutenant Governor, Democrats: Jim Martin versus Greg Hecht.
If betting, our money would be on Martin.
Secretary of State, Republicans: Karen Handel up against
Bill Stephens. We remember Ms. Handel from her days at Ciba Vision
and with the North Fulton Chamber. We wish her well.
Secretary of State, Democrats: Gail Buckner versus Darryl
Hicks. It's a case of a former statehouse member (Buckner) against
a former corporate executive with Atlanta Gas Light Resources. We
rate this as a toss up, though Mrs. Bucker came out ahead in the
first voting.
Agricultural Commissioner, Republicans: Gary Black versus
Brian Kemp. Black is perhaps better organized statewide. The winner
will face the longest serving state official in Georgia, Tommy Irvin,
in November.
Fourth District Congress, Democrats: Cynthia McKinney vs.
Hank Johnson. We suspect Cynthia's people are more rabid, and will
turn out stronger.
Fourth District Commissioner: locally, there's one race:
Kevin Kenerly vs. newcomer Jodie Rosser This has been a tough race.
We suspect Kenerly will win, but would not be surprised at an anti-Kenerly
vote pushing Rosser into office. You wonder how the revelations
of the shenanigans of Billy McKinney, a Rosser backer, will affect
this race.
We'll see. Get out and vote, and encourage your neighbors, even
to the point of offering them a ride. If you don't vote, don't bicker,
for you didn't choose to help decide the outcomes.
ABOUT
OUR SPONSORS
 The
public spiritedness of our sponsors allows us to bring GwinnettForum.com
to you at no cost to readers. Among our sponsors is AJC Gwinnett
News, the county's best daily news source. AJC Gwinnett News
is published by the Atlanta Journal-Constitution at its Norcross
printing plant and comes with the full AJC every day. Visit their
web site at www.ajc.com and look for the Gwinnett channel at www.ajc.com/gwinnett.
To subscribe to the newspaper, call 770 522-4141.
For a list of other sponsors of this forum, go to: http://www.gwinnettforum.com/about/sponsors.htm
McLEMORE'S
WORLD
8/4: Modern competition
The latest great cartoon from Bill McLemore:
FEEDBACK
8/4: Who says that public school year should
be 180 days?
Editor, the Forum:
I liked your article about school year starting early! It is complicated.
There is one solution, however, that always seems to be overlooked
because it may be the "sacred cow" that needs to be sacrificed!
Who ever dictated that there had to be 180 school days in a school
year? Knowing the system, the days spent on endless standardized
testing, etc., I say we could get just as efficient a job done if
we truly examined what we were doing with the children, and do it
just as well in 170 days. Just a thought!
-- E. Scott King, director, Atlanta Academy of Language Learning,
Inc.
Dear Scott: Public schools in Georgia are required
by state law to provide 180 days each year. It is not debatable…..under
present law. --eeb
UPCOMING
Walt
Britt to speak at Chamber's Success breakfast Aug. 11
The August meeting of the Success Lives Here Seminar will feature
Buford Defense Attorney Walt Britt on August 11.
With Chandler, Britt, Jay & Beck, LLC, Britt will share his
secrets to success. His areas of the field are criminal defense
and election law. He has been named a "Georgia Super Lawyer"
by Atlanta Magazine and voted "Best Attorney" by Inside
Gwinnett.
Britt, a native of Gwinnett, is a graduate of Mercer University
and the Atlanta Law School, and is a member of the following: State
Bar of Georgia (Member, Criminal Law Section); Georgia Association
of Criminal Defense Lawyers (Life Member & Member, Board of
Directors); and, National Association of Criminal Defense Lawyers.
Also, Mr. Britt's ponytail has been featured in Atlanta Magazine
and various editorial cartoons in newspapers.
The meeting is at 7:45 a.m. on August 11 at the Sugarloaf Country
Club. Cost is $35 for Chamber members; $45 for non-Chamber members.
Registration deadline is August 9, 2006.
Business in Gwinnett
Expo set by Chamber on August 17
The 2006 Business in Gwinnett (BIG) Expo and Job Fair is to be
held August 17 at the Convention Hall at Gwinnett Center, under
sponsorship of the Gwinnett Chamber of Commerce.
Activities include a general membership meeting at 11:30 a.m. featuring
Sen. Johnny Isakson. The show begins at 1 p.m. and ends with a Business
After Hours event at 5 p.m. In between will be an auto show, Job
Fair, educational seminars and a fashion show.
Gwinnett property
tax bills go out during month of August
Gwinnett County 2006 property tax bills will be mailed in August.
As in the past, this billing will be the only one mailed. It will
include two payment coupons and two reply envelopes for both installment
payments. Taxpayers should mail the payment coupons with their payments.
Taxpayers making installment payments must pay at least the first
installment amount indicated on the bill by Oct. 15, 2006, or they
may pay the entire amount by this date. The second installment is
due Nov. 15, 2006. Installments not paid by the stated due dates
will have a five percent penalty added to the installment amount.
In addition, interest will begin to accrue at the rate of one percent
per month beginning on Nov. 16.
For assistance, taxpayers should call the Tax Commissioner's Tax
Talk 24 line at (770) 822-8800, or e-mail the Tax Commissioner's
Property Tax Department at
Propertytax@gwinnettcounty.com.
NOTABLE
County
plans new park in area off Old Peachtree Road
Development of a new community park is underway between Lawrenceville
and Buford on 113 acres bounded by Old Peachtree, Rock Springs and
Spriggs Roads. Construction documents will be prepared by Lose &
Associates under a $310,000 contract approved Tuesday by the Board
of Commissioners. Construction work is scheduled to begin next summer.
A citizen steering committee helped create a master plan for the
park last year after the County acquired the last 50 acres. The
original land purchase of 63 acres was in 2002. The park construction
is funded by the 2005 special purpose local option sales tax (SPLOST)
program.
Major elements in the first phase of development include: a new
lighted football complex with a walking track and concession/restroom
building; a tennis area with six lighted tennis courts and restroom
building; a picnic pavilion/playground area with irrigated lawn/open
space area; approximately three miles of multi-purpose and natural
surface trails; plus parking, access roads and a park maintenance
building.
Gwinnett to get two
awards at national county confab
Gwinnett County will be recognized with two national Achievement
Awards for "responsible, responsive and effective county government."
County Commission Chairman Charles Bannister will accept both awards
at a ceremony at the National Association of Counties conference
on Sunday, August 6. The programs will be used as role models by
other U.S. counties.
One award recognizes Gwinnett's GIS Situational Awareness program
that uses an aerial photography database to make available photos
of all four sides of any building in the county to firefighters
and SWAT teams in their vehicles. Other governmental agencies including
the Tax Assessor, the Fire Marshal, the District Attorney, land
acquisition, and the school system also use the technology and shared
in its development cost.
The second award is for an innovative Trench Rescue Information
program that is working to educate contractors and property owners
about the hazards of collapsing trenches. Begun by Gwinnett firefighters,
the program is now co-sponsored by various public and private groups
in partnership with the federal Occupational Safety and Health Administration
(OSHA) and Georgia Tech. The County also produced an award-winning
DVD on trench safety as part of the program.
Bannister specifically cited Barry Puckett of Information Technology
and David Dusik of Fire and Emergency Services for their efforts
on behalf of the two winning programs.
RECOMMENDED
- An invitation: What
Web sites, books or restaurants have you enjoyed? Send us your
best recent visit to a restaurant or most recent book you have
read along with a short paragraph as to why you liked it, plus
what book you plan to read next. --eeb
GEORGIA
TIDBIT
First reports
of gold in Georgia came from Milledgeville paper
There are several popular stories of the beginning of Georgia's
gold rush; but in fact, no one is really certain who made the
first discovery or when. According to one anecdote, John Witheroods
found a three-ounce nugget along Duke's Creek in White County. Another
says that Jesse Hogan, a prospector from North Carolina, found gold
on Ward's Creek near Dahlonega. Yet another finds a young Benjamin
Parks kicking up an unusual-looking stone while on the lookout for
deer west of the Chestatee River in 1828.
Gold
mining |
Despite the popularity of these claims, no documented evidence
for gold in Georgia is found until August 1, 1829, when a Milledgeville
newspaper, the Georgia Journal, ran the following notice.
"GOLD. A gentleman of the first respectability in Habersham
County, writes us thus under date of 22d July: 'Two gold mines have
just been discovered in this county, and preparations are making
to bring these hidden treasures of the earth to use.' So it appears
that what we long anticipated has come to pass at last, namely,
that the gold region of North and South Carolina, would be found
to extend into Georgia."
THOUGHT
OF THE DAY
Winston Churchill on
the subject of fanatics
"A fanatic is one who can't change his mind and won't change
the subject."
-- Sir Winston Churchill (1874 - 1965).
ADDITIONAL
UNDERWRITER
Seersucker Suit Society
An additional special underwriter today is the Seersucker
Suit Society. You can be cool and crisp during the summer
when you sport a seersucker suit. It works for both men and women
during the warmer weather, and epecially during Dog Days. You
will find that those who are attired in other hotter suits and
outfits will admire your style when you wear seersucker suits.
They are classics! These great suits don't get out of fashion,
and can last for years. Do your part by striking a blow for fashion
(and coolness) by proudly wearing your seersucker in good taste.
Visit
our web site to learn more.
SEND
YOUR FEEDBACK
Send your thoughts, 55-word short stories, pet peeves
or comments on any issue to Gwinnett
Forum for future publication.
===========================================
MORE: Contact Gwinnett Forum at: elliott@gwinnettforum.com
© 2006, Gwinnett Forum.com. Gwinnett Forum
is an online community commentary for exploring pragmatic and sensible
social, political and economic approaches to improve life in Gwinnett
County, Ga. USA.
|
