Citizens Faux Accountability has returned with news of the wonderfully delightful weirdness that is the New "Come To City" Albany experience.
Bold Leadership from Common Council After Bridge Closure
“New Albany owes all its growth and development over the past 40 years to those little ‘WELCOME’ rocks on the levee. For generations, people have come across the Sherman Minton, seen those rocks, and thought, ‘Gee, I should move to New Albany,” said Price Planning CEO Steve Price. “It’s not the bridge, it’s the warm ‘WELCOME!’”
Not only that, but did you know that Indiana's Re-Education and Downward Social Immobility Minister is a traffic engineer, too?
Floyd Subdivision Votes for One-Way Streets, Increased Speed Limit
... "Since I take Spring to work every day I only thought it was fair that we increase the speed limit here too for all the New Albany homeowners who use our roads. None of my neighbors mind since we know we cause road noise and increase risks to pedestrians when we drive fast in New Albany. We're all about fairness!"
22 comments:
VM, I've responded to your e-mail.
Mark, pardon the deletion; we all decided there'd been a coincidence and a misunderstanding, and decided to start at square one.
No harm, no foul. Carry on.
Roger, are you censoring post now or just removing those that are embarrassing to their authors? Maybe those who don't want their post on your blog shouldn't send them. If I remember correctly "the build the bridges" FB page got a lot of flack from you for removing posts, both mine and yours. I say if you send it it should stay. Otherwise, stay on the porch.
Dear VetteMan:
I wrote the satirical traffic article. I hope no offense was taken. It was not my intention to make a comment about you or Wolf Lake in particular. My intention was to mock a widely held double standard about for whom streets should be designed. You and Wolf Lake were chosen at random to tell the broader story.
The post was inspired by three letters to the editor and an article run recently in the New-Tribune. Three people wrote to complain about the redesign of State St., particularly the bump-outs intended to calm traffic. What I found remarkable about the letters were that the three authors were from the Community Park area, Jeffersonville, and Georgetown. Two of the writers did not even live in New Albany. The Third lived across town. The Tribune article quoted the Georgetown resident but made no mention of the residents who lived along the State St. corridor. The casual reader knew that a driver felt inconvenienced. The casual reader read nothing about whether children who live along State St. can now walk more safely to school.
The point of the my post is that many people have a double standard when it comes to road design. People demand street designs in downtown neighborhoods that they never would want in their own neighborhoods. They demand the street in front of their home be calm, slow, quiet, and two-way. They demand a fast, one-way street if it goes by someone else's home and that home happens to be downtown.
The city owns both State St. and the roads in subdivisions like yours. The article asks why people in downtown neighborhoods aren’t entitled to roads that are as safe and as quiet as roads in places like Wolf Lake.
The satirical article was taken with some offense because Wolf Lake is a part of NA and not in some
outside city. We have small children and I personally would agree with your fight to protect your family and your children.
I will take you at your word when you say no intention of harm was meant. The issue is that your article was written as quotes and facts. This was to make it funny or more real, but the problem is that this is a real neighborhood that is located in NA with people that work, own business, live and raise our kids in NA. We all support the city of NA. This is a time where we need to come together to make sure we support the NA business. We don't need something that is seen as class warfare even if it is meant as a joke to push through a point. As you said, the letters written where not from NA and therefore none were from Wolf Lake. So the point could have been better made by using a Neighborhood in Jeff.
Thanks for your time.
Not at all, Comrade Poe. In fact, it was an adult thang, in the sense that a point was made to me, I accepted the point's legitimacy, and I slightly edited the post. VM removed two comments because they no longer were relevant. I did the same, as well as taking IAH's down for the same reason, so we could begin the discussion anew. This has occurred, with the CFA piece's author explaining the intent, and VM returning to explain his. By the standards of ORBP proponents, what has happened here merits an A+, because the act of "listening" has occurred.
The only discordant element is your childishness, which I have not removed. Last time you breezed in, it was to state an opinion, which I moved to the marquee in hopes of initiating a discussion, and then fled without taking ownership of your view or answering questions. That's uncool, but so be it.
Roger,
Didn't mean to offend by breezing in, I thought you welcomed opposing views, but the more I read your blog the more I see I'm mistaken. There were no questions to answer last time, just Jeff Gillenwater referring to my and others stupidity and lack of education because we disagreed with his view, and a few positive comments for contributing.
This time I'm "childish" for asking why you removed posts, which by the way was asked before Satirist posted his explanation.
VetteMan:
The article does not make it any more difficult for any Wolf Lake resident to work, own a business, live or raise their kids. If you can convince me otherwise I will rewrite the article. It does no one harm because it is obvious that it is not literal. It appears before an article about Egyptian protesters moving on from Mubarak to protest against Doug England. It appears after an article about the city responding “boldly” to the bridge closing by moving the rocks which read “Welcome” on the levee. The thought that a suburban neighborhood would elect for itself the type of traffic controls seen downtown is absurd. Obvious absurdity is the point.
You mentioned “class warfare.” I don’t know if you assumed that I am a different “class” than the average Wolf Lake resident or not. Four Wolf Lake homes are owned by former partners of mine from two different businesses. I have a number of other friends who live there too. The attitude that downtown neighborhoods do not “deserve” what other areas get is perpetuated by the myth that downtown is just for the poor, the uneducated and/or the criminal. Downtown neighborhoods are home to all classes, including as many professionals as you will find in the suburbs. “Class warfare” implies a gross oversimplification. Everyone I know who lives downtown lives downtown by choice, not because they can afford nowhere else.
Finally, if you believe readers may think less of Wolf Lake, that readers are too uncritical or too lacking in comprehension skills, then we have a larger problem. How can readers critically review the wisdom of Bridges Authority pronouncements, for example, when they lack the ability to discern obvious satire as satire?
For the record, the "last time" to which Coe refers is here so interested readers can discern for themselves:
http://cityofnewalbany.blogspot.com/2011/08/coe-if-youre-going-to-argue-no-tolls-be.html
Your article eluded to class, ( "Since we see ourselves as the county's premier neighborhood" & "But Wolf Lake resident Mike Sodrel noted another upside to the changes. "Young homebuyers can more easily afford Wolf Lake once the new speed limits and noise decreases property values)
I don't again disagree that there is wealth in all areas of NA. Rich I'm not, noir are most of my neighborhood was just simply point out you choose a neighborhood that's in your on town with out any provocation. Unless you live in downtown itself you could have easily used your own neighborhood. The real question what made you choose mine?
Again to point to your own view, people out side of NA was the ones that sent in the letters. Putting a negative light on a community in your own city hurts all of us.
Again thanks for you time.
“Young homebuyers can more easily afford Wolf Lake once the new speed limits and noise decreases property values
VetteMan, the point wasn’t that Wolf Lake has higher than average property values. Faster, more dangerous roads hurt property values everywhere, whether you’re in an affluent neighborhood or not. The point is that no one wants fast, dangerous roads to decrease their property values. Rich people don’t. Middle class people don't. Poor people don’t. This point is taken for granted in areas like Wolf Lake. This point is forgotten sometimes in areas like downtown New Albany.
Yes, it’s absurd that Wolf Lake residents should have less safe streets. Guess what, it’s equally absurd that downtown neighborhoods should want the same. I did not intend for the reader to think parity can be reached by increasing the speed limits at Wolf Lake, by making Wolf Lake less livable. I do hope the reader will question why streets in downtown neighborhoods cannot be designed to serve the interests of the people who live along those streets instead of just the interests of those who are just passing through.
Thanks for saving me the work of checking the archives, Jeff.
Well, Mr. Coe? The proverbial ball is in your court.
No problem, Roger. I wasn't keeping up with this particular thread anyway.
I think VM is being way too sensitive but not everyone understands and/or appreciates satire. Still, he shows up and we have managed to find common ground on some issues by continuing to communicate. To me, that's a good thing.
VM, One question, if you don't mind. Since you brought up class warfare & such, please define "rich" for me.
"please define "rich" for me."
Wow, ok this is hard fore because like many it changes and is very personal to many.
When I was 20, wife and a child. I thought if we could make $50,000 a year we would be rich. As I have gotten older the children and bills have increased and it's a lot higher number now. I have friends that together make $350,00+ and have no children. They are well off I would say. I also have friends that have 3 kids and both work 50+ hours a week to for work or to run a business and make around I would guess $350,000+ but not sure I call them rich.
My wife and I make far far less and have 4 kids and take care of my 83yr grandmother. I will never be rich with money but I like to think I have a good life with family and friends. I know some my see my house and say he must be rich. They would be mistaken.
I travel around Kentucky and Indiana for work and know from what I do the people that have a lot of money are not the ones with the Big house or nice cars. I also know a lot of those nice houses are empty and people that live there have less than you would think.
Not sure I gave you the answer you are looking for. The issues I see most of the time is people assume because you live in an area or drive a certain car you must be rich. Along those lines when picking out a neighorhood like Wolf Lake only makes that perception worse.
"This point is forgotten sometimes in areas like downtown New Albany."
This is your view and mine is as I have discussed with you. It's your article and you make the calls as what to wright. My point again is simply using a neighborhood put side NA would have more to the point as indicated by the letters you referenced.
I understand funny I just simplely question the use of WL unless there is a hidden meaning that I'm missing to make it even funnier.
The Horse is Dead.
VM,
Was looking for your answer, that was all. I agree, it's a tough question to answer. That's why I like to ask it. My joking(with serious undertones)answer is, "Anyone with dollar more than me". That seems to be the American way.
Thanks.
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