... JS: By the way, I can't tell you how excited I was about the other night county Commission meeting, Jan @131. I'm still steaming over that. That was just...

SD Two after-effects. Number one, is the phones just rang off the hook Wednesday. Everybody that I saw said I saw you or I saw ya'll.

MT Absolutely incredible visibility.

SD: So I was extremely impressed at how many people actually watched it, much less how many people were there. Some of the people said they'd never watched it before. But they flipped through, nothing was on, they saw it, and they said, "Wait a minute. I know them," so they kept watching.

So the real effect was far beyond the board room, far beyond the commission room, really. But the other thing, kind of on the negative side--but I don't look at it as negative because I think they're hungry--and that is that a lot of people didn't know some of the background. Over TV they thought we were in there really... But-we were in there fightin' for our lives. But they didn't really know-that there were three people on the board waiting for us to say those kind of things. Nor did some of them know some of the little things that, uh, like Turlington did us a favor by voting yes. So some ..of my thoughts that I was gonna share those thoughts with you for the purpose of bringing some of these things out in our publication to the membership. I think there are several of those kinds of details that our membership is still not... And everybody I spoke with, you know, I'd have to say that I had no reason to think that they weren't a Chamber member. They were all business people and I feel sure that, a lot of people that I don't see often, I see casually, made it a point to walk over to me and I'm sure all of you had the same... But I still have this little Impression about some of these details. And me as membership services Vice-President, it was one of my concerns to begin with, but it was personified by the effect of this meeting, that our membership either hadn't taken the time to really pay attention or we haven't given them the right information to really know what we're doing, or what the real technical things are.

JS That's a good point. Maybe we can do a white paper or something to the membership.

[several people talking at once]

SD: But I think too we can exploit it. We've heard for a while, you know, "What is my Chamber doing for me? What is my Chamber doing for me?" And Tuesday night the Chamber did an awful lot for them. And I think we need to... This is what your Chamber has done for you. But also give them some details that kind of clear the muddy water up. It was pretty Interesting how many people, they hadn't ever really watched It, and when they turned it on the only reason they started watching It was that they saw people they knew. And then they started listening and they were having to educate themselves as they went along. They had really no background prior to listening and the only thing that got them watching It was because Pete Rose was playing. Or because... You know?

EG: I share this concern because you're talking about something that's in the newspaper and it's been publicized there's a concern everybody, people still don't know about it and just quadruple that problem when you talk about all these things that don't get publicized and it's a problem throughout the whole organization, and I don't know how in the world you're ever gonna...

SD: I think we're still going to have a percentage that are not gonna read whatever we publish or in whatever publication...

JS: Can we crank out, can we establish a hot-line type of communication? We don't have it now. But maybe what we ought to do, we have Focus and Clipboard. People are used to seeing these but maybe If we had something that we didn't abuse, that we used as a hot-line memo, or--you can name it whatever you want...

SD: Chamber In Action

JS: Something that is, something that stands out. When it comes in the mail, it stands out. you know it's going to be different from the run-of-the-mill descriptive things of what we're doing; it's a hot issue and I think if we can establish It maybe with this, saying 'for those of you who aren't aware of what went on. here's the background, here's the reaction.' Just be aware that we're involved In this program.

MT: I think that would be great.

SD: Can Nancy [Stevenson) be tied into this?

MT: Absolutely. She's gonna have to be because she's gonna have to background people like me.

As you were talking. I was thinking. Those letters you sent out, I thought were great--the thank you. And what you might also consider doing is to write a letter to the people who we push behind December Sherry's [sic] or who were quoted in the paper.

JS: December McSherry.

MT: Whatever her name is.

JS That's a good point.

MT: And explain that. that, how important we saw these issues and we value their time as well, but this we saw as the larger issue. [End of 'Think and Grow Rich' motivational tape over-dub]

JS: That's not a bad Idea. Can we, uh... We ought have access to those names. You understand what you're doing by getting to December McSherry?

MT: I have no idea.

JS: Oh, she is, she's the, she is the Penny Wheat clone. I mean she's the one that reads Penny's words. And her husband too. The bearded guy who stood up a couple of times at the microphone. Wayne [sic] McSherry.

SD: So that was her sitting next to him?

MT: Oh yeah. She sat there reading the whole time.

JS: In front of the podium.

SD: There were four or five... She was doing this a lot.

JS: There was December McSherry. As a matter of fact, I think they're grooming her to run as the next candidate. But there's December McSherry, and her husband the bearded guy. There's the, uh, Francine Robinson was there, Slansky was there.

MT: OK. I'm sorry. I was talking simply about the people who had issues of zoning. Real business.

JS: McSherry was there because she perceived that tie-r were some things important to her. And the actuality is she was [???] one of the zoning issues. [???] restrict us to the zoning issues. And we can get that from the public... When is Nancy [Stevenson] getting here?

MH: A week from tomorrow.

MT: Not a minute too soon.

MH: Boy, I tell you. I can't wait.

JS: Boy, that's the truth. Now, another thing... We're on your division 'cause It's so focal right now.

MT: The alert, or the 'in Action'--in action, as opposed to inaction...

JS: Come up with a sizzle name and do It in red ink or something. So people... And let's not abuse It. It may come out once every three months or something. it's something to highlight and issue and make sure the Chamber is...

MT: We'll explicate the issue. recognize people who talk, and those who were there who did not talk, and talk in terms of [???)

JS: Do you have the background on what they, for example, the Scenic Road ordinance did? And what they... And what the, uh... Did you have that handout from the Friday meeting? Ed Culpepper's memo about all the subdivision roads that were dedicated to the county in subdivisions that had undeveloped lots could never be developed on and that Millhopper road would in a scenic road, uh, 43rd which is the county road, could not be developed in a commercial way at all. No commercial enterprises on 43rd, 23rd, 16th... I mean...

MT: Did I have that? I don't have that.

JS: Do you have that? Did I get you a copy of that? Damn...

MH: I'll make a note.

JS: Ben Campen has one, and Howard Hodor has one...

MT: I love doing things to him. This would make Ben Campen cry!

JS: Those are the kind of things that will be hot bugs. The fact that every subdivision road that was dedicated to the county in a subdivision that has an un-built-on lot would make that lot un-buildable under the Scenic Road ordinance. That roads such as NW 43rd, NW 16th, NW 23rd Boulevard, NW 23rd Avenue out to the Interstate could not have any mowing within 50 feet of the road right-of-way, no construction within 100 feet of the road right-of-way, and no commercial at all on any of those roads. You could just go on and on on the impact of this thing. And then also the ramifications of the non-constitutionality and the, you know. none of those other things were brought up, I didn't think, and they need to be to clarify why people are upset about this Scenic Road ordinance. That is dramatic, dramatic impact. So if you can't get hold of that memo, I'll get another copy from Culpepper.

MT: Then I'll draft something for you to...

JS: Just send it out. I don't need to sign It. It's coming out of your division.

MT: I ain't sending it out!

JS: OK. That's fine. But that could be our first 'Action' thing. And that's a good point. People need to understand why we were so...

MT: We need to capitalize on that.

JS: Second thing is, I've spent a lot of time identifying what our strategy should be. And we're getting a lot of pressure from the people over at the County office, I don't know If you guys have gotten it, but I've gotten it. "That was so great! We have... Somebody out there knows how bad It is down here. Ya know... We are... Just come to every meeting!"

SD: You talking about important staff now?

JS: Staff and some of the elected officials. I mean, Tom Coward, I thought, I thought, I was worried about his sexual bias this morning! (laughter) He was so excited about that thing [Jan. 13 Commission meeting]. . But, but, I tell you what I've concluded is the best strategy, and If you guys disagree with this we'll change It. But I told Tom I think what we ought to do-we can't be there every meeting because we'll prevent them -from screwing up. And then they'll be there for four years. We gotta stay away until they screw up badly again--and they'll do it--and then we'll come and hammer 'em again. And get some intense focus. And then stay away until they screw up again and then we'll hammer 'em again. Otherwise its gonna be hard on the elected officials, It's gonna be hard on staff, but If we're there to prevent the screw-ups we're insulating them against getting recalled.

CS: I think they're gonna be gun-shy at this point though. They made a real blunder.

JS: He is, but she isn't.

CS: She may well recognize she's made a blunder, but for some reason, I guess, she's not treating it as essential to her re-election if she goes for it. But he does.

JS: He's gonna hide for a while.

CS: Therefore, I think he controls her to some degree. To some degree.

JS: Well, she is a loose cannon out there. She's just gonna flop around and destroy the railing.

CS: She shoots from the hip.

SD: Those three, though. are gonna have to...

MH: Which three?

JS: Ed, Tom, and Leveda.

SD: ... they're gonna have to stand firm. They're gonna have to...

JS: ... have confidence that we're behind them, ...

SD: even though we're not there, they're gonna have to have confidence that we'll be there at the time we need 'em. Because I don't know that Ed did It exactly the proper way, but the Idea was right in trying to control the meeting, trying to not let things be said or carried out, you know. I guess I feel a tendency on their part to kind of let things just go along as long as It's not too bad. You know what I'm saying?

JS: Yeah, you're right.

SD: Because they're like all of us until something gets really bad. I mean, we stay away for a while until It gets bad, but they can't.

JS: Here's what I'll do. I've already talked to Tom about this, run the theory by him. And he said, "You know, when you think about it, that's exactly what you guys should be doing. That's just the right approach. And In fact," he said, "but what we really need is someone to come up there and put an end to this endless distraction and diversion and five extra hours on a meeting because they're nit-picking over garbage." I said, Tom, what you need to do is get the black community to come up there and say, "You guys, there are important issues out here. I mean, we got no roads, and you guys are bickering over whether to cut down trees for roads; and we got no sewers, and you guys are fiddlin' around with annexation." He said, 'That's right; that's what we'll do."

Continuing...)