What Are Barriers to Making That Happen?

“Need to bring diverse people to the table and open the opportunity for all to be involved.”

 

Money, of course, is often a barrier to making things happen and realizing a vision, and that was identified by several participants, as well as economic/workforce issues. But the category of response that came up the most to this question was resistance/negativity, with two respondents giving “CAVE people” as their answer: Citizens Against Virtually Everything.

 

 

 

Economy/Workforce

  • Economics: low income, limited education
  • Economy/workforce issues
  • Income levels
  • Jobs/workforce/raising per capita income
  • Lack of industry and businesses to invest in our community
  • Lack of investment in workforce development and housing
  • Lack of talent pool
  • Need to attract talent from outside of Laurens County to offer a different perspective
  • Need to market the area to promote all of the unique opportunities
  • Not enough well-paying jobs/education in the trades

Housing

  • Lack of housing, workforce
  • Need more builders to build more affordable homes
  • Need of housing options for families

Infrastructure

  • Lack of developed road systems
  • Lack of zoning
  • No land use planning in place
  • Utilities

Leadership

  • Lack of community support
  • Leadership
  • Politics—people out for self-gain, not community gain
  • Divided leadership

Money

  • Money/Lack of money (4 responses)
  • Lack of funding (2 responses)
  • Lack of investment
  • Monetary funds
  • Tax base

Resistance/Negativity

  • CAVE people (Citizens Against Virtually Everything) (2 responses)
  • An entrenched group of citizens who refuse to consider change and positive momentum
  • Attitudes
  • Changing the mind/mentality of the people
  • Distrust of progress/desire to stay put and not change
  • Fear of change/fear of failure
  • Forward-thinking leadership (lack of) and community division
  • Insecurity
  • Lack of unity and vision (2 responses)
  • Mindset of some of the people
  • Much of our community is VERY resistant to change and growth
  • Naysayers and groups that oppose without wanting to find solutions to problems
  • Negativity: people don’t want to change (3 responses)
  • People who hang on to negative past, don’t accept change well, don’t accept new ideas well
  • People who oppose taxes to have better services
  • People who resist change and are happy with how things are (with no regard for growth)
  • Resistance to change
  • Too many like it the way it is

Other

  • Age of population
  • Need more options for young adults to be involved in and grow/opportunities
  • Lack of retail/restaurant spots
  • Lack of trails/green space
  • Education/education level