When Barry County voters go to the polls Tuesday, November 6, 2007, they will be faced with a simple question: Should Charlton Park remain open?
Now, some will muddy the waters and insist that it's about accounting or oversight or budgets or taxes or whatever their particular grudge/issue, but those people are still concerned about the "sins of the father" rather than what faces us now. They obsess about what went wrong in the past, aren't contributing to fixing the problems now, and have no vision of the future.
You see, it's very simple: no matter what you think about what went on at the park before or what will happen in the future, all that stuff is irrelevant when you go to vote Tuesday. If you vote "no" then the park closes and it doesn't matter how much you are for the park while being against the who, how and when of everything to do with the park. You aren't voting "no" to protest the failures of the past, you're voting to close a valuable asset that hasn't been used to its potential in the past but is on the road to get there NOW thanks to the hard work and dedication of many volunteers. With no other means of remaining open, a "no" vote would assure the end of a unique treasure that is finally on the road to being what many of us think it could be.
The "no" voters seem intent, willing, and able to deny the vast change in the direction of the park in the last year. Of course, the park isn't "fixed" yet, but the "no" voters haven't helped by sitting at the sidelines and throwing rotten tomatoes. If you can't see that the park added events, improved the way it operates, and extended a hand to the volunteers and event organizers who had been shunted aside in the past, then you aren't paying attention. We also can't let our anger at what's gone wrong before blind us to what is going right now. I have seen first hand the hard work and dedication that has gone into correcting the course of the park and I feel those efforts deserve support. A small minority have tried to make the perfect the enemy of the good and point out how things aren't where they should be, but I see a group who's only had a year and has made a lot of progress which shows no signs of letting up as long as voters continue their support.
Last year, a "no" vote was needed to upend the corrupt structure of the Parks and Rec board, but the time has come to recognize that the only way to move forward and to continue to fix and improve the Park is to vote yes. Now, with a new board in place and a renewed commitment to the park, $10-$20 is a small price to pay to allow the continued operation and future improvement of the park.
Of course you may not agree with every decision made in the operation or improvement of the park, but voting "no" doesn't help that. Voting "no" simply closes the park and removes the hope that one day it can be a self-funded educational tool and tourist attraction. If you want to improve the park or change it's direction you can join the Parks Board, volunteer at the park, run for County Board, or you can keep lobbing rotten tomatoes at those doing the job, but the only message a "no" votes sends is to close Charlton Park. Let's send a different message- that we care about the future while we seek to preserve and educate about the past. Let's show that we appreciate the diligent and determined efforts of countless volunteers who are committed to improving and maintaining the park. Say "yes" to Charlton Park.
Remember to vote on Tuesday, November 6.
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18 comments:
One point this post dosen't make clear is that a 'yes' vote is not a vote to increase taxes. A 'yes' vote merely CONTINUES a millage that has been in place for some years.
Charlton Park has had a "master plan" since the early years of the Charlton Park Board's inception. This master plan has been revised and updated several times. If the master plan has not been followed in recent years the fault lies with recent Charlton Park Boards.
One of the original selling points for promoting a dedicated millage was that under the previous custom wherein the BOC appropriated funds on a year to year basis no long term plans could be developed. Therefore, if this millage renewal request is passed (and I truly believe it will)it becomes incumbant on the Charlton Park Board to keep their master plan updated and to submit progress reports yearly. They should report not only what they have accompliished during the previous year but what their plans and visions are for the ensueing years along with budgetary projections.
At last, the PolWatcher is looking at this blog again.
As usual, the whole truth is smoked away with an emotional appeal based on half-truths and innuendo typical of the media prostitutes.
In spite of the spin mistresses appeal, the vote is very clearly NOT about "For or against the Park". The vote is unquestionably about being for or against writing three more years of blank welfare checks without any spending projections other than an increase of $55,000 new dollars and a piece of the action for the City of Hastings Downtown Development Authority
and LFDA(Brownfield Development).
One good reason to support the "Committee" is that it is the only group willing to spend money on advertising in the HASTINGS banner, etc.
The highly-organized power group that is throwing tomatoes, etc.blah, blah, blah hasn't spent one thin dime, hasn't organized a bunch of tear-jerking letters about the good old days, hasn't condemned the political games at play, hasn't lined the highway right of ways with yard signs, hasn't attempted any form of intimidation or threatened to chain up the entrances if they don't get their own way, and has actually made a feeble attempt to point out that all the money needed to operate the Park is comfortably hoarded away in the County Savings Account waiting for some future rainy day.
Asking for a "business plan" since August seems reasonable.
There hasn't been any attempt to update the "Five-Year Plan" since Dr. Peter Forsberg put together the one that is being waved around now.
I have Park records going back to 1999, and I can assure you that what is being touted as great progress has a long way to go just to catch up with the worst Park revenues in the past.
The millage should at least recognize the newly formed and as quickly ignored Barry County Parks and Recreation Commission instead of perpetuating the samo-samo Park Board as heroes of our destiny. That alone tells me to not expect anything but three more years of no accountability and business as usual.
This post continues the rant that lacks substance in favor of belittling those who have repeatedly asked for one good reason to favor the Park funding over every other department of County government except its other three fellows at the trough.
If you don't think operating money should come from special millages then you must be a hater of old people, a devotee of one-man-one-truck, and opposed to all emergency communications.
I have only one question for PolWatcher and the rest of the sheep. Exactly how many surplus dollars are there sitting in the Barry County Special Revenue Fund balances. Every dollar over $3,000,000 is SURPLUS, and I get a slush fund balance over $10,000,000. I challenge you to do a little homework before adding more bull to the pile.
The only message that will be sent by folks who vote "No" wil be that the County has more than enough tax dollars to do their job, and they haven't been intimidated by the lack of imagination of the current Board.
Feliz invierno!
Hasta en la primavera!
Would you like to see a blatant example of a bald-faced LIE?
"When Barry County voters go to the polls Tuesday, November 6, 2007, they will be faced with a simple question: Should Charlton Park remain open?"
Somebody has been playing hookie from literacy classes.
The entire potmarked complextion of this blog is scared with lies and negative innuendo's. The bro's are now feverishly defending themselves by blaming it all on david, now that he is otta there. Google records are factual and may be damning.
Lets see now we are to vote "yes" to save the park, you know the one that no one goes to or they would have operating money from the gate.
But, you want me to vote "no" to continue to fund the 911 system that is there 24-7 to answer calls for help because "barry co. barney" and his sidekick, the chief law enforcement officer in the county, no I mean evans not eagarleth" used the "embezzlment word" last May and we still wait for the investigation to be completed.
Carlton Park should stand on it's own, or like grillo suggest, have the co. comm. use some of their reserve, or are they sitting on it to pay for the new jail???????????
I can't wait for the new millage to pay for barney's hotel.
ts
It would seem to me that just the interest alone on the BOC's so-called "slush fund" would be more than enough to fund the Charlton Park. One problem I can see is that they still couldn't make any long term plans of financial projections.
The suggestion that Charlton Park could ever be self sustaining is pure hogwash and is rooted in ignorance of public institutions that provide a service such as public librarys, our postal system, and interstate highways.
Change does not happen in Barry County by itself.
Capitulation on the part of voters to the hostage taking politicians will lead us down this path again.
When I vote tomorrow, I will be sure to see if the words "close the park" are anywhere in the proposal. If they are not, I will (As all voters should) assume that the closing will be at the hands of politicians, not my own.
Addendum:
Question for Jiminney, how do you propose that BC taxpayers and voters can 'pry' funds loose from the 'slush fund' anytime soon? It seems to me that you're avocating holding CP hostage until the BOCs alter their fiscal policies..... this could take years and in the meantime?
hummer,
Incorrect assumptions.
The Board of Commissioners regularly dips into the treasure chest and regularly deposits excess funds into the savings account. That is where the money went when the COA Building was sold. In a few weeks, there will be an auction at the Slum House Park. In a couple of months, traditionally around Christmas, the six or seven buildings will be demolished. Last year, they bought another house, and just a few months ago they bought more real estate out by the airport. All of these transactions are and will be "off budget".
I assume that you don't have a copy of the 2007 or 2008 County Budgets. Few people have their own copy and even fewer bother to read what is offered free from the third floor of the County Courthouse.
When Michael II had a blog, he suggested that the BOC spends about $30 million a year. The Generous Fund Budget is only $14 million. The difference is smoke and mirrors.
As mentioned by Agnosticrat, it isn't me that will do the hostage-taking, waterboarding of the taxpayers, or foot-dragging. One of the HASTINGS banner's favorite smokescreens is to repeat the threat of Park closure (which has already been modified to allow the Recreation Area to stay open).
Don't use the word "policy", fiscal or otherwise, in the same sentence with the BOC. The only official policies of the BOC have to do with the Personnel Manual. All the rest of what is claimed to be "policy" is word of mouth power and control politics. Whatever Michael I tells Michael II is never challenged and is assumed to be the whole truth without verification. You don't need to pass a course in literacy to become a popular commissioner, and popularity is what elects the BOC.
The time it would take for MI & MII to "pry" funds out for a favorite pork barrel project can be measured in nanoseconds.
Congratulations, to all involved in the renewal of the millage.
I hope the short time allotted will produce the results desired by the Barry County voters.
Congrats on the election victory to all those who've worked so hard to turn things around at the park. Keep up the great work!
dm
Suggestions for the Park Board: You should sitdown and write up your long term goals for the park, update the master plan, make some long range financial projections and publicize the results.
You should analyze the yes and no votes in each township and dtermine where your soft spots are and consider making an extra effort to "draw" these people "in".
You have a wonderful opportunity to get the park back on a firm basis once more.
Nice job!
Time to go back to business as usual, until the money runs out again.
Maybe the committee could be roused for a fundraiser now and again to pay for more ads in 3
years.
By the way, could we include the DDA and the LFDA in those financial reports if they ever materialize? They will get about $15,000 to spend on projects in and around HASTINGS, and we thank all of you out-of-towners for your generosity.
hummer,
You must be kidding!
¿"long term goals for the park, update the master plan, make some long range financial projections and publicize the results"?
¿Why would these things be done , now, if they weren´t important last week?
Jiminney: Through the years the park has had a master plan and long term goals...... check it out sometime you might be surprised.
I have two copies.
I got one during a meeting at the Park, and when I took a good look at it the information was so old it included a financial statement that was three years old. The document had been prepared by Doc Forsberg and was the result of his trying to create a Parks and Recreation Commission that had a broader vision than the Park Board was, and is, capable of grasping. He had sent out surveys, etc. that involved all the Townships, most of which did not respond with intelligence, if at all.
The second was sent to me by George, who thought that a heavy envelope represented lots of new information. To my knowledge , this is the extent of the forward thinking that has been done. When I asked several times for a current plan (in front of the surveyors office) I was told that it was forthcoming the sixth Saturday of September. Sure enough, the current data was available in the middle of October, and was even worse than the obsolete crap the Park Board has relied on for the last five years or more.
The big feature of the plan you are talking about is a pipe dream of building a railroad for millions of tax dollars. I did the homework, and the plan, if followed, would in five years require the entire tax budget of the entire County just to make ends meet.
The only surprise that you could provide me would be that you actually have the documents you are talking about.
If I have time to ride the bus for 45 minutes to the nearest Internet Cafe, you should present me with more than innuendo.
Jimminey: You've done your homework. You rate and A and I flunked. I heard recently that there are some things beginning to stir at the park relative to budgets and long term planning now that funding for the next three years is assured. Let's hope that the board seizes this opportunity and runs with it.I doubt if anything will appear in print until things are firmed up and the ink has dried.
I tried to send this on the last trip to town....
Hummer,
The real tragedy is that Michael II went to the trouble of setting up a policy board (the Barry County Parks & Recreation Commission) in place of the old non-existent figment, “Charlton Park Board”, and then proceeded to emasculate it. (For the benefit of PolWatcher, that means cut its nuts off, which is not normal practice for chiropractors)
The millage should have been to support the BCP&RC, and the pitch would have been that they stood behind the preservation and expansion of Charlton Park, by their sub-committee, the Charlton Park Board, and the presentation would have been a professional “business plan” that any high school kid can bring up on a computer.
The BCP&RC should have received credit for the renewed interest and activity. The credit went to the same old crowd of conservative “the way we have always done it” people who will continue to ride the old horse to its grave.
PW has discovered that since people don’t take the time to do their homework anymore, you can sucker them with emotional bovine excrement. There never was any real resistance to the millage, which I must add is not a continuation. The millage has always been in addition to your regular taxes in spite of the media spin to make you think it won’t cost you anything. “Free” always sells newspapers. You can expect the same line of Barnumism when the 911, COA, and Transit operating millages come up again.
Rather than admit that you didn’t do any homework, I would have preferred that you did some and discovered on your own that the Park used to bring in a lot more revenue. You won’t get that information from the folks who like the way things are going, but if you work hard at it you will see that the current flurry of posturing is nothing compared to what was done from 1999 on for a few years. When the County Board railroaded extra Commissioners onto the Park Thingie, and fired Doc and hired the incompetent “Yes, Maam!” the crash of activity, revenue, and volunteerism makes for an exciting graph. The stairway out of the basement is all you will get from the new Committee to Preserve the Welfare Money.
It amuses me that you think the leaderless “Park Board” somehow has an incentive to become transparent, when they have a guaranteed annual income for three more years, without doing anything. I was sort of hoping you could continue the rant while I am farther from the Wi-Fi Hot Spots, but you would need to get the “whole truth” source documents, first. You won’t find it in the local press. Millage committees buy lots of advertising.
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