Optimist-Outlook 1/29/09

Marianna Optimist Club Activities
By Don Jones - January 13th, 2009

"The Day of Protecting Narrow Interest Has Past!"
U.S. President, Barack Obama’s Inaugural Address 20 Jan 2009
Ted Lakey, Jackson County Administrator, when speaking before members of the Marianna Optimist Club, basically spoke the mind of the country’s forty-fourth president, Barack Obama, a full two hours before President Obama spoke these, now famous words, "But our time of standing pat, of protecting narrow interests and putting off unpleasant decisions - that time has surely passed. Starting today, we must pick ourselves up, dust ourselves off, and begin again the work of remaking America."
As in the past, Americans have proven to have the unusual ability to put aside all vestiges of personal interest, and self interest for the greater cause of what is best for the whole of society. Lakey described the recent coming together of all public agencies, Federal, State, County, and City to do just that. He confessed that there was no agenda to do such, but under the realization of the recent loss of monetary privileges, which were taken for granted for so many years, these agencies came together out of necessity to resolve monetary issues of mutual interest to all jurisdictions.
He mentioned a few examples of the ever shrinking local and state budgets that took place in the 2009 budgets. For example, due to the recent roll-back of county property taxes to pre 2008 levels, the amount of revenues, as well as, state monies for some special projects have been significantly reduced. Before that happened, however, the county managed to implement several improvements, such as construction of the new 8,000sf County Emergency Operation building next to the County Road Department. Also, many of the County’s Parks, Boat Landings, and Roads have seen long needed improvements. He was particularly proud of the new Fine Arts Pavilion at Citizen’s Lodge, to name a few improvements.
All hope for the current year, and near future, lies with the combined success of the areas municipal agencies to put together a comprehensive reconstruction plan acceptable to the state for the promised federally funded stimulus package. Of course paving of roads is a primary concern, as well as, other infrastructure projects that will truly benefit the majority of all county residents, and jurisdictions.
Lakey announced that there now exists a new era of cooperation between municipalities which is so necessary for our area to compete for the impending recovery dollars. Jackson County Commissioners have scheduled several multi jurisdictional meetings to discuss mutual collaborative efforts for future development. He was, also, confident that the new twelve million dollar, County Health Department Building, destined to be built at the Marianna Airport Industrial Park, will take place in 2009 as planned.