I’m listening to the conversation between Dan Caulkins, former mayor Paul Osborne and Brian Byers on Byers’ radio show and all I can say is, “Silly!”  Grown men arguing like school children on a playground.  Now it’s as clear as can be why our city council has been totally incompetent over the past 3 or 4 years.  It’s so obvious there have been competing, silly agendas that have paralyzed this community and left us in the dust, in comparison to neighborhing communities.  It’s obvious there were agendas regarding the building of a new lake.  Decatur entertaining the idea of paying for a lake  in Forsyth in the past, was completely stupid.  It’s just as dumb as Decatur’s Park District having its’ most profitable golf course in the middle of Forsyth.  Pure stupid.   A smarter thing to do, from a tax revenue standpoint, would be to develop the Hickory Point Golf course into residential neighborhood.  At least Decatur would reap property tax revenue from high dollar housing, instead of making a nicer environment for Forsyth.

I’m tired of it!  Lord, have mercy am I tired of it!  This is a town with close to a 10% unemployment rate and climbing.   My family is a casualty of Decatur’s weak economy and dumb decisions in the past.  Decatur hasn’t attracted a major employer, who pays good living wages, for as long as I can remember.   It’s pathetic that I can count our major employers on one hand.  Our tax base is shrinking.  Over 15,000 residents have left Decatur since I graduated high school in 1989.  We’ve made stupid decision after stupid decision in the past that has crippled Decatur for the past three decades.  The good news is, we can change things.  It’s not too late.

We can make smart decisions.  We can attract employers.  We can grow businesses that are already here.  We can make our neighborhoods better.   We can develop in the Nelson Park area in a smart and fair way.  We can be smart about land that we annex.  Most importantly, this city is full of good, caring, competent people who can make a difference.  We just need to sweep those who are hindering progress, with their silly agendas, to the side.  Whether it’s labor, the Chamber of Commerce, developers, or whatnot – let the people lead and I promise you, Decatur will grow and prosper.  The founding fathers (and mothers) of our country figured that out a long time ago.