Is It Really So Bad?
One of the first things I noticed upon my return to Stephens County in 2001 after almost 40 years was how decayed and unsightly my boyhood home had become. Everywhere I looked were vacant, crumbling houses on overgrown lots; jumbles of abandoned cars, boats, appliances, and construction debris; unkempt businesses scattered indiscriminately throughout the city and county; and roadsides strewn with litter and refuse. Since my initial shock at realizing this would be where I would live out my remaining days and years I have tried to work with community leaders and others to rid Toccoa and Stephens County of these eyesores and, in so doing, help make our community a place where we can enjoy living, working and welcoming visitors and newcomers.
Since becoming involved in the fight against blight many well-meaning people have said to me, “What are you so upset about? Do you really think that a scattering of abandoned houses and businesses and a little litter on the roads do so much damage? After all, we’re no worse than anywhere else around here.” To all who have asked such questions and to those who have yet to ask I say YES it does damage us both in ways that are obvious and in ways we rarely consider.
I argue that our blight and general decay does substantial short and long term damage to the people of Toccoa and Stephens County. The damage is not so much to our physical and environmental health, though this is a consideration, as to our economic and societal health and well-being.
If asked, many residents would say that the number one need for our community is jobs – good paying, long-lasting jobs. I believe that there is a direct connection between job growth and a clean, inviting community. Consider a person or family who is looking to relocate to this beautiful region of the country. They might even be looking for a place to start a business. How will they choose between our community and some other place? Good schools, good health care, good policing, good people who take pride in their community likely are high on their list of desirable attributes. These “shoppers” only know what they see. So, even if the perspective newcomers manage to find their way to little jewel we call Historic Downtown Toccoa, what must they see as they drive toward town from any direction? If you were showing them around, looking at schools, shopping areas, and neighborhoods, what embarrassing scenes would you have to drive them by? We do ourselves great and lasting economic damage by not making our town and county as clean and as appealing as we can for our visitors and perspective newcomers.
Now, what about us, the people who already live here? Both county and city have ordinances to curb blight and littering. However, historically these laws have been timidly enforced and have rarely led to compliance or to court-mandated penalties. So, we seem to be locked in a downward-spiraling race to the bottom. What remains to be seen is how far we must sink before our citizenry and leaders finally say “No More”. In the meantime, remember that by turning our heads away from our “dirty litter secrets” we fail to do much to distinguish ourselves as a community that cares. We pay a high price for our complacency.
In closing, the most frustrating thought for me is that the problem exists simply because we allow it to exist. We have the ordinances, the officials, the courts, and the paid attorneys that are required. We have many citizens who care. Yet sustained economic recovery for Toccoa and Stephens County will languish until we finally clean up our community and keep it clean.
Tim Hale is a Guest Blogger representing the Citizens Advisory Panel Against Litter & Blight
