Lack of Vision

Proverbs 29:18 (KJV) states that "Where there is no vision, the people perish." This quote seems especially prophetic when dealing with Murfreesboro.

It is springtime, the time when the leaders in our fair city have decreed that the city elections should be held. Despite the fact that the last spring election had a voter turnout of 9%. Despite the fact it costs more to hold a separate city election than it would to hold the city election with the state primaries in August. Despite the fact it is easier for the incumbents to remain in power when only 9% of the qualified electorate bother to vote. Or perhaps that is the point.

One of the problems bedeviling Murfreesboro is a lack of vision for our city. It is shown in innumerous ways. Despite the fact Murfreesboro has grown to over 100,000 (some estimate our population will be 110,000 after the census), our leaders continue to act as if Murfreesboro was a small town. We continue to have "at-large" council representation, with 5 council-members representing the entire community. And while technically anyone in the city can run for office, most of the current council members live in the "newer" parts of town, not the older, "inner-city" section of the city in which I reside. Additionally, the power is held in this city largely by white men. While there is a person of color on the Council and a woman on the School Board, in a town of this size it is past time that minorities had larger representation in our local government.

While the city has actively encouraged growth in the "Gateway" section of the city, little thought has been given to maintaining the older sections of the city. Maney Avenue has suffered a drainage problem for years and only now is the money being allocated to alleviate the problem. I'm sure the business owners in that area would have been happy with one-tenth of the attention (or money) that the Gateway has attracted. And while the Greenway is wonderful (and used by many), I am sure the people living on Bradyville Pike would have appreciated sidewalks as they walk (the only means of transportation for many in that area) to work or to the store.

What this city needs is to seriously begin vision-casting. Responsible leaders need to step forward and start dreaming about what we want from our city in the future and the path we need to take to get there. Do we want to be a city that only attracts blue-collar jobs, or do we want to be more like Franklin, which attracts professional jobs? What do we need to do as a city to ensure that schools like Hobgood or Bradley do not become like Nashville's Cameron School, a school so troubled that it is being taken over by a charter school in the fall. How can we get more people involved (myself included) in the excellent work being done in this city by organizations such as The Journey Home, Greenhouse Ministries, and Rev. Marable's Second Chance Ministries? What can we do to eradicate the creeping gang violence? How can we show the gangs that we will not cede one iota of this city to their sway?

I think that the people in our city should also be involved in this process. Let a series of meetings be held all over the city, from Blackman to Siegel to Indian Hills to State Street. Let all voices be heard as people articulate where our city should be in 30, 40, 50 years. Let's work together and make this a city our children can be proud of. Perhaps in the process we can make this a city we ourselves our proud of.