Posted Jan 18, 2009 at 2:02 PM
Please, really? What about the neighborhood or villages that are springing up all over. Various hubs of commerce and residential in a larger (more efficient?) government do not equate to a "loss of identity" in my book. Sounds worth looking into especially as funding is already granted when strong collaboration or population density exists. If memory serves (and it often doesn't anymore) seems like this was a topic about 20 years ago that died. Anyone for CPR?
As a former paramedic, I am all about CPR:) I believe I still hold the record in Florida for 48 minutes of CPR in the field..In Florida at that time, CPR, once initiated, can only be stopped by a physician's directigve..by myself. (I had responded in a private vehicle with no support when all other units were busy. I had to wait for one to clear and arrive on scene to contact the ER. OH....did I hurt the next day, and the day after, and the day after that....
Posted Jan 18, 2009 at 2:39 PM
...opened that can of worms! Now everyone in C'burg is going to say you don't care about the community and that you have no community pride. How dare you suggest that it would be more efficient and better for the citizens to merge the Towns and Radford? lol I can remember when the Chambers were merged a few years back, my god, what a whining fest that was! How many times did I hear people say, we'll lose our identity? People still whine about it today and that was like 6 or 7 years ago. I think your logic is sound and I think people can still have a community identity (just look at the different segements in Roanoke as an example). Actually, it would give our area a lot more clout in the long run and probably qualify us for more $'s from the State and Feds. Now, do I believe it will ever happen? Not no, but hell no! Too many TC members (especially in C'burg) would never want to lose their political clout or power. What would happen to Lance and the gang? You can bet your bottom dollar that he will never allow that to happen.
I'm just discussing possibilities. I learned a long time ago that there are a lot of different ways to look at the same problems. I thought maybe this would give people an idea of just how important it is to attend those Town Council and Planning Commission meetings, or to encourage the town to record and broadcast those meetings. The other thing it should inspire people to do is to look carefully at candidates before they cast their votes. While I do care about 'community', I care about people more. It is the needs of people not some entity called 'community' that should be addressed. Well, now that I've got everyone's attention....next blog is on sidewalks:)
Posted Jan 18, 2009 at 4:52 PM
...was not directed at you. I think what you are suggesting is a valid and worthwhile idea. I agree with you, it is worth exploring.
I didn't take it as being directed at me....but I could feel the eyes of others upon my back ... so I figured, I just head it off here.
Posted Jan 18, 2009 at 4:54 PM
Heck I've been thinking the same thing for years once Christiansburg and Blacksburg grow to the point that their limits touch one another. (Fast approaching)
Of course, nothing prevents the City of Radford from trying to annex that tiny little strip of County land from the Count which would put the City of Radford touching both Towns...then Radford could work to raise its flag over the other two entities:)
Posted Jan 18, 2009 at 7:23 PM
What tiny little strip of land are you talking about? All of my maps show significant amounts of land between Radford and Christiansburg/Blacksburg. Additionally, why would Radford have any motivation to do this. The only talk I have heard coming out of Radford in years has been the possibility of reverting to Town status and becoming part of Pulaski County.
I was referring to that little portion of County land that separates Christiansburg and Blacksburg. Radford would have to annex all the way out to and including that strip so it would be a fairly large chunk of land. I was just trying to make the point that many things COULD happen. And, that if citizens sit back and wait for things to just happen around them, they give up their right to make choices. There are a lot of legal twists and turns that could make big changes in people's lives. The more people are aware, the more say they will have. I don't think Radford would want to take on the problems inherent in Christiansburg or Blacksburg, but it is a legal option.
Posted Jan 19, 2009 at 10:08 AM
People already are unclear of when they leave incorporated area of one town and enter another, along Franklin/South Main. Known as mid-county area, the way to tell is when the street name changes (at Montgomery Hospital). In my mind, the two towns already touch, and Radford could annex to the Carillion hospital, interstate exit, or out to Plum Creek. Makes more sense for them to join MontCo than Pulaski anyway, as they are closer to county seat of Christiansburg than county seat of Dublin. With the county administrator leaving, now would be a good time to look at this and save hiring another government CEO. Over time, consolidated administration could reduce number of jobs, but not by much. Savings could be by normal retirement or attrition and not rehiring when someone leaves. Definately better ability to negotiate benefit packages and assure consistency between employee groups than what is seen today. It is up to the government to demonstrate the value they bring to citizens and justify their needed existence, or like retailers and banks and so forth, merge and become more efficient. A single set of guidelines would help business people and citizens but might put a lot of consultants out of work who have developed specialized knowledge about this government or that and charge big bucks for guiding you through the maze and how to circumvent the regulations to your advantage.
Posted Jan 19, 2009 at 11:12 AM
Although this is not an argument against consolidation, it is the main reason why it probably won't happen. I think Tony touches upon this issue as well. Top-level administrators would be most threatened by consolidation because there would only be room for one police chief, city-manager, recreation director, etc. Coincidentally, those people have loads of political capital and would probably do everything in their power to maintain their livelihood. Unless something occurs to overcome that potential resistance (deeper and prolonged budget cuts, a more active citizenry) I don't see it happening, even though consolidation makes sense. I think Suffolk did this several years ago.
Posted Jan 19, 2009 at 2:35 PM
Eric L. raises a good point. I think there is another issue that some here may have missed. The local blogs are constant in there criticism of how unresponsive local government in general and various department heads in particular are to individual citizen concerns. Consolidation of all these governments into one would mean larger bureacracy. Larger bureacracies are typically more frustrating and less responsive than smaller ones. For example, Christiansburg would go from a 53 man police department to being part of a huge department of somewhere near 250 officers. The same for Blacksburg. Their 58 officers would roll into the giant County police department, as would the county deputies currently responsible for law enforcement in Montgomery County. That being the case, do you think the chief of police would be more or less accessible. This idea has been done before in some localities, many of which silently regret it after the fact. The suprising part of it all is that it usually ends up costing more rather than saving money.
The results of such endeavors have had very, very differing results. I'm afraid that some of what people are looking at is that if current government isn't doing the job, then why not let a bigger government not do the job for less money. I've really enjoyed the comments coming in on this as they have shown so many different perspectives. No matter how bad things are, they could be worse. That is why it is so vitally important for people/citizens to be involved and aware. As a society, we have learned to delegate so much of our power to others: We find no fault with government unless it directly affects 'me'. We don't question or challenge our doctor until we find a bad decision/diagnosis has been made. (And coming from today's news stories) We don't question what our accountant is doing until we end up in trouble with the IRS. We don't question the decisions made by financial institutions handling our money unless something goes wrong. Learning, looking, thinking, asking questions....these are all part of the power we have as individuals, a town, a city, a county, and/or a country. Thanks for you input! Good stuff!
Posted Jan 20, 2009 at 12:52 PM
How about combining Blacksburg, Christiansburg, and Montgomery County dispatch into one central center. This would eliminate the need to transfer calls to other agencies for dispatch of Police Fire and Rescue. This would also save money for equipment and staffing needs. Just a thought.....be more efficent.
This may be a bit of a shock...but, not everyone can afford a car. Not everyone has a driver's license. Some people try to walk more to help the environment. Some people try to walk more for their health. That's about all that comes to mind off the top of my head.
Posted Jan 20, 2009 at 4:17 PM
Thought the topic was combining government and its agencies. I'll address your relpy though: Most of the Folks that I see walking up and down Roanoke Street have no license thus no need for a car. Now I'm not saying all walkers I see just most. I'm all about being healthy and sympathize for those less fortunate but......those that have no license and have to walk arent my top priority when it comes to installing sidewalks. They have no license and are walking for a reason. That reason is punishment! While we are on the subject I'd like to voice a complaint about mopeds. These things are PRIMARILY driven by those whos privledge to drive has been taken away. They are the ones that circumvent the law by opperating a moped to get back and forth without "breaking the law." They arent required to have insurance or have yearly checks to make sure they are road worthy. Up until recently riders were not required to wear helments or eye protection.
There seems to be a problem now and then with comments showing up on with an incorrect response. Sorry....it's only happened 3 times now and only when I have multiple comments to review, but it can be confusing. Maybe something with my computer. I'll have to check it out. Sorry for the confusion. Let me note there that there are a lot of people, who for medical reasons, are not allowed to drive. There are people who are taking medication that mandates they do not drive. There are people with a history of seizure disorders who are not allowed to drive until they have been a year or more without ANY seizure activity. There are people who cannot meet the visual requirement of the driving test, but have enough eyesight available to them to make it safe for them to walk. There are those who are too young to drive but are trying to get to work. There is always more than one reason for anything....just gotta look for all the whys.