Backyard Economics

Put your money where your house is.

I've been thinking about my bank account lately, and I don't mean just worrying about how small it is. I'm wondering what my money is doing for my community. Times are tight and it's important to know where your dollars are going. When you purchase a good or service, think of it not as money spent, but as money invested.

It seems obvious that we do business where we perceive to receive the best value for our time and money. Perceptions, however, are not always accurate. I argue that it makes better sense to support your community first, especially during times of economic turmoil, even if you have to put an extra nickle in the parking meter or spend a couple extra bucks for the same item

you could have picked up at the big-box national chain store down the street.

We love to embrace the idea of distinctive businesses with local charm and character, but often forget their survival depends on our patronage. It is easy for us to get so consumed by efficiency that we forget how much of our lives we spend eating out, shopping, and doing other business. We owe it to ourselves to consider the quality of our experience, and ask if we benefit when we choose a community-based business.

Independent local businesses employ a wide array of supporting services. They hire hometown Realtors, architects, designers, sign makers and contractors. Opportunities grow for local banks, accountants, insurance brokers, computer consultants, attorneys, advertising agencies and others to help run it. According to the 3/50 Project , for every $100 spent with locally owned independent businesses, a whopping $68 returns to the community through taxes, payroll, and other expenditures.

I'm not advocating boycotting the big-box stores, chain restaurants, and other national businesses. I'm just saying spend wisely. Local owners with much of their life savings invested in their businesses have a natural interest in the long-term health of the community. Community-based businesses are also essential to charitable endeavors, frequently serving on local boards, and supporting a variety of causes.

Life is not all about financial capital; it's also about "living capital," which is the quality of life in your community. It's not necessarily quantifiable, but is something we feel. We know in our hearts what it is. And each time we spend a dollar, we would do well to weigh the full value of our choices, not solely to ourselves immediately, but for the future we want in our own hometowns.

In a nutshell, it really boils down to investing money in the people who are making your community a better place to live.

Real Men: Painting Henry County "Pink" is Fashion with a Function

A lot of guys shy away from wearing certain colors. It is probably safe to say that pink tops the list.

Now, I've personally never been opposed to pink. I've got pink pants and pink shirts, and even a pink tie. I wear them all the time. And I always get compliments. Women tell me that they like a confident man that is comfortable wearing pink. (Need real proof? Men's Health did a fashion feature on color and discovered that women are more drawn to men wearing certain colors. Guess what? Pink topped that list!). I'd even venture to say that other men secretly admire guys that dare to be different, too.

I guess it all goes back to that age old stereotype: blue is for boys, and pink is for girls. We don't really know where this originated. The idea of associating blue with male babies may stem back to ancient times when having a boy was good luck. Blue, the color of the sky where gods and fates lived, held powers to ward off evil, so baby boys were dressed in blue. In Greece, a blue eye is still thought to have powers to ward off evil. The idea of pink for girls might come from the European legend that baby girls were born inside delicate pink roses.

At any rate, it is time for us to put all that conjecture aside for a cause that we can all agree deserves our attention: breast cancer. And there is an innovative campaign right here in Henry County that aims to motivate men to help give breast cancer the pink slip, so to speak: Real Men Wear Pink.

When a woman is diagnosed with breast cancer the men in her life help her through it. With 13,698 new diagnoses expected this year it is now as important as ever to donate to breast cancer research. For each of those cases there will be at least one man whose life will dramatically change with a positive diagnosis as a husband, brother, father or son. The champion effort behind Real Men Wear Pink seeks to increase breast cancer awareness and research, with a focus on our community.

Now marking it's third year, the notion of bringing the Real Men Wear Pink campaign to Henry County is the brainchild of Donna Braddy, Director of Marketing and Public Relations for Henry Medical Center. In conjunction with Breast Cancer Awareness Month in October, you will see, among other things, billboards, special events, fundraisers, and local media promoting this cause.  There are also two excellent online videos focused on Henry County, It's Not Easy Bein' Pink (lighthearted) and Three Shades of Pink (serious).

Like many others, my wife, Julia, and I have been personally
affected by this disease. We have witnessed family, friends, and co-workers battle breast cancer. Two years ago, we learned that our friend, Stacie Walker, was diagnosed. At the time, she was only 29 years old. Breast cancer came as a surprise to her, and she had no family history of the disease. In true Stacie style, though, she handled the news with grace, humor, and inspiring herculean strength (it is all chronicled on her blog, A Dose of Reality).

Of course, we thought of Stacie's daughter. And of her husband, Jesse, in particular. I tried to put myself in his shoes, and to think about how I would help Julia through something like this. "In sickness and in health," becomes very real. Jesse, like all husbands of wives battling breast cancer, became a pillar of strength. Today, thankfully, Stacie is out of the woods and has a clean bill of health. Jesse is now her co-survivor.

Breast cancer is a universal fight that cannot be won alone. It is not just a woman's issue. Whatever or whomever your reason, the end goal is the same – creating a future without breast cancer – for all of us. I will continue to wear pink proudly, in honor of everyday heroes like Stacie Walker...and for those guys like Jesse that exemplify what being a real man is all about.

For more information on the Real Men Wear Pink campaign, contact Donna Braddy at 678-604-1000 or visit Henry Medical Center. For information on local care and support for cancer patients, please visit Henry County Cancer Services.

Congratulations to the 2011 Real Men Wear Pink: Andy Pippin, Shane Thompson, Chuck Spahos, Montá Brown, Judge Jim Chafin, Jimmy Carter, Ken Wright, Paul White, Kent Booth, and Brian Strickland.

Not Your Usual Henry County Trash Talk!

"Shabby" is not chic in Henry County

The decay of a neighborhood isn't something that happens overnight. It usually begins with one property owner who either doesn't take pride in his property or can't afford to maintain it. The house eventually takes on an air of shabbiness, the yard piles up with broken cars & junk, and the landscaping is let go. As adjacent homeowners leave the area, new property owners may be less inclined to maintain their properties, too...and the seediness spreads to other blocks.

With the economy in turmoil and foreclosure rates rising, this could turn into a big problem for Henry County. I can think of several neighborhoods that are already experiencing this vicious cycle.

Litter is a problem. No butts about it!

While walking along the sidewalks of McDonough, I am always stunned by the number of cigarette butts I see. It amazes me at the thoughtlessness of drivers and passengers who smoke and throw those burning cigarette butts out of their windows. Busy intersections are often covered in layers of spent cigarettes tossed while waiting at red lights or stop signs. Heck, my mailbox looks like it is used for target practice. I pick-up at least twenty butts per week in front of my home near the Square.

I think most smokers rationalize cigarette litter by believing, "Well, it's just one little cigarette butt." Of course, litter is litter (no matter how small it is)...but when thousands of people are rationalizing that way, it becomes a huge problem. Each cigarette butt can take up to 12 years to break down, littering our sidewalks, streets and parks and leaching toxic chemicals into our waterways.

Clean it up!

Most people aren't aware that it is illegal to have junk cars up on the lawns, piles of accumulated garbage & doggie do-do, abandoned vehicles on the street, and waist-high weeds. The Code Enforcement department of your city's Planning & Zoning department enforces these ordinances. Pick up the phone, place that call, and have the heavies at City Hall deal with the nuisance. It is in everyone's best interest.

HENRY COUNTY CODE ENFORCEMENT:  
(770) 288-6200

CITY OF MCDONOUGH CODE ENFORCEMENT CONCERN FORM (PRINT AND DROP OFF AT CITY HALL) OR CALL:  (770) 898-3507

CITY OF STOCKBRIDGE CODE ENFORCEMENT 
(PROVIDED BY HENRY COUNTY):  (770) 288-6200

CITY OF LOCUST GROVE CODE ENFORCEMENT:  
(770) 692-2321

CITY OF HAMPTON CODE ENFORCEMENT:  
(770) 946-4306

What you can do

One of my pet peeves is litter- it looks bad, it’s annoying- and the stats say that 3 out of 4 people have seen people litter. You can do something about it.

Henry County actually has a Litter Hotline number to report people who litter. The primary purpose is to send a message that someone is watching, as well as to educate people that there are fines involved for this behavior.

HENRY COUNTY LITTER HOTLINE:  (770) 898-7453

But one of the easiest things you can do is to take matters into your own hands...literally! Try to pick up at least one piece of litter each day. This includes your parking lot at work, outside the grocery store or gym, along the sidewalk while you are jogging or walking the dog, etc.

You don't have to be a card-carrying member of the "litter patrol" to make a difference!