Lunch and Politics

Big thanks go out to Amy Morton,www.georgiawomenvote.blogspot.com, James Rockfeller, http://www.rockefeller-law.com/, and The Boston Law Firm for coordinating and sponsoring the Lunch and Politics Luncheon today at the Macon City Club. The Macon City Club presented a great luncheon and the staff was very helpful and gracious. I was pleased to see the luncheon was very well attended and full of concerned citizens including representatives of The Center for Racial Understanding , the City Attorney's Office, Kristina Simms and members of Georgia Federation of Democratic Women, http://gfdw.blogspot.com, several local attorneys, business owners, and a host of concerned citizens. Mayor Reichert, the guest speaker, was introduced by Reverend Bumpus of Tremont Temple Baptist Church, Nancy Terrell of Mercer Law School and local attorney Daryl Morton. Mayor Reichert gave an engaging and enthusiastic talk on his annexation plan. Quite frankly, if I did not live in the proposed annexed area, I would probably support his proposal. In support of his plan, the Mayor spoke on eliminating redundant services, increasing the tax base of the City and increasing the population of the City in time for the next Census. There are two major flaws with the Mayor's plan (1) it is extremely unpopular in the affected areas and these areas have the resources and the conviction to fight the plan with vigor and conviction and (2) the residents living in the annexed area already have the services that the City of Macon is offering and the services are better than what the City can offer. This pretty much leaves the City of Macon with nothing to offer except a warm feeling of community, however since most of the people living in the affected areas intentionally moved outside the City limits this argument doesn't stir any greater appetite for annexation. Although, I do not agree with the Mayor's annexation plan, I do appreciate his clear desire to improve the future of the City of Macon. The Mayor went on to describe his plan to either rehab or demolish blighted housing. Now this was a plan that I could get behind. Vacant and dilapidated houses depress neighborhoods and feed crime. Aggressive action in cleaning up the City and bringing the City back to a state of fiscal responsibility will go a long way to improving the City of Macon and who knows it may even change my views on annexation.

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