LETTER TO THE EDITOR
A local resident responds to Monday's commentary on rugged individualism and the current crisis facing local government and nonprofit organizations.
Rugged Leaders Exist Here - Now, Let’s Communicate
I read with great interest Martin Davis’s article FROM THE EDITOR: The Real Pain Is Just Beginning – How Will We Respond? His point in the article is that rugged individualism is needed in the Fredericksburg region to deal with and prepare for more tough economic times. His article identified multiple solutions; I am focusing only on the concern associated with strengthening local safety nets.
The Fredericksburg region has many “rugged” leaders in a wide variety of service, civic, business, and special interest organizations that are devoted to assisting those in need. The citizens of the Fredericksburg region are also prepared to assist their neighbors as well.
The operating model for many assistance and service organizations is to focus on a narrow mission and specialize assistance for the sake of efficiency. That is understandable since the state and the region have prospered better than many other areas of the U.S. Today, our circumstances are significantly different. We have an administration that is randomly withdrawing federal funds from existing contracts, eliminating entire programs without appreciating the full ramifications of their actions and simultaneously increasing the price of goods and services we all use.
This calls for a collective effort on the part of all citizens. Our citizens first need our local leaders to step forward, organize, plan, and then mobilize the citizenry to take action to address the short falls in assistance and service programs that we are and will continue to experience.
This letter is a challenge to the multitude of Fredericksburg regional organizations. Please:
communicate soon with each other,
organize to meet the challenge,
develop a plan to meet the challenge,
keep the community informed as you organize and plan,
mobilize the citizenry, and
implement the plan.
A quick review of the Fredericksburg region’s service, civic, business, and special interest organizations indicates a wealth of capable and experienced entities. Example organizations include a Regional Planning organization, a Chamber of Commerce, a United Way, multiple Country Clubs, multiple veteran organizations, service organizations like the Lions, philanthropic organizations like the REALTORS® Foundation, and the list goes on.
If I am correct about our community leaders, they are already taking these actions.
Readers: If you are one of the above leaders, please let us know what organizing and planning is already under way.
Phil Huber
Fredericksburg
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