I normally like to read the comments of others to the blog entries and news articles I find online. Lately, the news pieces about downtown and the announcements of things to come have revealed some of the best evidence that Lexington is schizophrenic to the core.
When past mayors have allowed things to run along as they were the readers called for some kind of bold, dynamic action to be taken, now they decry the actions announced as wrong and misguided. Former Mayor Issac once proposed thinking about condemning the Lexington Mall to alleviate an eyesore and was rebuffed by property rights commenters, now when a large project is set for downtown, the comments run to a majority for taking the Mall property instead. When the Farmers Market desired a permanent location, many asked why the City couldn't supply one and now that one is proposed, they ask why is one needed.
About two years ago, we elected a new mayor and council which was supposed to change the direction (or better, yet give direction) of the management of the city. We currently have people clamoring for now another new mayor because this one hasn't done much better. Yet the city still keeps progressing.
Downtown IS different than it was 37 years ago, when I first came downtown to work. There are more people working here than there was then, they do different jobs but they do work.
Those who write comments seem to run 2 or 3 to 1 against anything happening downtown and claim that there is no reason to come downtown. Even Mrs. Sweeper claims that there is little to do downtown but has been genuinely surprised at the activity when we have had a reason to go. I see comments talking about most people wanting a house and a yard in suburbia and them not wanting their "hard earned tax money" going for downtown waste, yet the majority of new residential development will not cover their provided government services from the taxes that they do generate. The increased public safety personnel (police/fire), educational and sanitation personnel and support facilities, (schools,sewers, garbage...) and roadway infrastructure is never covered by the new taxes generated by a sprawl of low density residential housing. Those costs are picked up by the rest of the urban area taxpayers, some of them after paying for their own development 3 or 4 time over. The people in Chevy Chase are paying taxes to cover the new housing in Hamburg/Gleneagles and elsewhere and the entire country is paying for the Federal contribution to the widened roadways needed to get these people to their work and shopping.
I also have a problem with those who continually claim that the current administration, no matter who they are, is corrupt or not doing the will of those who elected them yet refuse to run for office themselves. There are even ones who claim that they have the answers to the city's problems and have never successfully put their plan forward nor had a program implemented from it.
There, I've had my rant for the day and I don't think that it will change anything.
When past mayors have allowed things to run along as they were the readers called for some kind of bold, dynamic action to be taken, now they decry the actions announced as wrong and misguided. Former Mayor Issac once proposed thinking about condemning the Lexington Mall to alleviate an eyesore and was rebuffed by property rights commenters, now when a large project is set for downtown, the comments run to a majority for taking the Mall property instead. When the Farmers Market desired a permanent location, many asked why the City couldn't supply one and now that one is proposed, they ask why is one needed.
About two years ago, we elected a new mayor and council which was supposed to change the direction (or better, yet give direction) of the management of the city. We currently have people clamoring for now another new mayor because this one hasn't done much better. Yet the city still keeps progressing.
Downtown IS different than it was 37 years ago, when I first came downtown to work. There are more people working here than there was then, they do different jobs but they do work.
Those who write comments seem to run 2 or 3 to 1 against anything happening downtown and claim that there is no reason to come downtown. Even Mrs. Sweeper claims that there is little to do downtown but has been genuinely surprised at the activity when we have had a reason to go. I see comments talking about most people wanting a house and a yard in suburbia and them not wanting their "hard earned tax money" going for downtown waste, yet the majority of new residential development will not cover their provided government services from the taxes that they do generate. The increased public safety personnel (police/fire), educational and sanitation personnel and support facilities, (schools,sewers, garbage...) and roadway infrastructure is never covered by the new taxes generated by a sprawl of low density residential housing. Those costs are picked up by the rest of the urban area taxpayers, some of them after paying for their own development 3 or 4 time over. The people in Chevy Chase are paying taxes to cover the new housing in Hamburg/Gleneagles and elsewhere and the entire country is paying for the Federal contribution to the widened roadways needed to get these people to their work and shopping.
I also have a problem with those who continually claim that the current administration, no matter who they are, is corrupt or not doing the will of those who elected them yet refuse to run for office themselves. There are even ones who claim that they have the answers to the city's problems and have never successfully put their plan forward nor had a program implemented from it.
There, I've had my rant for the day and I don't think that it will change anything.
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