Moving Dollars Around Isn’t Growth

2012-01-25T17:39:00.002-05:00

For as long as I can remember, Albany’s plan for economic development has always centered on building up, or rejuvenating specific geographical sections of our community. When I was a kid, the buzz was all about expansion efforts in Northwest Albany. The Albany Mall, Wal-Mart, and a host of mini-strip outlets, slowly drove the vast majority of shoppers and businesses away from our core, and out to the burbs and beyond. All was well.

The future seemed bright until we turned around to see the big empty spot where retail was once king; Downtown Albany. As businesses left there, government and professional offices moved in. Vital aspects of our city to be sure, but not the sort of development that one can get excited about. Then SPLOST money and other government funded programs gave us a “new” downtown. The multi-million dollar Flint Riverquarium, Ray Charles Plaza and the riverfront improvements, The Hilton Garden Inn, upgrades at Thronateeska Heritage Center, including a one-of-a kind planetarium, and a revitalized CVB Welcome Center at the Riverhouse, all played a role in our efforts to turn Downtown Albany back into the center of social and economic strength it once was.

Yet, we still struggle. True, this may not be the best time in the economy to take an honest look at how we are doing in Albany, but it’s not something we can put off. The offerings of the Northwest retail districts, Lee County, and Downtown Albany, all have merit and play a key role in our future. The problem is not the ideas, or the geography. The problem is the people. We just don’t have enough people, with enough money to spend here, to keep all segments busy at the same time.

With large plant closings, a rising crime rate, and other concerns, our population has steadily dropped. This leaves businesses and our attractions fighting for those remaining pocket books. If Downtown takes off like everyone hopes it will, there will be a drop in business somewhere else. We desperately need to attract new people to Albany, either as visitors, shoppers, or residents. That is the only way we will have real growth.

It’s never a good sign when regional attractions such as Chehaw and Riverquarium spend so much of their time, money, and effort to get the local community through the doors, and even to become a “member” of their organization. They are failing to understand that their real value to the community is not what they can do for us, but what they can do to attract visitors, dare I say, tourists, to the Good Life City.

I’ve used this example before, but it’s a good one. Back in the mid-90s I lived in St. Augustine, Florida. I served on the marketing committee of the St. John’s County Chamber of Commerce. Not once, in all the many development meetings I participated in, was there any concern given to how best to get the locals into the Wax Museum, The Spanish Fort, The Old Jail, or Ripley’s Believe It or Not Museum. They understood the basic math. Getting that demographic to spend money at the attractions was simply moving the local dollars around. It would add no new growth to the local economy. Their focus was on regional and national marketing programs and ad campaigns. That can be expensive, but it’s a certainty that any revenue generated was new money, not recycled money. Now, I’m not saying that we are on par with such a tourist centered economy as St. Augustine, but we can learn something from them.

Instead of our attractions all competing for local attention and wallets, they should combine their limited marketing budgets with the major hotels, restaurants, and the local arts institutions to develop a single message about Albany, and how we can be a great “weekend get-away”. That message should be delivered to the major cities around us like Tallahassee, Columbus, Jacksonville, Macon, Savannah, and even Atlanta. We should never hear about it. Those of us that have lived here for a long time, may not easily see what a great offering we have, but to those living in larger metropolitan areas, we make a great mini-vacation location to get away from the fast pace they are accustom to.

But our attractions and institutions do not work together to that mission. They see each other as competition, not partners. Nobody wants to surrender any control of their own message, so instead of having one powerful story to tell the outside world, we have half a dozen short stories we keep telling ourselves over and over, wondering why things don’t change.

Albany’s historical, territorial attitude, that keeps us debating on which portion of our community we should support, leads to our collective loss in serious growth. Maybe these hard times will force us to speak with one voice that will put new dollars in our one pocket called Albany.

The Run-Off Is Ours To Define

2011-11-09T14:59:00.001-05:00

We have a run-off for mayor in Albany between B.J. Fletcher, a local businesswoman, and former City Commissioner Dorothy Hubbard. Former State Representative, John White forced the run-off with his third place showing. So here we are. Regardless of the final outcome, it is a turning point for our Albany. It will be the first time a woman has served as our mayor. That will be interesting to see, but is there more to this? Albany needs a substantive change in direction. Is this it?

How many opportunities does Albany get to change it's destiny? So far, I believe, we have not taken full advantage of any previous shots at community wide improvement. SPLOST money has been misspent, attractions sit empty, or underutilized, large employers shut down, while the big business of poverty goes unchecked. The powerful few would rather Albany stay the way it is, than risk losing their grip on the reins. As long as the average citizen is not engaged, they will continue to run Albany as there own cash cow, in both the private and public arena. It seems we prefer to stay distracted and mired in scandal, petty crimes, corruption, apathy, and social laziness. It's easier. That's not to say that the Fletcher and Hubbard camps lack a real passion to serve the entire community. I have to assume both are motivated by a desire to make things better. I have to assume that, or I have to move, and I'd rather not just yet. Moving is such a hassle.

So now we gear up for a run-off election for both the mayor's office, and the city commission seat of Tommy Postell, who finds himself fighting to keep it away from Victor Edwards. I'm not in that ward, so any thoughts I have on that race I'll keep to myself and just say if there is one, may the better man win. But I do have a thought to share on the mayoral race. I want to see Fletcher win.

It's not complicated. Of the two choices, Fletcher has the most real world experience at creating real jobs for real people. No other issues matter at this point.Without income, without some kind of financial security, all of us flounder. We need a successful business person as mayor right now, and that is Fletcher.

Create enough new jobs, and I mean real jobs, not government subsidized, grant-based, glorified, feel-good, vote buying, temporary positions, and all of our other problems as a city are effected. We need to convert our city from the mecca of regional poverty that it has become over the last few decades, into a shinning example of how people can come together and really fix things. Just think of our economic woes as a raging, rushing Flint River, and apply those same 'bonding skills'. There is nothing we cannot do, if we want to do it bad enough. Do we?

The few times I've met Dorothy Hubbard, it was pleasant. She seems like a nice person, and someone trying to do her best. But she is from the school of 'been there, done that'. Regardless of what she may want to do now, or may say in the campaign, her vision of Albany city government is tainted by old habits learned as a commissioner. Those cannot be unlearned. She is the candidate of the established power base. My other, more political and cynical concern, is that her best shot at winning will require some type of reaching out to those that voted for John White. They will want something for that support. If there was ever a candidate that was all about the old ways of governing this city, John White is it.The politics of division along racial and economic lines lead us into the mess we find ourselves in today. A house divided cannot stand, and our home is already in desperate need of repair. I am concerned that Hubbard would feel obligated to steer policies in ways that put more distance between us as fellow citizens. That would be a disaster.

We need a drastic turnaround in how local government functions. Fletcher is new to local politics, although she has been an active member of the business community here for years. It is her newness, and her singular focus on shutting down the industry of poverty and creating jobs, that has myself and many others supporting her. Is it risky stepping off in a new direction? You bet. The first days of a Fletcher administration may be a hectic mess. There may be back-steps, and mid-course corrections of one sort or another. Fletcher will run into old ways; black and white. They will fight her at every turn to keep things as they are, but she is a stubborn lady. My money is on that stubbornness winning the day for all the people of Albany, not just one side or the other.

So is this a symbolic election of our first lady leader, or is it something more? For Albany's sake it must be something more. The right leader at the top can make a huge difference, but let's not think that one person can save our city. Fletcher, Hubbard, and the other candidates, have all done a wonderful thing for Albany. They have shown us that to be a part of a community, you have to step up, take a stand, roll up your sleeves, and get to work. Albany's future is in all of our hands, and this run-off election will be what we make of it.

Albany On Point

Moving Dollars Around Isn’t Growth

The Run-Off Is Ours To Define