Lake County News | California - Morgan: Moving Lake County forward in tough economic times

smurf - let's see...

Registered | 05-09-2008 10:20:50

we can't fix the roads we have, the water systems need an overhaul, the sewer systems are maxed-out, the social services are over-loaded, but we need MORE people? How about we deal with the problems we have first, and then maybe we can attract AND handle new growth.

Donna Christopher - Didja just copy n paste

Author | 05-09-2008 11:56:50

your previous articles Lamar? Your "Whatever you feed grows. Whatever you starve dies." sounds just like something an oncologist would say.

lamar - It All Comes Down To "Caring

Author | 05-09-2008 12:52:39

Smurf and Donna,

Can you walk and chew gum? Sure you can. It is possible to do more than one thing at a time. The problem here is that folks do not seem to care. But, thankfully that "I don't give a flip" attitude is under attack and I believe going to be overcome. Yes, the roads and sewers are a problem. But, the folks who are going to fix the roads and the sewers are not the same folks who are going to take care of our antiquated signage ordinance and provide REAL opportunities for our young people that are actually being taught in school to be tech savvy.

Now, if the county does not HAVE money to take action (no real surprise there), that does not mean action cannot be taken. It simply means that other revenue sources have to be sought. There is help available for the asking through organizations like Mt. Konocti Facilitation and The Foundation Center of San Francisco. In fact, The Foundation Center was here in Lake County back in March and gave a FREE presentation on Grant-Seeking Basics to help the local nonprofits find grant funding.

We need digital signage here in Lake County. We need FREE Wi-Fi with splash page advertising here in Lake County. And, I am pleased to announce that such ideas are receiving support from candidates running for the District 1 supervisor position. Want proof? Here are two places you can look - www.squidoo.com/TMMF and www.squidoo.com/TTK. When people not only want to care but know "how to" care, wonderful things can happen. It's not really about oncology. It's about networking and netweaving. Stay tuned.

Donna Christopher - Well, ya got me Lamar

Author | 05-09-2008 14:24:40

I was under the impression that Grant money was simply a way of getting our money back from the government - just having to jump thru an extra hoop to get it. But you tell me the government can't fix things cause they can't afford to but we can go for grant money. Where does that money come from Lamar - remember we're talking roads, water treatment and sewers so the amounts are HUGE that are needed - and going up daily in direct proportion to the price of a barrel of oil. So all we need is grant writing facilitation from the Mt. K foundation?? Or perhaps your thinking of the Bush model of highway building and maintainence - sell it to foreign interests?? I know SIGNAGE - we just keep running signs that say "its all good" and have wifi hotspots in the bottoms of our really deep pot holes. And the people your dealing with do "give a flip" - people who don't care don't comment cause they DON'T READ THE NEWS TO BEGIN WITH!!

lamar - Now, About Grant-Funding

Author | 05-09-2008 15:52:43

Donna,

The Foundation Center is the nation's philanthropic library system. They have been in existence 52 years. But, it was not until March 3rd of this year that the San Francisco branch bothered to stop off and educate Lake County. Personally, I think the education is long overdue. No one is going to go out and do what they do not know HOW to do.
There is so much misinformation in this county it boggles the mind.

Let's do a little test. Do a Google search on the "Haines Directory." When you do you will discover that there is indeed a Haines City-wide Directory for Lake and Mendocino County. Then, pick up the phone and call a local library reference department and ask if they have that directory. I did this very thing with several local libraries here in Lake County. Not only was I told that the library did not have the directory, I was boldly told the directory DID NOT EXIST - not for Lake County.

When people write requesting money for grants, they are not writing the government. They are writing to philanthropic organizations - more than likely divisions of commercial enterprises. Many banks have philanthropic divisions, for example. There are even now 501-c3 organizations (charities) that collect money for the sole purpose of distributing it to nonprofit organizations that are not charities. The Lake County Foundation is one such organization.

Like anything, just knowing something exits - like grant funding - does not do you much good. You need to know how the system works and how to make that system work for what you need to accomplish. Just knowing that The Foundation Center is out there does not do anyone in Lake County any good. Folks need to become better acquainted. A facilitator from Mt. Konocti Facilitation attended The Foundation Center presentation back in March. You can actually learn from her about grant-funding by visiting www.mtkonocti.com and calling the phone number on the site to schedule a phone conversation.

This is not some kind of clever trick. This is FREE access for you to information which can help transform the community - provided people act upon the information they receive.

I spoke to the Middletown Area Town Hall back in February of this year. I handed three CD's. I told each person I gave the CD to go home, watch the CD, share the CD with just three people during the course of the month and bring the CD back to the next town hall meeting and we would repeat the process to bring this community up-to-speed. Pretty simple, right? Not for this crowd. Why? Because they just did not CARE to do the simplest of things. Good news is only good when people take the time to share it. And, unless you CARE about something, you don't share it.

That's why even the vendors who pay to reserve a booth at "Middletown Days" for two days do not bother to show up on Sunday. They know the public will not be there. Why won't the public show up on Sunday? Because they have seen all they really need to see - which isn't much - on Saturday. Put another way, no one really cares that there is nothing new on Sunday. So, the community's largest annual festival turns into a ghost town on its second day year-after-year. Why does this seem to happen like clockwork? Because the community itself DOES NOT CARE!

Insanity is often described as "doing the same thing over-and-over again and expecting things to change." If you go online and read the Executive Summary of the Lake County Marketing Report at the Lake County Portal you will learn just how pathetic having an "I don't give a flip" attitude can be. It is the REAL REASON Lake County does not measure up to the counties that surround it.

But, I do have "good news." There are folks that are not going to allow this insanity to continue. The folks at Channel 8, the Clearlake Coop, my company and others are among them. If we cannot WAKE UP Lake County with our own local residents...we will wake up this county with people who CARE wherever we can find them. Want proof? Just check out who signed Ting's guest book at www.squidoo.com/TTK.

Donna Christopher - Thanks Lamar, I got it

Author | 05-09-2008 17:22:44

now - the only people who care that count are the ones that care about the same stuff you do. I'm sure you will keep us posted on what you're doing for Middletown with all that grant money that will be coming in.

lamar - A Little Insight

Author | 05-09-2008 18:11:14

You have me pegged wrong. I do not have any grant money. I am just an individual who is not afraid to care about his community - in spite of all the back-stabbing I have seen and experienced.

What an individual cares about is important - whether that person is me, you or someone else. However, at the very minimum the process of CARING requires at least two people. I addressed a packed room of people at a town hall meeting and could not get even one out of three to care.

Yet, in 2006, I started with 30 students at MHS and because they CARED about an idea Fox News came for a visit. First time this had ever happened! And, because Fox News came, the following year it was not 30 students who wanted to help out, but 110. Even students in the Middle School wanted to participate. You see, nothing succeeds like success.

Unfortunately, in Middletown, success can also foster jealousy. Certain adults did not care what the young people had volunteered to do for the town for TWO YEARS. Why? Because it was not their idea. So, they killed the program. And, the young people went back to spending time engaged in less productive activities like playing video games 10 hours-a-day or vandalizing property. When you feed apathy, apathy grows. And, just a quick drive through the town should visually demonstrate to you that Middletown is well-acquainted with apathy. Nothing exciting is happening.

Donna Christopher - Congratulations

Author | 05-09-2008 20:19:34

"Unfortunately, in Middletown, success can also foster jealousy. Certain adults did not care what the young people had volunteered to do for the town for TWO YEARS. Why? Because it was not their idea. So, they killed the program." This is the first time I've ever had to put on hipwaders to read Lakeconews. If MTown is not "exciting" enough for you - well guess what - we like it kicked back here in the LC. Cities are exciting - perhaps you should give them a try. Don't let the door knob hit ya where the Good Lord split ya, turn off the lights on your way out.

James - Lost and gone.

Registered | 05-10-2008 10:59:19

To move here was to rid myself that what you would like to have. More,more and more. When there was less I could see the hills across the lake and not through a haze. I bought existing to make no impact. Will we be led down the road as most others, most likely. After all we need more rapers, murderers, child molesters, dopers and could go on, you see the point. With what you would wish for, we have to put up with the above. No thank you.

lamar - Absolutely NOT TRUE

Author | 05-10-2008 11:49:05

I never said I wanted to bring big factories into Middletown. When the travel service was here, Cheap Tickets, did they bring a factory? No, but they did not stay. Why? Because the people who lived here lacked the skills they needed to stay competitive.

Whether you like it or not, we need to bring revenue into the area - not just people! What we have is people coming to live here, but the revenue leaving the area because all the worthwhile jobs are outside the county. Bringing revenue to the area has nothing to do with rapers, murderers, child molesters, dopers, etc.
That has to do with people who feel free to exercise bad behavior. Well, Lake County already has that reputation does it not? Perhaps it is time for a change?

With the ever-rising cost of gasoline, the need for more tele-commuting jobs becomes more apparent with each passing day. Rather than continuing to be a victim of this bad economic situation, it might be good idea to seek alternatives.

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