I missed the initial story. However, I’ve had a couple of sources let me know about it. Albany has made a Forbes list. Usually, this is a source of celebration. Unfortunately for us, this is the “America’s 10 Most Impoverished Cities” list. Though not to worry. Mayor Adams’ response was that he’s “not surprised”.
Doesn’t that just make us feel all tingly?
The year of 2008 was a rough year all around, there’s no denying that. According to the U.S. Census Bureau, who provided all the data for the Forbes story, the per capita income for the United States fell from $52,163 to $50,303. However, Albany’s per capita income wasn’t even close to that. Ours? A whopping $21,359 per year. For those keeping score at home, that’s less than 43% of the national average.
Another metric that Forbes used were the number of people under the age of 65 who are on some form of government healthcare. Albany’s winning number? 32,895. As they are using the metro area population totals, which is 158,415. That means that over 20% of the population in this area are on medicaid.
To top this off, the bottom 20% of the folks here earn $8,350 per year. That’s it. Frankly, I don’t see how they can function on that. And to make matter worse, this is the kind of jobs that our city leaders seem the most focused on. You see, this is what people make when you open up restaurants, bars, and retail shops. You know, the kind of stuff they keep talking about needing to open downtown?
There are jobs still out there. It takes effort to bring them here though. We don’t need retail shops and bars in downtown right now. We need jobs that fit with our workforce, but optimize our pay. Replacing jobs lost when Merck and Cooper left would be a good start, but it would take more.
A staffing specialist at one of the local temporary agencies confided in me that the number of people who come into her office unable to read is beyond justification. We have a public education system, for better or for worse, and we are producing a large number of people who can’t even read? Obviously, this isn’t going to help.
To Mayor Adams’ credit, it does seem that he’s been part of a non-profit effort to help increase our literacy rate. Honestly, I applaud him for that. That is a great start, and I personally feel it needs to be expanded. But for right now, there’s little point for those who are illiterate. You see, they may well reason that there’s little point in putting in the effort without jobs being here in the first place.
In one of the emails I received, a source who wished to remain anonymous said “I love my city, but this is just embarrassing.” He hit the nail on the head. There are a lot of Albany natives who feel the same way. The mayor saying he isn’t surprised isn’t what any of us care about. People want to hear solutions, not surprise.
The poverty stricken nature of this congressional district is irrelevant. While the past should be studied and understood, it shouldn’t be an excuse. While I’ll give the mayor the benefit of the doubt and assume he intends no such thing, let’s be frank. He’s on his second term, and he hasn’t done a blasted thing. He wants to make his mark? This is the time and place.
I just don’t think he’s got it in him.
This is what happens when leadership is chosen like prom king vs experience in the area needed most in the community. In Albany that would be economic development.
Leaders have nothing to do with the failures of individuals.
Unless they fail to lead. Legislation isn’t the only way a leader can be effective.
Albany deserves this notoriety. Albany “leaders” and gadfly chamber types worked hard for it and have clung to position by excluding competency and rejecting sensible solutions over and over.
Albany is wallowing in its own waste. Isn’t this what is called “hitting rock bottom”? If not, what is? We certainly don’t need any more “Doctor No-nothings” and self-absorbed, dimwitted, “haven’t-succeeded-at-anything-or-contributed-anything-but-failure” types to be anyplace near city and county offices.
for more on this, look at the thread after the “two more bite the dust” post on this blog.
trouble here is, everyone writing is preaching to the choir for the most part.
Albany is a city of minor squabbles that obstruct major improvement…
tom, would it make sense to combine the two posts since the discussions runs along the same lines
They run along similar lines, but not enough for me to want to merge the posts. While they both deal with economics, one is primarily downtown and this is in general.
Willie: So you will be voting against all incumbents in upcoming contested elections?
Yes, hear solutions is what I want. Mayor Adams has none. The only thing Adams is good at is pretending to help! Here is his help….He gave a task to the City Attorney to see if there could be a tax refund…get real Adams…are you just now REALIZING the citizens are paying to much money for their property tax!! I know you are trying to keep good grace on your side….but the citizens are tired of what you say…we need ACTION….
I don’t think many of us were surprised about our latest news. Hence, the clueless group downtown, Doc in particular, could truthfully claim the same.
It will be interesting to see what type positive “spin” is put on the matter. Perhaps the claim will be made that “incomes are really higher since sales of street drugs and EBT cards are not included”. Or, “conditions will be improving shortly as more Obama money arrives to support the unemployable”.
A very high ranking politician warned me 6 years ago about the weak leadership that was about to come into office…well it did happen. the positive is that soooo many people, from all parts of town, from all economic sectors, but mostly the have nots, black and white alike, come up to me and say to keep at it. “Don’t give up,” they say. “Don’t leave town,” they say. I’m probably not the best choice in the end, I recognize that, plus my bloom may have fallen and may fall further given my economic situation, but it tells me people are looking for someone to champion the effort and they are equally dismayed over the circumstances. Many of the poor want something better here too. Do not underestimate the willingness of many of the undereducated and the poor to work to lift themselves out…IF THEY HAVE THE REALISTIC OPPORTUNITY. I had a terrific conversation with a pol you all know and probably love on the street DOWNTOWN yesterday and his brief story of growing up in poverty and pulling himself up and out was inspiring.
These pols have to get out and go into the neighborhoods and meet with the gangs and with the preachers and SELL this agenda. At least try, not in a dry officious sort of way, but how this can work and benefit them. This could be the most amazing and IMPORTANT story in America.
It is morally wrong to not try.
As one of the 10 poorest we still pay around $250 million a year to run the city, county and school system. An amount that obviously comes from very few because with a per capita income this low many pay no taxes at all. Yet we continue to govern as though we’re prospering. $90K to open a neighborhood pool, no problem, new customer service number, sure it’s cheap, fancy code enforcement cars, absolutely, apply for every grant available no matter what strings are attached, you bet, hand out “grants (giveaways)” without even looking, it’s only money, subsidize the bus system, civic center, aquarium, etc…………….
I agree completely with fiscal responsibility in government and an effort to keep taxes at a prudent minimum. Completely agree.
But we must consider that Albany is in an economic decline that is not as a result of the more recent national/global downturn. Anyone who thinks or publicly declares otherwise for political purposes or lack of understanding or whatever is doing a disservice to this community. The is not about keeping up the facade for out of towners who might want to move a plant. They are way smarter and have more info on this than most of us.
It’s reality time. So with a declining tax base and economic migration out of Dougherty and particularly Albany, the question is, what optional investments are effective to stem the tide.
1. Schools are the number one issue by which communities are evaluated. HOw can those be improved?
2. Infrastructure is a given. Arches or tribute parks (Ray Charles), just for the sake of them, and not in furtherance of an economic goal are dubious.
3. Public safety and basic quality of life (library, parks and recreation)
NOw given that doing nothing to reverse the economic decline means the trend will continue and, EVEN WITH LOWER TAXES, the city will basically crash. If you are 60 and above, many people want lower taxes as an absolute. Younger people with families and careers who call Albany home are looking for a brighter future.
So what taxpayer investment in the context of what SPECIFIC will bring the nose up?
The trend and direction are keys! Optional investment that does not contribute to nose up is a waste. But, failure to make the right investments that will/may bring nose up, is wrong too.
This is not so complex. The difficulty in achieving the result is not the same as refusing to choose the direction.
Was America so sure it would prevail in WWII before entering? But in it’s mind, did it have a choice but to do it and fight like hell. Does any underdog football team (‘side Joe Namath) know it will win, or does it pick a game plan and then play like the devil and then pull the upset.
What about the Israeli commandos at Entebbe in Uganda in the 70′s? They knew what they had to try no matter what, made a plan and tried like mad. They achieved, but not without concerted effort and not without loss.
People in sales try to land an account and go though a similar process. The persistant with a solid plan often prevail. Sometimes not.
The analogies go on everday in life and history.
This town needs to recognize there is a problem, develop a plan and have the GUTS to take it on. And if the group process does not get it on (it’s not), then some political or other leader needs to step up and lead the charge (Patton did) and if someone is blocking directly or passively, that leader needs to be strong enough, smart enough and committed enough to get them out of the way.
Otherwise, play “Nearer My God to Thee” and go down like the Titanic.
Yeap, Doug, Albany will “party on” as long as tax money comes rolling in–the source of funds makes no difference. You know, the fact that we are on the list will make us eligible for even more money to support the “looters”and the cycle will never end.
If Federal money, State money, and Federal money passed through the State dried up, we would go down faster than the Titanic.
City officials keep mentioning how the local coffers are in great shape–even to the point of trying to give a property tax rebate. Of course the inference is “we are managing well”. lol
We excell at getting funds–and there the “good management” ends.
You guys are afraid to discuss the core issue. Keep on wringing those hands, self-flagellating, whining about ‘economics’ and such, while hiding from the actual issue and you’ll NEVER resolve Albany’s biggest problem: Turning over the city to the black community was a mistake and running it from a black-city, entitlement perspective to the exclusion of more qualified people of lighter tones and a hard-work ethic just ISNT WORKING. Albany is widely known as a place where blacks are bitterly bigoted against whites and there is a good reason for that reputation. Albany may be 60% black, but 70% of the community investment, property ownership, jobs-creation and business ownership is attributable to the caucasian community.
Two key words apply to this mess in Albany and they are “demographic” and “futile”. Until the major voting demographic of Albany comes to it’s collective senses all efforts to raise the City out off the top ten losers list will be futile. Word on the street is that for the last three decades, when corporate CEO’s and their associates come to town considering locating here, they listen to the demands of City Government and leave town running. I have always found the “word on the street” to be pretty accurate. We need a unifying leader, none in sight.
I am a conservative but I find your remarks about the black community reprehensible.
Many of the black citizens I know are much more hard working than the black and white elists who run things.
I dislike Obama but it’s not due to the color of his skin. I think he is a hateful, arrogant elitist.
You paint with too broad a brush, my friend.
BTW, above was a response to Willie.
Oops, I misspelled elitist in the second sentence!
Willie,
I just have to ask; what is your alternative to “turning over the city to the black community”? Does democracy ring a bell?
Willie: Congratulations. You have managed to say the most despicable thing that isn’t a direct personal attack ever in the history of this blog, and that’s saying something. In fact, the vast majority of personal attacks we’ve encountered have been for less disgusting than what you wrote.
The problem isn’t the “black community”. In fact, it’s not attributable to any particular “community” in particular. Is it an entitlement culture? Absolutely. But it’s not a black thing or a white thing, but a mindset thing. If you are to ignorant or bigoted to see that, then you are part of the problem as well. Keep in mind that we had riots in this very community over 40 years ago because of a mindset that blacks should be treated differently. My mother got caught smack dab in the middle of that riot. Frankly, your comments have no place and do far more to harm this community than anything else.
I was in a meeting all day today, which is why I’m just now responding to this one. I was surrounded by great people, both black and white, and none had an entitlement mindset so far as I’m aware. These people aren’t even part of the problem with this community. They, and many like them of all races, are part of the solution.
FACT: I will not tolerate anyone trying to divide this community based on race. This is not only unproductive, but to put it bluntly, it’s bullshit. You all know I don’t talk like that, but I won’t tolerate this. The only way out of this mess is as a community, both black and white. If that’s your opinion, then keep it to your damn self. I pay for this piece of the internet, and I will not tolerate that here. Period.
Well, if you have AT&T as a homepage, cranking up the computer will give you another dose rhis morn.
http://realestate.yahoo.com/promo/americas-most-impoverished-cities.html
If my concerns are the worst you’ve seen then you should shut this blog down now. The real world will be way too much for you to handle. I am not a racist. In fact I’m sick of the anti-white racism that I’ve experienced here and wish to speak out against it.
I am however realistic and AS EVIDENCED BY THE MASS EXODUS TO LEE COUNTY OVER THE PAST 25 YEARS, I am not alone. I’ve lived in Albany for more than 68 years. I was employed by the City of Albany for 42 of them. Thats longer than some of you have lived here. I was a city employee and involved in the discussions about the downtown buffer zone before most of you learned not to crap your diapers. That knowledge gap hasn’t narrowed an inch between us.
Just ignore the entitlement mentality, we’ll keep on getting the Buies and the Lotts and the Youngers, and you guys can keep on wringing your hands and wondering why Albany is dying. Attorney General Holder was correct to say that we are a nation of cowards when it comes to discussing race.
In the 1950s and 1960s the government said that we are all equal – so like everything the government told us then, it must be true! Albany’s problems won’t change unless and until the entitlement, anti-white discrimination, and white-flight issues are addressed openly, honestly and unfettered by people who, for now it seems, refuse to open their eyes long enough to stop whining over their self-imposed blindness.
You need to work on the reading comprehension. I said that I’ve seen on this blog. What you’re incapable of understanding is that the entitlement mindset isn’t a black or white thing, but a cultural thing. Trust me, I’ve encounted plenty of whites with the exact same mindset.
And no one has a problem with standing against discrimination. But you said the problem was turning the city over to the black community. That lumps a whole lot of people into that group, and if you are so damn ignorant to actually believe that, then you really need to find somewhere else to stick your head, because this ain’t it. There are blacks who have the exact same problems with the exact same mindset that you seem to dislike. And yet, you’re lumping them all into the same boat, whether you like it or not.
So get this clear, I don’t give a damn how old you are or where you’ve worked for how long. I understand well that there is anti-white discrimination, and that wasn’t up for discussion. But do not ever paint any group with such a broad brush again on this blog, or your stay here will be really short.
And two more things Willie. The first is that I don’t have a problem with you speaking out against anti-white racism. In fact, I’m very OK with it. But your comments crossed the line, and that is why you got called out.
Second, don’t even think about telling me I should shut this blog down. You freely come here, and you choose to contribute in the discussion. If you don’t like my rules, go about your happy way. Start your own blog if you like. Give us a run for our money if you can. But if you decide to stick around here, then please do. But you will pay attention to what you’re saying and do it by the rules that are in place here or else you won’t be contributing here due to my choice. Understood?
Sorry if the truth knocked you out of your comfort zone. Nonetheless I am right and you know it.
You haven’t even touched by comfort zone. You have no idea where that is. And “knocked”? You’re really giving yourself to much credit.
And no, you’re not right. In fact, you haven’t been right about anything you’ve said on this blog so far as I can recall. I’ll spell it out for you. The problem is a mindset, not the black community, because plenty of white folks have have that same mindset. Is your head that far in the sand?
Whatever. Keep on wringing those hands and tilting at windmills. Until Albany addresses the issue of racial division and unicultural entitlement-minded influence on this city, we’ll keep getting poorer and poorer. We’ll keep losing industries, jobs and talent and remain unable to attract new ones to replace them.
Make Albany attractive to us white folks again. Bring back those who used to come from Moultrie and Tifton and Americus to shop here but don’t anymore because the town seems unfriendly to whites. Instead, they’ve been diverted to Valdosta, Tallahassee, and to a lesser extent to Macon. Otherwise Albany can only continue on its present course.
Two of the more common complaints on your little website are that “no one is identifying why Albany is dying and no one is offering real solutions.” I just did.
And blaming one ethnic group for the problem, rather than the mindset that isn’t unique to that group, is about as productive as farting into the wind.
When people ask for solutions and indentification, they want real ones. Not your ignorant ramblings.
What is your solution to the “black problem,” Willie?
Exterminate them or send them back to Africa?
Seig heil!
Willie:
I am white and conservative. I agree with you that there is a racial issue here, but I think you’ve chosen the wrong color.
Albany’s worst enemy is the sanctimonious, head in the sand, WHITE, country club, inherited money types. If you doubt this, just think Bob Limpstaff, Kenny Boy Hodges and Judy “Toilet” Bowles.
There are thousands of anecdotes that could be posted here about these people and their warped priorities, but here’s one from this week: WALB is quoting the head of the Gang Task Force as saying we have “thousands” of gang members in Albany.
http://www.walb.com/Global/story.asp?S=11368207
If this figure is only partially correct, the police are heavily outnumbered. Yet, these effete, country club swine see fit to spend hundreds of thousands of dollars each year on Judy “Toilet” Bowles’ lickspittle Mike Tilson and his code enforcement buffoons whose only purposes seem to be the harrassment of Albany’s remaining private employers and the solicitation of illicit sex during business hours.
http://www.walb.com/Global/story.asp?S=8561490
Given the dire public safety risk posed by the gang threat, one would think Bob Limpstaff, Roger Marionette, etc., would place a higher priority on funding a response to the gang threat than on supporting Judy “Toilet” Bowles’ hobbyhorses over at code enforcement.
By the way, how many years ago did Kenny Boy Hodges promise he would “drive the gangs out of Albany”?
No Charles, but its interesting to know whats on your mind.
The first step is recognition of this as a significant problem.
In the short run, getting a handle on the east-side crime, black gang problems, and black-on-black murder and violence, entitlement-minded corruption and incompetency by the Buie, Lott, Adams, Mathis and similar types who just simply don’t like white people – all of which dominate Albany’s headlines – would help. Along the way, stop hiring black-owned employment firms who exclusively recruit black candidates like Buie, Lott and Younger etc., and hire headhunters who will bring us the best qualified candidates regardless of race.
…and one other point: I blame Buie far less than his accomplices on the city commission and ADICA’s board, black and white. I still believe the full story of “what Phil Cannon knew and when he knew it” hasn’t been told yet.
Willie: Crime is crime, and no one argues that it’s a problem and needs to be dealt with. However, just rattling off black officials and stating that they don’t like white people is just lazy. Yes, their own words indicate such, but you still have to deal with the fact that you’ve argued that the problem was “turning the city over to the black community.” No, it’s been electing “leadership” (and I use that term only under protest) that is more interested in placing blame than getting things done. However, those officials you mentioned? They’re not the only ones responsible for this mess either, and that’s what needs to be kept in mind.
As for your comments about head hunters and hiring candidates, as someone claims to work for the city, you should be well aware of a little court order that dictates something to do with Albany’s hiring practices. Would you care to share that with the whole class?
As I was driving to go visit with my kiddies in the Sunshine State, I was thinking, maybe I would write a quickie 500 page book entitled “Albany Georgia and the Demise of America.” Quickie in the sense of time spent to pound out a lot of words.
Some of you know I can get long winded and try to back up positions with a lot more detail than you asked for. I do have a lot of material and I bet you folks would be more than willing to contribute.
The basic thesis is that the circumstances that are now “Albany” are typical in some manifestation or another in far too many places in America. One of the key “circumstances” is the lack of wherewithal in leadership, talent and financial resources to cause a change in the downward spiral.
Perhaps in some ways, the large size of America, with its vast resources and diverse population which were once considered its strength, have now become its economic weakness. Its need to support these places and populations and its growing inability to bring non-strategic and relatively remote places and populations into highly productive mode, work to dilute and drain its abilities to focus ever more limited resources on high yield efforts. In this competitive world in which it must play catch-up in many segments, America must focus and energize on high-yield sustainable efforts. Is Albany helping or hindering that effort?
Something like that. Plus toss in the political and governmental stinkball, and where CAN one really go with an Albany today and over the long haul?
A
My fingers are feelin’ like they want to dance…
BTW, Jack Smith, your comment at 2:53 PM on October 23 is irreverent, snarky and ….. brilliant.
Also…I’ve said this before, and it is especially timely again with the announcement that Albany has 7 or so “new” gangs that recently have shown their pathetic ugliness around town. Local homegrown gangs…maybe this is the entrepreneurism that Albany has been looking for.
In terms of destructiveness to our local economy and to our quality of life and in terms of loss of life, injury and crime, Albany’s gangs are far more destructive than al Qaeda or the Taliban or any other foreign terrorist group ever has been and ever will be.
So how about the community engaging in a “surge” of its own to rid itself of this miserable scourge…a community effort from the pulpit to the streets that includes pastors and politicians and bloggers and media and pundits really stepping out into the neighborhoods with the police and the community organizers in real ways for more than Thanksgiving Dinner!!! It’s one thing for the pols to rally around the War Against Terror when it is thousands of miles away, but what about when it is just a random act of violence away?
btw, most markets experienced in gangs do not identify the groups publicly by name so to not give them publicity and to take away the incentive for them to commit crimes in order to be recognized by the press. Both the police department and the press often refer to gangs by name and that does nothing but encourage more crime and show that you know a club name. I wonder if many in this town are star struck by the celebrity of a national gang.
We can’t get a national chain like an Olive Garden, but at least we have the Crips and the Bloods.
Gangs and corrupt politicians are bad of course, but I think it’s wrong to demonize a group of people based on skin color as was done in a previous post:
“Turning over the city to the black community was a mistake and running it from a black-city, entitlement perspective to the exclusion of more qualified people of lighter tones and a hard-work ethic just ISNT WORKING. Albany is widely known as a place where blacks are bitterly bigoted against whites and there is a good reason for that reputation. Albany may be 60% black, but 70% of the community investment, property ownership, jobs-creation and business ownership is attributable to the caucasian community.”
Of course, I was being sarcastic in my post about the “Final Solution.”
But bigotry by anyone of any race is a slippery slope that leads inevitably to such extremes,
Charles, your response to Willie is quite measured, well-spoken and reasonable.
I have difficulty with these emotional and unsubstantiated claims and arguments. Bringing race into the picture in the way it usally is in these discussions, is usually simply drivel. Take for expample, even the closest thing to a statement with foundation in this market…that gang activity is concentrated in the Black community. That may be true. In LA or NYC or Miami Amarillo it may be in the Latino or Hispanic communities. In San Francisco it may be in the Asian community. Get it. Even a correct statistical observation is pointless to really understanding the issue or identifying an effective solution. Those tend to be racially indifferent.
The fundamental issues and the SOLUTIONS are the same in this community regardless of the identity of the demographic or the race of the leadership.
Solutions please. anyone? City-wide solutions? Yes, of course it will begin with a change of leadership, but race is totally irrelevant. Leadership change is a huge given. Without it, the rest of this discussion is purely theoretical.
After installation of effective leadership, then what?