Rough road ahead
Listen. This is going to be tough on some people – this thing we’re going to call a recession. There’s a little too much talk of how we can and have weathered one or two before and how the economic buoyancy of the community is going to keep us all afloat. Yes, perhaps the university is going to continue to grow – and, as a result, the community will prosper – but at street level this recession is going to hurt, and we need to deal with that.
It doesn’t take a rocket surgeon to figure out that in times like these contributions to nonprofits decline while the demand for their services jumps. This is paradoxically the worst year to ask people to give more, yet we’re at a time when the need for extra assistance in providing food, paying utility bills and – to borrow a phrase – providing for the general welfare is likely to be as great as it’s been in a generation.
We’re entering another holiday season – a time traditionally filled with themes of abundance and feasting and extensive, if not outright extravagant, purchasing. It is also a time when the differences between the haves and the have-nots are never more extreme.
This year, more than most in our past, is a time to set aside some of that abundance in support of those less fortunate. Really. You won’t miss it.
There are so many ways to help – from donating to the food pantries and utility-assistance funds to dedicating donations to arts and school organizations for scholarships for young students who otherwise could not afford a class or a camp.
We are blessed with a strong, organized nonprofit sector in this community – one that will feel the pinch if donations dry up just at a time when they’re needed the most.
There is a tendency to be frugal during downturns and times of economic uncertainty, and wisely so. But do so with a purpose – that you might be able to extend that helping hand to a person or family on the brink. Poverty, hunger and want tear at the fabric of society. We hope and pray for better days ahead. Until then, our generosity and kindness are the needle and thread.
The right choice
There are two schools of thought on how to go about choosing a successor on a governing board for someone who has died in office – you can look for the “best fit†for the rest of the group or you can look for someone who would best carry on in the spirit of the departed. When it comes to elected bodies, it is always tempting to go with the former but far more important to be mindful of the latter.
The Chapel Hill Town Council was faced with that decision this month in finding someone to fill out the term of the late Bill Thorpe. On Monday, they voted unanimously to name Jim Merritt to the seat. The move brought some grousing – most of it delivered with a request for no attribution – that race was the deciding factor. Merritt, like Thorpe, is black. We’d like to point out that he is also an individual. In this case, he’s an individual who brings a background and perspective that used to be common on the board but is now increasingly unique.
Each council member is in some way elected by a coalition – a mix of geographic and political constituencies that find the candidate appealing for one reason or another. Thorpe had his own mix of constituencies, and a review of his election results shows strong support for him in the downtown, traditionally African-American communities he championed in his years in office.
Merritt full well knows that as a councilperson he serves all the people of Chapel Hill. He also is much more attuned to the dynamics and needs of a critically important part of the town. His experiences, shaped by a lifetime of ties to the community, bring a first-hand knowledge to the council. As a native with deep roots in town that stretch back into its murky, antebellum past, he also gives voice to those who remember much more clearly how and why we got to where we are today.
Service on the council is a big commitment for anyone and we applaud those who placed their name in consideration for their willingness to contribute time and talents.
Merritt volunteered knowing that not only would he have big shoes to fill but also that his candidacy would be greeted by some with skepticism if not outright cynicism. He did the right thing and so did the council.