West Courthouse Square, Decatur GA (pic submitted by Greg)

With all the recent analyzing and proselytizing of ethical consumption surrounding the goods sold by a potential Dollar General opening in Oakhurst, I got to wondering: why do we spend so much time obsessing about how “green”, “sustainable”, and “equitable” our consumer choices are, while wasting so little breath on our own production choices (aka our jobs)?

An extreme example, just to give you an idea of what I’m talking about:

You do your fair share of purchasing fair-trade clothing, local food, and cloth diapers, but your paychecks are signed by BP.  The counter-example could be that your low-paying – but quite ethical and environmentally friendly – job requires you to purchase everything at lowest possible cost.

With so many of the world’s affluent class working “white collar” jobs, we’re now often more degrees away from what our companies actually produce than we are to Kevin Bacon, making it relatively easy to ignore how “green” and “ethical” our jobs are.  So instead we  self-identify based on the stuff we purchase.

However, if certain segments of the population choose to evaluate themselves based on their impact on the world (including your impact on other people), isn’t your participation in production just as important as your consumer choices?

Is this just a product of “consumer culture”?

Why decide on anything when you can act angry and annoyed?  From the AJC…

Political infighting and limited public involvement caused DeKalb County commissioners to reject $36.3 million in federal stimulus bonds.

The low-interest loan money was considered for proposals ranging from turning the former Doraville GM plant into an Atlantic Station to upgrading the sewer system. There also was talk of a convention center near the Mall at Stonecrest, some relief for the crowded Recorders Court or a new police academy.

In the end, all of those ideas were killed, and the money will likely go back to the state.

In other news, the Commission is considering a 67% increase to your water bill in order to pay for needed repairs to keep H2O flowing from your faucet.

Anyone want to help me dig a well?

Did you know that there used to be a line of one/two story commercial retail along the western side of the Old DeKalb Courthouse that sat across from and looked quite similar to the row of buildings currently standing along EAST Courthouse Square (think Brick Store, Sweet Melissa’s, Squash Blossom).

“But wait!”, you exclaim to your monitor, startling the dog at your feet, “isn’t that where that glass, DeVry, better known as the “Birds From Hell” building is?!”

“Yes.” is my reply.

Once upon a time, prior to the early smart growth efforts of the 1980s, but after the Old DeKalb Courthouse was saved from the cry for more parking spaces, the City of Decatur – not a developer – tore down all the old commercial along West Courthouse Square and said to the development world, “Please build a 20-story indoor shopping mall on this property!”  (Seriously, that’s pretty much what they had planned for the site, if my memory serves me.)

After years of no one taking the bait, in the late 1970s, the city FINALLY secured a developer to build the Old Courthouse bell-blocker that we know and mock today.  (The “Birds From Hell” didn’t come until later.)

“Where the hell is he going with this?” you ask the dog, now starring up at you with a look of vague amusement and confusion.

Ah, well our good friend at Next Stop…Decatur has unearthed a rare photo of that strip along West Courthouse Square near the intersection with Ponce de Leon Avenue, and you must see it!  If for no other reason than to think to yourself, “How the heck was there ever a road there?”

From Decatur Active Living’s Cheryl Burnette…

Decatur Active Living is teaming with City Schools of Decatur and Safe Routes to School again this year to provide bicycle safety training for our 4th graders at Glennwood Academy. We are looking for volunteers to assist with this training which will be held at Glennwood. This is a great opportunity to make sure our children learn to ride bikes safely.

Dates for the training are September 21 & 22, and then on September 27, 27 & 29th. The morning shift is from 8 am until 10:45am and afternoon 11am until 2:15pm.

Please select the date and times you would like to volunteer and return to Cheryl Burnette by September 10th. This is a great way to get out in the community and help our youth with becoming active and safe commuters, as well as to have some fun!

Specific dates and times of when volunteers are needed after the jump.

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