BEER WITH A SOCIALIST: Have some Yuengling Hershey's Chocolate Porter. Or don't. It's okay, either way.

On Thursday we tapped a keg of Yuengling Hershey's Chocolate Porter at Pints&union. To be honest, I didn't think we'd have the opportunity to score a keg, but one materialized and it sounded like fun to me.

What's more, in spite of a few negative on-line reviews, Yuengling Hershey's Chocolate Porter tastes pretty good. One reviewer slagged a thin body, but it's no lighter than Fuller's London Porter, perhaps because -- huge revelation here -- Yuengling's way of making porter for the last 190 years has not been "robust" in the current parlance.

I'd call it an English-style brown porter, and in this instance syrup and cocoa nibs are added. The chocolate character is sweet but balanced. It isn't cloying, as I read one reviewer describe it. The usual problem remains the skill set of the reviewers, not the product itself.

But I digress.

Reaction has been good, but it occurred to me that some might disapprove of Yuengling owing to politics. There may have been a time when I was among these conscientious objectors, and naturally I respect the point of view of anyone who has a principled reason to not drink, eat or consume anything.

As an example, I've managed to avoid Chick-fil-A for decades, primarily because the name and concept strike me as tacky. I also try to avoid chains whenever possible, and stay away from "fast food" as a rule save for weenie wagons, Cincy chili and the occasional White Castle run. I'm told there are extensive reasons to refrain from Chick-fil-A on grounds of socio-political distinctions, and that's fine, too. However, it isn't necessary. It's tacky fast food, and that's enough for me.

I seem to have digressed again.

As it pertains to Yuengling as a company, and to Hershey's Chocolate Porter as a beer ... and as these pertain to Old Man Yuengling donating to Donald Trump's campaign and entertaining Trump's son at the brewery ... it might be noted that the brewery sent beer to the detested socialist Franklin Delano Roosevelt to celebrate the end of Prohibition. Another horrid "left-winger," Barack Obama, apparently pronounced Yuengling his favorite beer of all (source).

It also bears a quick reminder that the American brewing business at all levels, whether macro or craft, is diverse socially and politically, and not a monolithic entity. You may believe "craft" beer is left/liberal/progressive, but you might well be mistaken. It's not that easy.

Dick Yuengling is the fifth generation to run the family's brewery, and his four daughters are the sixth. The latter are largely in control now, meaning that not only is Yuengling one of the oldest independent family-run breweries in the United States, but it's also one of the oldest businesses of any sort -- and it's a female-run company to boot, something I thought we've all agreed is desirable.

Here's a headline from September.

Yuengling Partners with Pink Boots Society to Launch Yuengling Women in Brewing Scholarship

America’s Oldest Brewery donates $50,000 to support brewing education

Thursday, September 5, 2019 — Pottsville, PA – D.G. Yuengling & Son, Inc., America’s Oldest Brewery®, announced today a $50,000 donation to the Pink Boots Society, a nonprofit focused on assisting, inspiring and encouraging women beer professionals. With this donation, Pink Boots will partner with Yuengling to launch the Yuengling Women in Brewing Scholarship to further advance education for women in the brewing industry.

This doesn't seem fascistic to me.

As a company, Yuengling has survived the American Civil War (Bobby Lee's troops got to Gettysburg, within one hundred miles of the brewery), raw material restrictions borne of two world wars, and Prohibition. Amid boycott calls, the elder Yuengling has shrugged. I'm sure he and I would disagree about certain aspects of politics. I'm also fairly certain we could find a way to have both beers and conversations.

To repeat, I'm one hundred percent in favor of principles, and equally strident in defense of your right to exercise them. I've done plenty of it myself. The problem I've come to see with boycotts of just about anything -- Yuengling because Trump, Founders because racism and Chick-fil-A because homophobia -- is they don't come anywhere close to addressing the root cause of society's ills.

We're getting ready to go out of town, and the Yuengling Hershey's Chocolate Porter will be gone by the time we return. Go drink one at Pints if it suits you, or something else if not.

If it were possible to get a keg of Lord Chesterfield, Yuengling's golden ale, I'd buy it -- and it surprises me that none of the establishments in downtown New Albany have chosen to sell Yuengling Golden Pilsner on draft regularly.

As a final thought, Yuengling aside, just wait until Christmas. I have a surprise beer coming.

Here's my letter to National Main Street about diversity, inclusion, Develop New Albany and non-transparency.

Earlier in the week, we issued an emergency hubris status report.

A contest to boycott: Read in amazement as Develop New Albany claims to have revitalized downtown all by itself.

I decided to write a letter to Develop New Albany's parent organization, the National Main Street Center, and this is where matters turn odd, because DNA is not listed as being a member.

Turning to the map, Jeffersonville Main Street is listed as a member, but not Develop New Albany.

And yet at DNA's home page, clear as the ties that bind the organization to the mayor's office:

Very strange. Probably just a clerical error.

Here is my letter.

---

Hello,

Last year, our local Main Street organization (Develop New Albany, or DNA) staged an event called the Taco Walk. It was a successful promotion, but did not come without a price, because DNA indulged in what was, for them, harmless fun; the “leadership” brought sombreros and maracas, and led taco walkers on choruses of the Frito Bandito’s theme song.

It didn’t play well in the community, and it bears noting that DNA subsequently stole the Taco Walk idea from the very community volunteer who brought it to the organization’s attention (she found the stereotyping disturbing).

I’ve been blogging about it ever since.

As long as DNA continues to evade its "Taco Walk" ramifications of stereotyping and cultural appropriation, we'll keep bringing it up.

In 2018, DNA's artlessly purloined Taco Tone Deaf Cultural Appropriation Walk moves forward to May 19, with the Frito Bandito returning as Grand Marshal.

C'mon, DNA: The time has come. A fact's a fact. Taco Walk belongs to her. Why not give it back?

DNA's and the newspaper's masks ... or, thoughts occasioned by an excellent essay called "Meet the man who hides behind a mask."

I’ve tried on numerous occasions to engage DNA in a discussion about this issue; my e-mails and calls have been met with complete stonewalling. I asked for by-laws, and again, no reply. None. I find this somewhat disconcerting given that the organization receives financial support from City Hall.

I bring this to your attention because of this passage from your website.

DIVERSITY & INCLUSION

Guiding Principle - We value, respect, and support the diverse views and contributions of our colleagues and partners. We are at our best when supporting diverse perspectives, backgrounds, and experiences.

In action - We strive to use differences to fuel our creativity and positively impact our work, culture, practices, and relationships. We integrate the needs of every individual and ensure that the right conditions are in place for everyone to achieve their potential. We ask for, listen to, and consider diverse points of view in order to succeed as an organization.

If DNA refuses to so much as discuss its cultural appropriation and stereotyping publicly, how exactly is it adhering to this section of the parent group’s expectations?

By extension, what are our options as a community to somehow convince DNA to communicate about such issues? It’s not a real dialogue if only one party participates.

Perhaps National Main Street has no qualms about this issue; if so, that’d be disappointing. However, I hope you might be able to help me with answers.

Thanks,

Roger A. Baylor

(one-time board member of DNA, circa 2007-2010)

A contest to boycott: Read in amazement as Develop New Albany claims to have revitalized downtown all by itself.

Sighhh: DNA's board ... "leading" again.

Before examining this remarkable exposition of hubris, which purports to explain why you should cast daily ballots for Develop New Albany's bid to win a grant, let's examine the contest.

The goal of the America's Main Streets contest is to help promote the importance and strong economic benefits of these Main Streets and the small businesses that help them thrive. Please help us by nominating and telling us about a deserving Main Street. The winning Main Street will receive $25,000 in cash and related prizes to help revitalize that Main Street (Independent We Stand).

As you're reading DNA's bid, keep these words in mind: "The small businesses that help them (Main Streets) thrive."

DNA gives cursory mention to these indie businesses, but in effect, the board claims credit for the time and money invested by the start-ups, with which DNA has had nothing whatever to do.

It's a safe bet that none of these investments came from a budding entrepreneur thinking "Wow -- let's operate in downtown New Albany because there's a Jingle Walk, and a Taco Walk, and a Farmers Market."

It boggles the mind and staggers the imagination. Compare the tone of DNA's contest entry with that of Jeffersonville's ... and shake your head. Of course, there's an unresolved issue: As long as DNA continues to evade its "Taco Walk" ramifications of stereotyping and cultural appropriation, we'll keep bringing it up.

Now reach for your arrogance sickness bags and endeavor to digest a plate of half-baked tripe.

---

NEW ALBANY, IN

http://www.developna.org

Through the efforts of volunteers in our community, the leadership of our Board of Directors and working in partnership with local government officials, Downtown New Albany is alive with new businesses, restaurants and retail stores.

In the past 10 years more than 100 new businesses have moved into downtown New Albany and the vast majority of those businesses being locally owned and operated. In the past, many Downtown businesses have struggled to survive while many Historic Downtown buildings sat empty and some of the businesses migrated out of the downtown area to new locations in the suburbs. Our many historic building facades could provide only a fading glimpse to what was for more than 150 years, a thriving Downtown. Downtown New Albany was an industrial center and Indiana's largest city for a period of more than 30 years during the 1800's. Our Main Street along with the rest of Historic Downtown and Midtown New Albany is on the National Register of Historic Places as an Ohio River Town. This is certainly not an uncommon story across the state and across the country. Historic Downtown areas with diminishing tax bases, boarded up buildings, deteriorating infrastructure and most significantly a general apathy to do anything about it. It's unfortunately all too common. Some of Develop New Albany's Signature Events are the Historic Home Tour, Be Local Business Expo, and JingleWalk/HolidayFest. These events generate financial support for a variety of downtown programs. We have a thriving year round Farmer's Market that had close to 50,000 visitors last year! This grant money would help us continue to help our city thrive! One of our focuses for the next few years is to bring more art to downtown. This grant would go such a long way in achieving that!

Just a very private joke.

On the errant notion of downtown two-way gridlock: The "I'll huff and puff and boycott a place I rarely go anyway, except to pass through" approach.

Just imagine if City Hall and captive non-profits like Develop New Albany had devoted just a bit of time educating the populace. Well, parties are more fun, I guess.

On the topic of impending two-way streets, our neighbor Jessica hits the center of the target and drops the mic:

"I'm sorry that this is going to slow down your commute and not allow you to speed down my neighborhood street. I'm sorry that two-way streets are going to make it safer for pedestrians. I'm sorry that this is going to cause less accidents to occur. I'm sorry this is going to make our city a walkable city. I'm sorry that this transition is going to continue to help our local businesses thrive. I'm sorry that this is going to make it safer for my family and all of the families with children that have begun to move to this area. Imagine if your subdivision/neighborhood streets were a speedway and think about how you would feel? Now think about downtown New Albany." 

Her hashtag: #sorrynotsorry

Right on, neighbor. Right on. Yesterday the social media-sphere was filled with the threats of flat-earthers to boycott downtown New Albany because the exact same number of traffic lanes will exist after the two-way reversion, just as they did before, but because the configuration is different, OMIGOD HOW WILL WE EVER MANAGE IT.

Maybe by paying attention?

There is a word that can't be repeated often enough to those who threaten to boycott downtown because two-way streets will require them to drive a tad more slowly and (heaven forbid) pay attention to the community outside their car windows:

Promise?

Even before the mayor has mounted his first self-congratulatory plaque, indignant pass-through drivers are screaming about gridlock, and as usual, Jeff Gillenwater provides the most devastating refutation of these spasms:

If people have to wait for more than a traffic light or two in downtown New Albany after having already sped through the neighborhood, traffic is "backed up" and that's usually just because too many drivers aren't smart enough to take alternate routes all of two blocks in either direction from Spring. It often takes me longer to exit the interstate via the 9th Street ramp in Louisville than it does to navigate the "traffic" in downtown New Albany. It's a lot like parking perception: There are typically so few problems with automobile congestion in Downtown New Albany, any seems like a lot. Those frustrated drivers, though, like to take it out on everybody else once they hit the ramps, driving 70-75 mph and weaving in and out of lanes because everybody knows that it's well worth risking multiple lives to keep them from being five minutes late to wherever they're going. I mean, they might not have time for a second cup of coffee at their destination before they have to get started with their work. If everybody driving a car was 1/3 as important as a lot of them seem to think they are, I could roll down my windows and chat with Nobel Prize winners every morning.

Perhaps my favorite of all was the man who said he'd be taking his business to all the wonderful restaurants on Veterans Parkway.

Dude: don't make promises that you can't keep.

Keith Olbermann explains why you should boycott the NFL Draft and Mayweather-Pacquiao.

Matters of principle can be inconvenient, can't they?

Plaid Friday 1: Speaking of localism, remember when that paving guy launched his boycott of toll opponents?

Last week, an unexpected e-mail landed in my box.

Alas, when I followed the link, the request had disappeared. To be honest, it had been a very long time since I thought about Mr. Coe and his boycott. Let's revisit it. It was July, 2011, and the text of the original posting at NA Confidential appears in its entirety. There was a follow-up with Coe's reply: "If you’re going to argue 'no tolls' be fair and honest."

---

At long last, an oligarch's toady who is honest in his vituperation.


All the digging credit goes to Curt Morrison and his Louisville Courant blog for uncovering these delicious gems of wisdom from Spencer Coe, Vice President at Gohmann "We Fought the Guvmint, and the Guvmint Won" Asphalt, which of course stands to reap vast and mind-boggling profits from various components of the bridges boondoggle.

Indiana businesses boycotted by VP of crooked contractor

Spencer B. Coe, the Vice President of Gohmann Asphalt, through comments on a Business First poll on the Bridges Project, has launched a boycott against toll opponents. Specifically, he's named businesses like Buckhead's, Rocky's, Clark County Auto Auction, that he believes he can do without.

Here's a Coe defense of his kneejerk boycott notion, which appeared as a comment at Louisville Courant.

I stand by my position, those who support the ORBP should not support the businesses of those who do not. I can choose where to spend my money and it will not be with businesses that actively oppose investment in the future of our region, I suggest the same for all ORBP supporters.

In the same comment thread, NA Confidential's Jeff Gillenwater answered.

If that's how Coe wants to play, then play.

What that means, of course, is that an overwhelming majority of people in the region would not do business with Gohmann Asphalt, including hundreds of area businesses and all the local governments who have issued statements, signed petitions, and/or passed resolutions against current ORBP plans.

Gohmann competes for local contracts worth hundreds of thousands in New Albany alone. Removing them from the bid list, though, is no problem if that's how their VP wants to handle it.

In an earlier comment at Facebook, Coe widened the geographic scope to include our own charming New Albany.

Please someone tell me how this will adversely affect Southern Indiana? Smooth flowing traffic on I 65 will adversely impact downtown New Albany and Grant Line Road businesses? The inability of some in Southern Indiana to see outside their "back yard" is frightening!

Impact? I'm glad he brought up that word, which has become a favorite of mine. I took a slightly softer approach in answering.

Spencer, what you might do is stand in my shoes for just a moment. As operator of a small independent retail business that does not derive governmental income for massive construction projects, but rather must convince diners/drinkers/shoppers to come to Indiana from Louisville to spend their discretionary income, I know how very hard it is to do just that. They don't have to come here; I must convince them. Charge them a fee to do it, and for many, game over. Until you and other toll proponents truly GET this reality, we'll continue being at odds.

Which reminds me, it is now 205 days since Jerry Finn of the Bridges Authority, in a conversation with me at the Muhammad Ali Center, conceded that no economic impact study on the effects of tolling on Southern Indiana small businesses had been done or even contemplated, but that he would henceforth urge such a study: Tolling Authority "input" session utterly without the redeeming presence of strong liquor.

Has he?

Have they?

Has anyone?

As for Spencer Coe, I'm sure he well understands the potential economic impact on Gohmann Asphalt if the company were to be frozen out of the bidding process for those huge infrastructure projects that constitute its bottom-line bread and butter. Alas, his boycott threat is hollow; Coe suggests "the same for all ORBP supporters," but since statistically, there are a few dozen such supporters at most scattered throughout the metro area, I'm not exactly set aquiver at the prospect of self-immolation on the Public House lawn.

Sadly and predictably, what Coe and other Ohio River Bridges Project proponents cannot seem to fathom, dazzled as they are by Ayn Rand's erotic attraction to steel, concrete, asphalt, and moreover, the velvety feel of crisp green slices paper pressed into one's hand in a One Southern Indiana conference room toilet stall, is that those of us down here in muddy bottom lands, rooting around for stray trickle-backs from the oligarchs, clearly see the economic impact of tolling because we live it, every single day.

We know that an economic impact study would amply illustrate tolling's obvious harm to small business in Southern Indiana, to our working commuters who must travel to Louisville and back, and to those Hoosiers least able to afford tolls, period.

At the same December meeting as my chat with Finn, David Nicklies wagged his finger at me and said that everyone must sacrifice to make possible the saving grace of the ORBP. What I asked him, and what I've continued to ask, is this: Why must residents of Southern Indiana sacrifice far more for less benefit?

It is a question that remains unanswered by Hoosier bridges fetishists, Spencer Coe now prominent among them.

At long last, an oligarch's toady who is honest in his vituperation.

All the digging credit goes to Curt Morrison and his Louisville Courant blog for uncovering these delicious gems of wisdom from Spencer Coe, Vice President at Gohmann "We Fought the Guvmint, and the Guvmint Won" Asphalt, which of course stands to reap vast and mind-boggling profits from various components of the bridges boondoggle.

Indiana businesses boycotted by VP of crooked contractor

Spencer B. Coe, the Vice President of Gohmann Asphalt, through comments on a Business First poll on the Bridges Project, has launched a boycott against toll opponents. Specifically, he's named businesses like Buckhead's, Rocky's, Clark County Auto Auction, that he believes he can do without.

Here's a Coe defense of his kneejerk boycott notion, which appeared as a comment at Louisville Courant.

I stand by my position, those who support the ORBP should not support the businesses of those who do not. I can choose where to spend my money and it will not be with businesses that actively oppose investment in the future of our region, I suggest the same for all ORBP supporters.

In the same comment thread, NA Confidential's Jeff Gillenwater answered.

If that's how Coe wants to play, then play.

What that means, of course, is that an overwhelming majority of people in the region would not do business with Gohmann Asphalt, including hundreds of area businesses and all the local governments who have issued statements, signed petitions, and/or passed resolutions against current ORBP plans.

Gohmann competes for local contracts worth hundreds of thousands in New Albany alone. Removing them from the bid list, though, is no problem if that's how their VP wants to handle it.

In an earlier comment at Facebook, Coe widened the geographic scope to include our own charming New Albany.

Please someone tell me how this will adversely affect Southern Indiana? Smooth flowing traffic on I 65 will adversely impact downtown New Albany and Grant Line Road businesses? The inability of some in Southern Indiana to see outside their "back yard" is frightening!

Impact? I'm glad he brought up that word, which has become a favorite of mine. I took a slightly softer approach in answering.

Spencer, what you might do is stand in my shoes for just a moment. As operator of a small independent retail business that does not derive governmental income for massive construction projects, but rather must convince diners/drinkers/shoppers to come to Indiana from Louisville to spend their discretionary income, I know how very hard it is to do just that. They don't have to come here; I must convince them. Charge them a fee to do it, and for many, game over. Until you and other toll proponents truly GET this reality, we'll continue being at odds.

Which reminds me, it is now 205 days since Jerry Finn of the Bridges Authority, in a conversation with me at the Muhammad Ali Center, conceded that no economic impact study on the effects of tolling on Southern Indiana small businesses had been done or even contemplated, but that he would henceforth urge such a study: Tolling Authority "input" session utterly without the redeeming presence of strong liquor.

Has he?

Have they?

Has anyone?

As for Spencer Coe, I'm sure he well understands the potential economic impact on Gohmann Asphalt if the company were to be frozen out of the bidding process for those huge infrastructure projects that constitute its bottom-line bread and butter. Alas, his boycott threat is hollow; Coe suggests "the same for all ORBP supporters," but since statistically, there are a few dozen such supporters at most scattered throughout the metro area, I'm not exactly set aquiver at the prospect of self-immolation on the Public House lawn.

Sadly and predictably, what Coe and other Ohio River Bridges Project proponents cannot seem to fathom, dazzled as they are by Ayn Rand's erotic attraction to steel, concrete, asphalt, and moreover, the velvety feel of crisp green slices paper pressed into one's hand in a One Southern Indiana conference room toilet stall, is that those of us down here in muddy bottom lands, rooting around for stray trickle-backs from the oligarchs, clearly see the economic impact of tolling because we live it, every single day.

We know that an economic impact study would amply illustrate tolling's obvious harm to small business in Southern Indiana, to our working commuters who must travel to Louisville and back, and to those Hoosiers least able to afford tolls, period.

At the same December meeting as my chat with Finn, David Nicklies wagged his finger at me and said that everyone must sacrifice to make possible the saving grace of the ORBP. What I asked him, and what I've continued to ask, is this: Why must residents of Southern Indiana sacrifice far more for less benefit?

It is a question that remains unanswered by Hoosier bridges fetishists, Spencer Coe now prominent among them.