"Can you help me?"
It's a call we get at my office numerous times a day. Someone has found himself or herself short of dollars or resources. They start calling the social service agencies they find online, in a resource guide, or in the phone book. Each one has a story. If we can help, we do. Sometimes it's just pointing him or her in the right direction.
Sometimes it's a situation that is out of our league. We don't have a shelter. We have little access to transportation. A stranded traveler who needs to get somewhere, we probably can't help. We might be able to help with a room or a tank of gas, but we can't drive someone to the Valley. We can't put them up indefinitely.
"It's my three children and my husband. We don't have any food."
Fortunately, providing food is something that's fairly easy. We have hot meals, sandwiches to go, pantry items, commodity boxes. We're open four days a week and today is one of them.
"My keys are locked in my SUV."
OK, now this has taken a little different turn. The woman needs help for her family, including her husband with health issues, but getting here is a problem. Another agency has put them up in a motel, 10 miles away. There's no buses from there. Her family is hungry and she's out of resources.
"Can you help me?"
Usually I work on administrative tasks for our agency. But several people are on vacation. And I have the ability not only to solve the immediate problem, but both of her needs. I arrange to deliver some food that is appropriate for their situation, and try to get a community member to help with the locked vehicle. Within 30 minutes, I have solutions. I will take the food out on my way home, the locksmith will do the work, gratis, within 24 hours.
Her children play outside in a back parking lot at the motel. We unpack the food and put some in her refrigerator. Among the food is applesauce, bananas, and macaroni and cheese -- her kids will be ecstatic. I wonder if they will remember this, and if so, as an adventure or a traumatic time? I ask her how long they will stay here, and what the future holds. Do they have other supportive services or people? A sister lives 90 minutes away. They may be able to go there and stay a while. At the moment, it seems like a good option. Time to regroup and get back to stability.
"Again Jesus said, "Simon son of John, do you truly love me?" He answered, "Yes, Lord, you know that I love you." Jesus said, "Take care of my sheep." John 21:16 (NIV)
Wednesday, July 9, 2014
Sunday, July 6, 2014
A gardener, in the image of God
Genesis tells us that we were made in the image of God. Some days, I have a lot of trouble with that concept. I struggle with forgiveness, and He doesn't. I can't remember people's names, and He knows every sparrow, every hair on our heads.
But today, anyway, I'm OK with the idea that we have some connected lineage. We both like gardens. God was the original gardener: He created the soil, the rain, the sun. He made the first garden -- and set up one simple rule. But we're not very good at following His rules. Thank goodness for His forgiveness.
There's no apple trees in my plot at the Prescott Valley Community Garden. Typical Arizona garden: tomatoes, peppers, onions. Salsa, anyone? Then a few carrots, yellow and green beans, zucchini squash, and some lettuce and Brussels sprouts that may or may not take hold. A coleus and some orange nasturtiums for color.
It wouldn't be my garden without a few garden props. A cardinal that represents my mom, who taught me the value of a garden. A snail, one of the things my sister collected. It's a family garden, after all.
I love to watch plants burst through the soil. The moist warm earth signals them that it's OK to sprout. And they push their way upward, sometimes with cute little seed cover hats. I can't help but hum Peter, Paul and Mary's "Garden Song" as I watch the tomatoes and peppers blossom, and the rows of beans grow bushy.
But where did those weeds come from? I scattered good seeds in the fertilized and worked soil. Then, among the new plants, crabgrass and some ubiquitous vine that comes up everywhere start filling in the spaces between the rows. Truth be told, there's almost no difference between my garden plants and the weeds; the plants are the ones I like, and the weeds are the ones I dislike.
Maybe the Lord felt the same way about weeds. He spoke to the fisherman about the things they knew, and the gardeners about that which they knew. He knew about thistles, and probably crabgrass and vines and alfalfa. Gardens need tending. The good stuff doesn't grow well if it is choked out by weeds.
On the other hand, in the right place, those weeds are cattle fodder. The ranchers encourage the alfalfa and even buy alfalfa hay. I have no use for alfalfa, but in the right hands, this clover grass raises grass-fed cattle. A peaceful verdant pasture with purple flowers. Something I have no use for ends up as a useful tool in another's garden. Another lesson about the diverse gifts of others.
Today I will gauge the moisture in the soil that is benefiting from the monsoon rain's early arrival. I will carefully remove the grass and vines and look for the ripening fruit. I will share some of my first fruits with those who hunger in our community. And enjoy the rest that gardens provide.
But today, anyway, I'm OK with the idea that we have some connected lineage. We both like gardens. God was the original gardener: He created the soil, the rain, the sun. He made the first garden -- and set up one simple rule. But we're not very good at following His rules. Thank goodness for His forgiveness.
There's no apple trees in my plot at the Prescott Valley Community Garden. Typical Arizona garden: tomatoes, peppers, onions. Salsa, anyone? Then a few carrots, yellow and green beans, zucchini squash, and some lettuce and Brussels sprouts that may or may not take hold. A coleus and some orange nasturtiums for color.
It wouldn't be my garden without a few garden props. A cardinal that represents my mom, who taught me the value of a garden. A snail, one of the things my sister collected. It's a family garden, after all.
I love to watch plants burst through the soil. The moist warm earth signals them that it's OK to sprout. And they push their way upward, sometimes with cute little seed cover hats. I can't help but hum Peter, Paul and Mary's "Garden Song" as I watch the tomatoes and peppers blossom, and the rows of beans grow bushy.
But where did those weeds come from? I scattered good seeds in the fertilized and worked soil. Then, among the new plants, crabgrass and some ubiquitous vine that comes up everywhere start filling in the spaces between the rows. Truth be told, there's almost no difference between my garden plants and the weeds; the plants are the ones I like, and the weeds are the ones I dislike.
Maybe the Lord felt the same way about weeds. He spoke to the fisherman about the things they knew, and the gardeners about that which they knew. He knew about thistles, and probably crabgrass and vines and alfalfa. Gardens need tending. The good stuff doesn't grow well if it is choked out by weeds.
On the other hand, in the right place, those weeds are cattle fodder. The ranchers encourage the alfalfa and even buy alfalfa hay. I have no use for alfalfa, but in the right hands, this clover grass raises grass-fed cattle. A peaceful verdant pasture with purple flowers. Something I have no use for ends up as a useful tool in another's garden. Another lesson about the diverse gifts of others.
Today I will gauge the moisture in the soil that is benefiting from the monsoon rain's early arrival. I will carefully remove the grass and vines and look for the ripening fruit. I will share some of my first fruits with those who hunger in our community. And enjoy the rest that gardens provide.
Monday, July 1, 2013
In honor of our fallen 19 firefighters
My grandfather was a firefighter. My father was a firefighter. I can still picture them in their formal picture, the volunteer firefighters of a small Wisconsin town.
Tonight, it's another group of firefighters in a portrait. The Granite Mountain Hotshots. A much younger group in a less formal picture. They saw a lot more action than my dad and his dad. During fire season in Arizona, they were on the front lines for weeks at a time.
But I'm sure their wives and mothers felt the same way my grandmother did every time that siren went off. She would put on the scanner. We would run down to the station to listen to someone at the radio desk. Hopefully, it was someone burning off weeds that had let their fire get a little too large, rather than someone's home. But worry crossed her face, worry only relieved when they returned home.
Tonight, my husband and I went to a concert. My heart dropped when I saw the news on Facebook: 19 firefighters unaccounted for in Yarnell. Then, moments later, 19 firefighters dead. The news traveled quickly through our section. Then the man next to me got a message and left his seat. When he returned, he had tragic news of his own -- his sister's home was one of 250 structures lost in Yarnell.
Through 15 years on the newspaper staff, fire both frightened me and fascinated me. I had friends on the various fire departments. A big fire was a solid news story. I would listen on the scanner and try to be on scene before the fire departments knocked the flames down. Many times I would return to the office or my house smelling of fire.
My husband never worried. I wasn't in any danger. But we knew plenty of folks who lived it, every time that alarm sounded. With the job came a certain amount of worry for their families.
Tonight 19 families received word that their firefighter isn't coming home. The wind shifted and blew the fire back on top of them, and none of them survived. Other firefighters will come, and soon they will contain it. Condolences are already arriving from the governor, even the president. And as Prescott celebrates its World's Oldest Rodeo and Fourth of July, a sadness will overlay this week.
It will take a long time for Yarnell to recover. The memories of this Hotshot team's tragic end are burned into our community for life.
Tonight, it's another group of firefighters in a portrait. The Granite Mountain Hotshots. A much younger group in a less formal picture. They saw a lot more action than my dad and his dad. During fire season in Arizona, they were on the front lines for weeks at a time.
But I'm sure their wives and mothers felt the same way my grandmother did every time that siren went off. She would put on the scanner. We would run down to the station to listen to someone at the radio desk. Hopefully, it was someone burning off weeds that had let their fire get a little too large, rather than someone's home. But worry crossed her face, worry only relieved when they returned home.
Tonight, my husband and I went to a concert. My heart dropped when I saw the news on Facebook: 19 firefighters unaccounted for in Yarnell. Then, moments later, 19 firefighters dead. The news traveled quickly through our section. Then the man next to me got a message and left his seat. When he returned, he had tragic news of his own -- his sister's home was one of 250 structures lost in Yarnell.
Through 15 years on the newspaper staff, fire both frightened me and fascinated me. I had friends on the various fire departments. A big fire was a solid news story. I would listen on the scanner and try to be on scene before the fire departments knocked the flames down. Many times I would return to the office or my house smelling of fire.
My husband never worried. I wasn't in any danger. But we knew plenty of folks who lived it, every time that alarm sounded. With the job came a certain amount of worry for their families.
Tonight 19 families received word that their firefighter isn't coming home. The wind shifted and blew the fire back on top of them, and none of them survived. Other firefighters will come, and soon they will contain it. Condolences are already arriving from the governor, even the president. And as Prescott celebrates its World's Oldest Rodeo and Fourth of July, a sadness will overlay this week.
It will take a long time for Yarnell to recover. The memories of this Hotshot team's tragic end are burned into our community for life.
Monday, May 20, 2013
Not-for-profits carrying too much responsibility
Having worked in a not-for-profit environment for the past 11 years, I know that working there is never quite the same as working in a corporate or business entity. When something at a business breaks, you fix it or replace it. At a not-for-profit or community benefit organization, as my former agency preferred to call itself, there was hand-wringing.
Fortunately, none of the food went to waste. But not repairing the freezer immediately was not an option. Our service company knows we run on a shoestring, so we'll get the best deal possible.
Last year, the Coalition for Compassion and Justice's Open Door had over 34,000 individual visits for food and other assistance. We feed people, provide them with clothing, various types of emergency assistance, provide them with a bathroom, a shower, and emergency shelter on the winter's coldest nights. We provide meals and pantry items with donated food, and sometimes buy more food when the shelves get bare. And we debate what else we should do, whether it is our mission, and whether it is critical enough to do if no one else will do it.
We have 15 staff members, including a couple that come to us from Americorps VISTA and AARP on poverty-level wages themselves. And we put lots of volunteers into service -- our count is about 180 at any given moment.
Our goal is to work ourselves out of business: end poverty in this community. But it doesn't look like we'll be out of business anytime soon. Even as the economy begins to recover, our guest count doesn't appear to be tapering off.
Through the past few presidencies, there is a greater emphasis on allowing charities to do this kind of work. Oh, and faith-based initiatives. Just a kind way of saying "The government isn't interested in helping. Find a charity or church to feed the poor and shelter the homeless, care for the mentally ill and provide hope to those in prison (or recently released from prison -- pretty much one in the same. Probationers and parolees don't stand much of a chance of turning their lives around without companies willing to hire them, so they turn to charity or crime).
As soon as one suggests that government should swing the pendulum back in the other direction, you may as well have suggested America becoming a Socialist state. But that isn't true. America came out of the Great Depression on some serious government programs included in the New Deal. Social Security and the Tennessee Valley Authority are still around. Most of them faded before World War I.
It's time for the government to turn that corner and beef up services and programs that give people a fair shot at economic security. It shouldn't completely rest on nonprofit programs to assure that our communities are fed, housed, treated with health care and mental health services, and gainfully employed. Nonprofits should be filling in the gaps, rather than being the only place for people in crisis to turn.
- What will this mean for the budget?
- Can we get it donated instead?
- Would someone donate money to cover the cost of that item?
- Should we buy it now, or wait until the beginning of the month or the next quarter?
- How important is that item, anyway?
Fortunately, none of the food went to waste. But not repairing the freezer immediately was not an option. Our service company knows we run on a shoestring, so we'll get the best deal possible.
Last year, the Coalition for Compassion and Justice's Open Door had over 34,000 individual visits for food and other assistance. We feed people, provide them with clothing, various types of emergency assistance, provide them with a bathroom, a shower, and emergency shelter on the winter's coldest nights. We provide meals and pantry items with donated food, and sometimes buy more food when the shelves get bare. And we debate what else we should do, whether it is our mission, and whether it is critical enough to do if no one else will do it.
We have 15 staff members, including a couple that come to us from Americorps VISTA and AARP on poverty-level wages themselves. And we put lots of volunteers into service -- our count is about 180 at any given moment.
Our goal is to work ourselves out of business: end poverty in this community. But it doesn't look like we'll be out of business anytime soon. Even as the economy begins to recover, our guest count doesn't appear to be tapering off.
Through the past few presidencies, there is a greater emphasis on allowing charities to do this kind of work. Oh, and faith-based initiatives. Just a kind way of saying "The government isn't interested in helping. Find a charity or church to feed the poor and shelter the homeless, care for the mentally ill and provide hope to those in prison (or recently released from prison -- pretty much one in the same. Probationers and parolees don't stand much of a chance of turning their lives around without companies willing to hire them, so they turn to charity or crime).
As soon as one suggests that government should swing the pendulum back in the other direction, you may as well have suggested America becoming a Socialist state. But that isn't true. America came out of the Great Depression on some serious government programs included in the New Deal. Social Security and the Tennessee Valley Authority are still around. Most of them faded before World War I.
It's time for the government to turn that corner and beef up services and programs that give people a fair shot at economic security. It shouldn't completely rest on nonprofit programs to assure that our communities are fed, housed, treated with health care and mental health services, and gainfully employed. Nonprofits should be filling in the gaps, rather than being the only place for people in crisis to turn.
Sunday, April 8, 2012
Jesus Christ is Risen Today
Funny what can flash through your mind while the organist plays a verse of "Jesus Christ is Risen Today," as a warm up. Standing in the middle of a pile of Lutherans, I'm sure there were some family members, some guests among us who didn't know it...but not many. About 40 years of singing that hymn, in so many places.
I remember the first years I sang that song -- always the same opening song at St. Mark's in Jefferson. I know there were other Easter hymns in the red book, the green book and now another red book, but I can't imagine that church ever finding another opening hymn. I remember dressing the altar at Sunrise Service, and breakfasts in the church basement. An unforgettable Sunday with a handful of us high school brass players, playing "Jesus Christ Is Risen Today." I put myself back there, in the pew on the left side, just across from the entrance with family, as I first understood "Jesus is Risen."
Then there were those sweet Sundays in Sedona, when Pastor Knutzen encouraged us to ring bells, to jingle keys, whatever joyful noises we could make on the "Alleluias." Mostly sunny Easter Sundays, but a few with light dustings of snow on the red rocks. Michael's first Easters there with a handful of other little boys and girls, and so many adopted elder relatives. Yes, He is Risen!
And then the Easters at the Cottonwood-Clarkdale Lutheran Mission, soon to become Spirit of Joy. Where did all of the people come from on those Easter mornings? Folding chairs and portable everything in that gym, a couple of lilies, but people came to celebrate. Today they are worshipping in their own courtyard for the first time for Easter Sunrise, and a part of me pauses there. Alleluia! Christ is Risen Indeed!
Years of Easter services, choirs, special Easter music from Jim and Eileen at American Lutheran. Struggling to find a place in even that large sanctuary. The Easter breakfasts from the youth. Apparently, there is a different tune to "Jesus Christ is Risen Today" that I had never heard (by the way -- that version is not even IN the new hymnal!). And something inside me fights to forget the divisions and remember Christ Risen instead.
And now, the final chords of the organ's intro end, and I'm back at Emmanuel. Home. A church full of Lutherans and recently adopted Lutherans. A place where all are welcome at the table, and all can call home. Jesus Christ is Risen Indeed.
I remember the first years I sang that song -- always the same opening song at St. Mark's in Jefferson. I know there were other Easter hymns in the red book, the green book and now another red book, but I can't imagine that church ever finding another opening hymn. I remember dressing the altar at Sunrise Service, and breakfasts in the church basement. An unforgettable Sunday with a handful of us high school brass players, playing "Jesus Christ Is Risen Today." I put myself back there, in the pew on the left side, just across from the entrance with family, as I first understood "Jesus is Risen."
Then there were those sweet Sundays in Sedona, when Pastor Knutzen encouraged us to ring bells, to jingle keys, whatever joyful noises we could make on the "Alleluias." Mostly sunny Easter Sundays, but a few with light dustings of snow on the red rocks. Michael's first Easters there with a handful of other little boys and girls, and so many adopted elder relatives. Yes, He is Risen!
And then the Easters at the Cottonwood-Clarkdale Lutheran Mission, soon to become Spirit of Joy. Where did all of the people come from on those Easter mornings? Folding chairs and portable everything in that gym, a couple of lilies, but people came to celebrate. Today they are worshipping in their own courtyard for the first time for Easter Sunrise, and a part of me pauses there. Alleluia! Christ is Risen Indeed!
Years of Easter services, choirs, special Easter music from Jim and Eileen at American Lutheran. Struggling to find a place in even that large sanctuary. The Easter breakfasts from the youth. Apparently, there is a different tune to "Jesus Christ is Risen Today" that I had never heard (by the way -- that version is not even IN the new hymnal!). And something inside me fights to forget the divisions and remember Christ Risen instead.
And now, the final chords of the organ's intro end, and I'm back at Emmanuel. Home. A church full of Lutherans and recently adopted Lutherans. A place where all are welcome at the table, and all can call home. Jesus Christ is Risen Indeed.
Friday, March 12, 2010
Don't balance Arizona's budget on the backs of its most vulnerable
For the longest time, I've watched the state erode services to the poorest, more vulnerable people in my community. Leading my busy life, working two jobs and going to school, I rationalized my disinterest. I don't have time to attend meetings. I don't have time to get political. I don't have the clout to effect any changes.
However, today, as my coworkers and I read the proposed deepest round of cuts, I am simultaneous appalled at the potential implications to families all over the state and to our state's economic recovery for years to come.
Previously, I didn't think these cuts would affect me. Today, I got a harsh walk-up call. The proposed change will affect me and every person in this state if the legislature cuts health care and social programs to the level they propose. It will cause irreparable economic and medical harm to thousands of people. It will affect our co-workers, friends and family. It will be many, many years before our state will recover from these cuts, if it ever can.
Myth: Cuts in health care don't affect me.
Truth: Cuts in health care affect all of us, if we’re on AHCCCS/KidsCare or not. If you know a person who works for the state’s AHCCCS office and he or she still has a job, that might not be so in the coming months. The House and Senate appropriations committees passed bills today to eliminate Medicaid for 310,000 individuals on Jan. 1, 2011. About 45,000 children will lose health care under the elimination of KidsCare on April 1. We’re talking about health care for people who have lost jobs or have chronic health problems.
Myth: None of my family or friends are on AHCCCS or KidsCare or work for those agencies. That won’t affect me.
Truth: It is easy to think if this doesn’t directly affect you, it doesn’t affect you. Where do people without health care get health services? Perhaps the county health department? Will the county have to increase property tax revenue to take care of this growing population? And if they don’t get preventative care, they end up in the emergency room for any care.
Even with its newly expanded facilities, this is a burden that Yavapai Regional Medical Center cannot bear. It will treat people on an emergency basis, people who cannot afford to pay for their care. Then who pays? We do. All of us are truly affect when people don’t get timely, appropriate health care.
By the way, when I do have an emergency, I’d like to be treated quickly, which won’t happen when my emergency room is full of people who could have been treated by a doctor.
Myth: I just don’t get sick very often. I don’t own property. This really doesn’t affect me.
Truth: Some people will say anything to avoid dealing with reality, so let’s just suppose this is true. You get your annual physical, you get great preventative care, so you aren’t chronically sick or in need of the hospital. Congratulations. So when all these people who now don’t have health care don’t visit your doctor, who will he or she treat? When your doctor decides to roll up the carpet and move to a state that appropriately funds health care, you will be affected.
Myth: Perhaps the health care cuts are too drastic, but I’m not affected by cuts in mental health services, child or adult protective services, domestic violence services or juvenile corrections.
Truth: There are far too many ostriches in Arizona who will claim the plethora of cuts don’t affect the majority of Arizonans. All of these cuts mean loss of jobs for thousands of people, and loss of services for the most vulnerable in our midst. Those cuts will affect everyone, since these are our employees and our customers.
Eliminate mental health services to 36,500 people and even more people with mental health crisis will end up in emergency rooms. They will commit crimes and inflict family violence. Thousands will lose their jobs at West Yavapai Guidance Clinic and similar agencies all over the state. All this has a financial and societal cost.
Eliminating state juvenile corrections will bring youths with behavioral and criminal patterns back to our communities, giving our local leaders the choice to release them or raise tax funds to incarcerate them. Holding them will require more property tax money, while releasing them will reduce safety and security in our schools and communities.
As for me, I would prefer to take a small sales tax increase to provide services to vulnerable adults and children in systems that already exist. Some people need continual assistance for basic services. Some people use these services temporarily while they get back on their feet. Society needs others to have these services to maintain stability and control. Eliminating these services won’t affect just the hundreds of thousands of Arizonans on the edge medically, emotionally and economically, it will add tens of thousands of people who now have jobs in these human services, worsening an economic downward spiral that will affect every Arizona business and government agency.
However, today, as my coworkers and I read the proposed deepest round of cuts, I am simultaneous appalled at the potential implications to families all over the state and to our state's economic recovery for years to come.
Previously, I didn't think these cuts would affect me. Today, I got a harsh walk-up call. The proposed change will affect me and every person in this state if the legislature cuts health care and social programs to the level they propose. It will cause irreparable economic and medical harm to thousands of people. It will affect our co-workers, friends and family. It will be many, many years before our state will recover from these cuts, if it ever can.
Myth: Cuts in health care don't affect me.
Truth: Cuts in health care affect all of us, if we’re on AHCCCS/KidsCare or not. If you know a person who works for the state’s AHCCCS office and he or she still has a job, that might not be so in the coming months. The House and Senate appropriations committees passed bills today to eliminate Medicaid for 310,000 individuals on Jan. 1, 2011. About 45,000 children will lose health care under the elimination of KidsCare on April 1. We’re talking about health care for people who have lost jobs or have chronic health problems.
Myth: None of my family or friends are on AHCCCS or KidsCare or work for those agencies. That won’t affect me.
Truth: It is easy to think if this doesn’t directly affect you, it doesn’t affect you. Where do people without health care get health services? Perhaps the county health department? Will the county have to increase property tax revenue to take care of this growing population? And if they don’t get preventative care, they end up in the emergency room for any care.
Even with its newly expanded facilities, this is a burden that Yavapai Regional Medical Center cannot bear. It will treat people on an emergency basis, people who cannot afford to pay for their care. Then who pays? We do. All of us are truly affect when people don’t get timely, appropriate health care.
By the way, when I do have an emergency, I’d like to be treated quickly, which won’t happen when my emergency room is full of people who could have been treated by a doctor.
Myth: I just don’t get sick very often. I don’t own property. This really doesn’t affect me.
Truth: Some people will say anything to avoid dealing with reality, so let’s just suppose this is true. You get your annual physical, you get great preventative care, so you aren’t chronically sick or in need of the hospital. Congratulations. So when all these people who now don’t have health care don’t visit your doctor, who will he or she treat? When your doctor decides to roll up the carpet and move to a state that appropriately funds health care, you will be affected.
Myth: Perhaps the health care cuts are too drastic, but I’m not affected by cuts in mental health services, child or adult protective services, domestic violence services or juvenile corrections.
Truth: There are far too many ostriches in Arizona who will claim the plethora of cuts don’t affect the majority of Arizonans. All of these cuts mean loss of jobs for thousands of people, and loss of services for the most vulnerable in our midst. Those cuts will affect everyone, since these are our employees and our customers.
Eliminate mental health services to 36,500 people and even more people with mental health crisis will end up in emergency rooms. They will commit crimes and inflict family violence. Thousands will lose their jobs at West Yavapai Guidance Clinic and similar agencies all over the state. All this has a financial and societal cost.
Eliminating state juvenile corrections will bring youths with behavioral and criminal patterns back to our communities, giving our local leaders the choice to release them or raise tax funds to incarcerate them. Holding them will require more property tax money, while releasing them will reduce safety and security in our schools and communities.
As for me, I would prefer to take a small sales tax increase to provide services to vulnerable adults and children in systems that already exist. Some people need continual assistance for basic services. Some people use these services temporarily while they get back on their feet. Society needs others to have these services to maintain stability and control. Eliminating these services won’t affect just the hundreds of thousands of Arizonans on the edge medically, emotionally and economically, it will add tens of thousands of people who now have jobs in these human services, worsening an economic downward spiral that will affect every Arizona business and government agency.
Friday, January 29, 2010
NIMBY? I think NIMBY for a prison is OK
OK, first thought that comes to your mind: Where's a good place for a prison?
If you said Not in My Backyard (NIMBY), count yourself among the majority. A prison, along with a shooting range, a religious cult compound, a sewer plant, and a freeway, are some of the facilities that people probably don't want near their homes. I'm not saying that nothing would be appropriate in my neighborhood. If they want to drop a pocket park behind my house, then I'm OK with that. A few more neighbors, a school, a museum, a camp, all good. But some things belong a long way from populated communities. Especially far from communities that have grown exponentially in 20 years.
Somehow, desperate for continued wild growth, Prescott Valley's economic "minds" (using the term rather loosely) decided that they haven't had any "what's coming to Prescott Valley" stories in the paper in the last month. Considering the years of one announcement after another, that was bound to happen. Look at the headlines and go figure. Prescott Valley is still incredibly economically viable, so why not wait out the current downturn and the economic engine will fire again. Instead, these folks grabbed onto the first train that passed...CCA. Let's build a prison in Prescott Valley.
A wise council would say publicly "Hmm. Let's consider this very carefully." In private, the discussion should have gone something like this: "Are you out of your recession-twisted mind? A couple of years ago, they bit our heads off for suggesting a prison in Prescott Valley. You can't find a solar panel manufacturer, a technology-based company, another distribution center, or some other employer that wants a medium-size, pleasant community with good weather and good transportation routes? I'm not going to back a prison and get killed by the voters. We pay you enough -- get out there and earn your economic development money."
CCA wouldn't have wasted a day more in Prescott Valley. Instead, last night's 3-4 straw poll isn't enough to put the nails in this coffin. Watch your backs, PV residents. Stay watchful. Sometimes being a NIMBY isn't such a bad thing.
If you said Not in My Backyard (NIMBY), count yourself among the majority. A prison, along with a shooting range, a religious cult compound, a sewer plant, and a freeway, are some of the facilities that people probably don't want near their homes. I'm not saying that nothing would be appropriate in my neighborhood. If they want to drop a pocket park behind my house, then I'm OK with that. A few more neighbors, a school, a museum, a camp, all good. But some things belong a long way from populated communities. Especially far from communities that have grown exponentially in 20 years.
Somehow, desperate for continued wild growth, Prescott Valley's economic "minds" (using the term rather loosely) decided that they haven't had any "what's coming to Prescott Valley" stories in the paper in the last month. Considering the years of one announcement after another, that was bound to happen. Look at the headlines and go figure. Prescott Valley is still incredibly economically viable, so why not wait out the current downturn and the economic engine will fire again. Instead, these folks grabbed onto the first train that passed...CCA. Let's build a prison in Prescott Valley.
A wise council would say publicly "Hmm. Let's consider this very carefully." In private, the discussion should have gone something like this: "Are you out of your recession-twisted mind? A couple of years ago, they bit our heads off for suggesting a prison in Prescott Valley. You can't find a solar panel manufacturer, a technology-based company, another distribution center, or some other employer that wants a medium-size, pleasant community with good weather and good transportation routes? I'm not going to back a prison and get killed by the voters. We pay you enough -- get out there and earn your economic development money."
CCA wouldn't have wasted a day more in Prescott Valley. Instead, last night's 3-4 straw poll isn't enough to put the nails in this coffin. Watch your backs, PV residents. Stay watchful. Sometimes being a NIMBY isn't such a bad thing.
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