Why So Long?

WHY SO LONG?

It was in the spirit of a stronger community that residents, community associations, non-profits, faith groups, several service organizations and a few public officials began meeting to discuss ways to collaborate to build, strengthen, and empower the Six Flags area communities. Since its beginning eleven years ago the Austell Community Taskforce (A.C.T.) has struggled to live out its potential by responding to needs of the community. Several months ago a new initiative was launched (ACT Partnership) with the intent of serving as an “umbrella” organization for the ACT and the other community based organizations that each share the common burdens of underfunding or lack of capacity to meet their mission. Why has progress and measureable outcomes taken so long?

The Six Flags area of Cobb County is generally underserved and has not received significant land use or infrastructure investment in the past. Additionally, the area has consistently had one of the highest crime rates in Cobb County, been plagued by substandard apartment complexes, lacked a healthy mix of retail and small businesses, and does not have easy access to a major food market where residents could acquire healthy food and produce.  In recent years a series of area studies have examined existing land uses, transportation, zoning, and future land use and offered recommendations in order to determine whether or not policy changes would be appropriate. These studies make interesting reading.

Although the area has a wealth of resource, the community must address its key economic developmental and quality of life factors.  Ensuring quality public education for our children, increasing our awareness of political and governmental issues affecting the community, establishing and maintaining desirable neighborhood businesses and employment opportunities, and protecting community residents from crime and violence are just a few key important areas of interest for the ACT and the Partnership. These concerns are viewed across a community that has the highest percentage of minority residents in the county. In fact almost four out of ten county residents are non-white. The problems and the issues in South Cobb however cannot be blamed on a single demographic or socio-economic metric.

One has to wonder why despite dozens of meetings of “concerned” residents and other stakeholders since 2001 in area churches, homes, and the local recreation center why has an effective community alliance yet been established. Why so Long?

If readers had the expectation of me offering solutions, I am afraid I must disappoint you. The solutions reside in the collective will of all of us who have come to these meetings over these past eleven years and walked away without a workable plan and timetable.  Individual effort to affect change can make a difference if we believe in ourselves and the worth of our goals. We all have a responsibility for citizenship, to each other, and our community.

It is said, where there is a will, there is a way. So the answer to the question, why so long, is there is yet no collective will for change.