tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11302996.post114187550556233546..comments2023-10-25T11:01:13.802-04:00Comments on Save Our Sarasotaâ„¢: CONA CommentsSOS1http://www.blogger.com/profile/06892243531071920272noreply@blogger.comBlogger1125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11302996.post-1141936917281079002006-03-09T15:41:00.000-05:002006-03-09T15:41:00.000-05:00I was pleased to see Mayor Servian, Vice-Mayor Atk...I was pleased to see Mayor Servian, Vice-Mayor Atkins and Commissioner Palmer at the Manasota Neighborhood Conference a few weeks ago that was organized by the City of Sarasota's Neighborhood Department. <BR/><BR/>The guest speaker spoke about Asset Based Community Development (ABCD). The elected officials who attended very much embraced the ABCD concept that puts the citizens at the center, being responsible for their neighborhoods and the government on the perimeter providing help with projects the citizens cannot do alone. The government is not the only one on the perimeter of a neighborhood, there are churches, social services and other institutions that will contribute to neighborhoods that learn to work as asset based communities. Communities do not need to be told by a courts that they are "experts on their neighborhood". You live there, you are an expert and those outside of it cannot be an expert. The ABCD concept places the highest importance on Associations that are citizen based discovering the assets in your community. Associations is one of the things that makes America truly unique. <BR/><BR/>I suggest those that think we should work together because we "may not have enough confidence in our elected officials" would benefit by changing that thought to, "we should work together because we are a community with assets who are the experts". We, the citizens are the ones responsible and accountable for our neighborhoods not the elected officials. We are not victims, we are people with assets that can help our neighborhoods when we work together. <BR/><BR/>I am a strong supporter of the ABCD principles. I strongly suggest reaching out to the city or county neighborhood departments to find out more about the ABCD courses. It appears the Sarasota City Commission has started to embrace the ABCD concept and that we all should support because it is a major positive shift for our communities.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.com