Editorial
Front Page - Friday, August 13, 2010
WCR meeting features purse auction, political optimism
Erica Tuggle
Sen. Bo Watson spoke at the August Women’s Council of Realtors meeting on topics ranging from education, real estate growth in Chattanooga and several hot-button issues like economical progress and the future of health care. Here, he holds up his iPhone to display the stopwatch component, while insisting jokingly that he will stick to his allotted speech time.
- Erica Tuggle
In the first meeting for the Women’s Council of Realtors after the summer’s break, there were purses and politics, with Senator Bo Watson speaking on real estate in the legislature and the annual purse auction conducted afterwards.
Karen Flores was named the new treasurer for the council, while the Realtors and sponsor guests helped their plates to a spread of extra cheesy macaroni, fried chicken, meatloaf and desserts.
Super Sponsor Todd Mc-Cain, founder and owner of Cumberland Title & Guaranty, thanked the council for the opportunity to sponsor the organization as well as share the pillars of their company with experience, excellence and integrity that they provide.
Chattanooga born Hixson resident, Bo Watson, then took to the podium to share his knowledge of the ongoing state of local and national government as well as make predictions for the future of Chattanooga and the real estate industry. Watson continued to encourage citizen participation in politics, and said he personally depends on citizens for information and feedback in areas of upcoming legislation that they know more about than he.
He stressed the “importance of healthy and efficient state government that respects the rights of individuals, performs its duties appropriately and allows citizens and localities to make decisions that are best for their locality and for themselves,” and “encourages those who have knowledge on topics to volunteer to provide information to help with upcoming legislation that is put before us.”
He said he knows that some citizens are unaware that representatives in the general assembly are not full time political people, and live and work in the community they represent. Watson himself is a physical therapist at Parkridge Medical Center, and runs the sports medicine and rehabilitation program when he is not in the political realm.
One of the most controversial and later questioned statements Watson made was that, “The whole Southeastern United States is about to see an economic boom we have not seen the likes of since the Civil War.” This seemed to be the opposite of what everyone else is saying, said one skeptical Realtor.
Watson said, “We are now in a position here in 2010 where the South is really ready to spring forward as the economic engine of the U.S.”
In committees with which Watson is working, researchers have predicted that within the next 20 years, there will be approximately 20,000 new rooftops built in Hamilton County, especially in the areas of Soddy Daisy, Ooltewah, Apison and Harrison, where there is expected to be growth from Volkswagen industries.
While this is certainly good in the aspect of progression, citizens of these areas may be opposed to growth around them because they had initially moved to these areas to be away from the development aspect, Watson said.
The challenge of how to maintain the lifestyle that is currently in these areas while bringing in a new lifestyle with new opportunities and new challenges is to be considered, he said.
Realizing weaknesses to be addressed before moving forward is something every great company does, Watson said, and Tennessee must “face the brutal facts of current reality,” which are, in this case, that the Southern U.S. is undereducated and underemployed.
“Until we admit it and address it, it will be a problem in our progression forward as part of this nation,” he said.
As an example of this, Watson alluded to the TCAP scores that will be released in the next two weeks:” scores so abysmal that you are going to be shaken to your knees how poorly educated we are,” he said. In these results, it will be shown that over 50 percent of fourth graders are reading below their grade level. The education component is important in fixing the employment deficit as well, he said.
He said, to do this, Tennes-seans “must decide what is our passion, of our passion? What can we be the best at, and do we actually have the resources to be able to do what we want to?”
Chattanoogans are lucky to have the Tennessee River as what he called the greatest natural resource, better than gold, because man can live without gold, he said. Furthermore, Watson said he wants Tennessee to be the place where everyone has the opportunity to be successful. He said this will come, along with development, if everyone allows it to.
Watson admits that the next couple of years look gloomy, but 20 to 25 years out, if the Southeast continues on a strong path, it could become a sturdy economic engine.
He said at the beginning of next year $750 million worth of cuts must be made, 300 million of which will come out of higher education right off the bat. The decision will be whether to tax citizens to regain this money or put in place policies that will spur economic growth and “grow your way out of it,” he said.
Watson again reminded the audience how important their role as a citizen in the political process is.
He said, “When citizens become apathetic and no longer care about the direction in which we are going, our doom is inevitable. If you don’t get involved in politics, someone else will, and they may not have your best interests in mind.”
After his speech, the election of the nominating committee for the Women’s Council of Realtors was made. Past president Jennifer Grayson will head this committee, whose nominated members are Elizabeth Moyer, Bekah Dalton and Nickie Schwartzkopf.
The purse auction rounded out the last part of the meeting as Karen Flores announced purses stuffed with items like candles, biofuels, picture frames, hair dryers, wine and other goodies. One of the auction purses sold for $45. All the money raised goes to educate current officers and for projects.
The next general membership meeting will be Sept. 8 at the DoubleTree Downtown on, “What’s New in Downtown Chattanooga?”
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