With a little dedication, 2003 can be a great year
Now that 2002 is officially in the history books, the New Year always provides an opportune time for reflection and forward thinking.
It’s nice to look back and reminisce about what’s happened over the last year, but it’s also not a bad idea to look ahead. The start of another year is also a new beginning of sorts, a chance to set goals you can strive to attain over the next 12 months.
As many of us make New Year’s resolutions, we must remember the reason for those promises to ourselves. For the most part, the goal of resolutions is to better ourselves, or to better our family and community. Most of us have the luxury of fairly fulfilled lives, but there’s always room for improvement, to make one aspect of our lives just a tad bit better.
It’s with that in mind, the Standard has a few lighthearted, yet helpful, tips to provide. If followed, these tips can lead to a more productive and enjoyable 2003.
• To county government officials, may you find a way to hire an architect without first shelling out $50,000 to a person you never use. When talking about government waste, and taxpayer dollars which get flushed down the commode, this is one of the most glaring examples.
The Warren County Commission first decided it wanted to hire jail architect Mark Rodgers. After souring on Rodgers’ ideas, and his fee, commissioners then voted to hire jail architect Jim Armstrong, who has a similar fee.
This wouldn’t have been such an ill-conceived idea if the county didn’t already owe Rodgers $50,000. Some commissioners even went so far as to try and stiff Rodgers and not pay him the money he was owed until cooler minds eventually prevailed.
• To Chamber of Commerce officials, may you find the finances to finish the new Chamber addition before it becomes a downtown eyesore as prominent as The Hole.
Note: It’s best not to start a project before you have all the money to pay for that project.
Note II: It’s also not smart to decline a front-page story from the Standard with the idea that such a story would generate more contributions to the building fund.
• To city leaders, may you have better luck finding a way to annex more property without being taken to court by those property owners.
This is certainly a sticky situation as the city tries to expand its borders – and its tax base. But non-city residents aren’t warming up to the idea of paying city taxes. Instead, they’re willing to pay lawyers with the hope of fighting annexation in court.
These are just a few friendly suggestions as the Standard looks back at 2002 and tries to work toward a more successful 2003. Happy New Year and best of luck in the coming year.