Common Sense Cooperation and Competition

This article appeared on Page 5A of the March 31 edition of the Lee County Ledger

There has been some recent public discussion regarding a growing level of cooperation between leaders in Lee and Dougherty Counties.

First, I want to discuss some positives. Growing lines of communication between neighbors is basic common sense. There is no reason not to acknowledge each others’ presence at a bare minimum, and there are many solid reasons to openly talk to each other – such as the fact that many EMTs in the area are employed by both Dougherty and Lee Counties, on different days.

There are also issues, such as fires that start on one side of a county line and spread to the other, where you need those lines of communication, and you need cooperation between the neighbors. Or maybe some crime spree happens near the County line, such as the rash of robberies in Eagle Trace on the Dougherty County (Albany City) side of LeDo Road last fall, and you want the other County’s law enforcement officials to be aware of the issue so that they can watch for suspicious activity while on their patrols as well.

But there is also much to be troubled about in regards to this “spirit of cooperation”.

When I see that the Director of the Lee County Chamber of Commerce is content with Lee County being a “bedroom community” to Albany, that deeply troubles me. When I see the Chairman of the Lee County Board of Commissioners essentially bragging that Lee County has so few jobs that 85% of its population has to work in Dougherty County, that deeply troubles me.

When Lee County business and government leaders are more worried about “cooperating” with Dougherty County than bringing more jobs and more growth into Lee County, that deeply troubles me.

These leaders are content with the status quo, and more than anything else, that deeply troubles me.

Leaders should always strive to push their people to become MORE than they are. They should not be satisfied with being a “bedroom community”, but should instead seek to make their NEIGHBORS the “bedroom community”.

Quite frankly, I don’t want the Lee County Chamber of Commerce and the Lee County Board of Commissioners trying to attract Best Buy to come into the former Circuit City building barely a half mile from the Lee/Dougherty line. I want those organizations trying to attract Best Buy to buy some land near the intersection of Forrester Parkway and US 19 and build there instead – inside Lee County. The people are there to support the business either way, and it will get the same amount of traffic either way, with the new Publix and CVS going up at that same intersection. The difference is that the property tax it pays will go into LEE County coffers. The sales tax it generates will go into LEE County coffers. The additional traffic it generates will lead to further LEE County growth.
When it comes to attracting jobs, businesses, and other growth, there should not be a spirit of cooperation between Dougherty and Lee, but a spirit of competition. When neighboring local communities compete for these things, everyone prospers.

Competition among local governments keeps them as least intrusive as possible, and therefore keeps taxes as low as possible. But it also prompts them to work to offer better, more efficient services than their neighbors.

For example, a local government truly concerned about attracting local businesses does not try to run local businesses away by enacting restrictive sign ordinances. A local government truly concerned about attracting local businesses does not continue to pour money down the drain on pipe dreams that will never be fulfilled, but instead works to help businesses grow wherever they wish to locate. A local government concerned with the safety of its citizens knows that it has waited too long to deem a dog dangerous when it bites a human for the first time. A local government concerned about the safety of its citizens knows that having a police department known more for its ineptitude that its bravery only repels potential citizens who wish to live in relative security.

But hey – this is all common sense.