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COMMERCIAL EDITORIAL — THE VISION THING - 20/20 — FRIDAY, JULY 25, 2008

Friday, July 25, 2008 12:42 AM CDT

Top of Mind Awareness is a principle marketers say helps move a product or service. In other words, what’s on your mind gets your attention. Likewise, a goal that’s on your mind tends to get accomplished.

That’s what was going on the other day at the Convention Center when a group of about 75 local people — advocates for progress -— gathered to present and listen to updates on the city and county efforts to improve the city and county, otherwise known as Pine Bluff 20/20 — a Vision of What Can Be. In rapid-fire succession (for the most part), leaders of the goal teams reported on where they are on each of the 12 goals. Things are moving very fast on some of the goals and a little slower on others. The important thing, however, is that they are moving.

No one really had to attend to know where the city is on Goal No. 1 — creating funds for business expansion and retention. For the last two months, we’ve heard and read reports on efforts for a countywide sales tax, which would create the pool of dollars for just that purpose. There has been a lot of heat generated by the sales-tax talks. The quorum court failed to put in the ballot in a close vote; the city council did not endorse the concept in another close vote. Still, the idea stays alive. Maybe that’s because it’s a good idea.

Not all efforts to achieve the 12 goals are going to get unanimous support — particularly those involving talk of a tax increase. It’s encouraging, however, to see how passionate Lou Ann Nisbett, one of the goal captains, has been in pushing this idea. She’s certainly not the only one pushing the concept.

One of the more eye-popping presentations was delivered by Sgt. Bob Rawlinson, who reported with a smile that significant progress has been made in decreasing per-capita crime in Pine Bluff. The goal is to lower the crime rate by 8 percent this year. Through June, the rate is down by more than 4 percent. That put a smile on most of the people in the room. (Look for more details on the crime statistics in Sunday’s edition.)

And on Goal 3 — building a recreation center — Leslie Peters, Scott Robinson and crew are moving at a brisk pace.

It went like that for the better part of 90 minutes on Tuesday. All the goals are important to all of us, including some of those that didn’t make the Top 12. The process helps focus our efforts. It keep the efforts and the participants accountable to each other. As Mayor Redus put it, the vision is to build the “community that you want and the community you deserve.”

There’s another expression that came to mind we listened to the reports: What gets measured gets managed. We’re grateful to those who are participating in the 20/20 process. If you would like to see the goals achieved, why not become involved? Nine-hundred people who helped set the goals and 250 who are actively involved can do a lot, but with your help, we can do a lot more.

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