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.

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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.

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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!

Uniformed mailboxes: On second thought, "hubris" hasn't ever been one of Shane's excellent new words.

Last evening we welcomed the US Postal Service into the ranks of #TheResistance20152019.

BREAKING: US Postal Service joins #TheResistance20152019, draws line in sand at the McDonald Lane roundabout.

Tonight's satire is presented by ... hubris. But I still think she means "uniform," not uniformed.

Oddly, never before has "hubris" been the topic of the weekly vocabulary column, which is dedicated to the distant memory of the city corporate attorney's integrity.

So, let's have a look at hubris.

In its modern usage, hubris denotes overconfident pride combined with arrogance. Hubris is often associated with a lack of humility. Sometimes a person's hubris is also associated with ignorance. The accusation of hubris often implies that suffering or punishment will follow, similar to the occasional pairing of hubris and nemesis in Greek mythology. The proverb "pride goeth (goes) before destruction, a haughty spirit before a fall" (from the biblical Book of Proverbs, 16:18) is thought to sum up the modern use of hubris. Hubris is also referred to as "pride that blinds" because it often causes a committer of hubris to act in foolish ways that belie common sense. In other words, the modern definition may be thought of as, "that pride that goes just before the fall."

Go to Wikipedia for the rest of the story, and make no mistake: Mayor Jeff M. Gahan is the master of hubristic self-presentation.