Great quotes along the one-way street to the enchanted kingdom.

I'm not a crook. -- Richard Nixon (1973)

I believe it is peace for our time. -- Neville Chamberlain (1938)

A rocket will never be able to leave the Earth’s atmosphere. -- New York Times (1936)

Television won’t last. It’s a flash in the pan. -- Mary Somerville (1948)

The Beatles laid the groundwork for many of the problems we are having with young people by their filthy unkempt appearances and suggestive music while entertaining in this country during the early and middle 1960s. -- Elvis Presley (1970)

If the street grid works now, keep it and save your money. What do we need to do it for? There’s zero benefit -- Bob Caesar (1815)

Two-way street study eyed in New Albany; Councilman: Zero benefit to two-way traffic downtown, by Daniel Suddeath (News and Tribune)

But while we're at it, let's not neglect councilman Scott Blair's contribution:

"I think we have to try to understand [the situation] the best that we can and not just run out and do something."

By all means; yes. And since we've been talking about this for YEARS, and you seem to have arrived at the discussion just LAST THURSDAY ... I really hate to be the bearer of bad tidings ... but you may just have to try to, well, UNDERSTAND what it is we're saying -- you know, APART from the numbers you're handed for the usual "cost benefit" analysis, and MAYBE with the help of some outside reading.

Homework? For bankers? Oy (grasps head in pain), don't get me started.

Perhaps it's just me, but "Reactive By Design" isn't really the civic slogan I had in mind.

Full disclosure: Diana is a member of the Human Rights Commission.

I'm fairly confident that I agree with my neighbor and 3rd district council representative Greg Phipps on many, and perhaps most, major points of city politics. Given that, I'll now publicly differ, just a bit, and politely, in the sense of suggesting that Greg's observation ...

“There’s different points of view on that, but I think we set the commission up to be more reactive than proactive."

... prompts one of my own: Why are we so resigned to accepting yet another "reactive" institution in a town chock full of them?

New Albany: A highly ethical city? Ethics, human rights commissions still haven’t heard a case, by Daniel Suddeath (News and Tribune)

NEW ALBANY — The New Albany Human Rights and Ethics Commissions were established by the city more than a year ago, but to date, neither have heard cases.

Some see that as a positive reflection of New Albany, while others believe the boards should be more involved in the process of selecting what they review.

“It seems like the human rights commission has been kind of pushed to the back burner a little bit,” commission member Brad Bell said.

The board — which was established in July of 2012 — hasn’t heard a case, which is somewhat suspicious, he continued.

“We’d love to think it’s because the community is so diverse and open is the reason we don’t have any [complaints], but I think we all know a little better than that,” Bell said ...

But there's even more from Toll-Free New Albany.

Operators are standing by; call now and get TWO reactive institutions for the price of one.

 ... As for the Ethics Commission — which differs from the human rights commission because it only considers cases regarding public officials — the timing of the formation of the body appears to be keeping it from hearing one complaint that has been made public.

Local businessman and resident Randy Smith filed a complaint with the ethics commission against David Duggins, director of economic development and redevelopment for the city, over the firing of former New Albany Urban Enterprise Executive Director Mike Ladd.

Smith alleged that several actions made by Duggins during the process were unethical including accusing Ladd of paying claims without board approval.

However, since the alleged actions took place in March of 2012, about five months before the body was established, the ethics commission is likely not to review the case.

I'm an atheist by trade, but God, I'm tired of incremental, institutionalized timidity.

New Albany mumbles vaguely about pedestrians as Jeffersonville actually plans for them.

Just a few questions, okay?

Are NA city officials even aware of Jeffersonville's sudden discovery that walking and biking are recreational activities in and of themselves?

Am I the only one thinking that perhaps it isn't sudden at all, and Jeffersonville actually grasps the potential impact of bridge construction and tolling, and is being pro-active in making the best of what could be a very bad situation?

Aren't we in NA going to experience these bad situations, too?

Why would the automobile lobby pay for this degree of protection in NA when it tends to get its daily enthronement for free?

Is it interesting how many new recreational sites NA will have, none of which will be accessible apart from a car?

First, Jeffersonville's plans, as reported in the N & T:

Planners finalize a pedestrian-bicycle plan for Jeffersonville, by Braden Lammers

Once the Big Four Bridge ramp is complete in November, Jeffersonville officials envision pedestrians and bicyclists continuing on paths throughout the city.

While it might not be implemented by the time the bridge ramp is finished, a plan has been devised to improve access for pedestrians and bicyclists in Jeffersonville. Despite the plan’s infancy, downtown business owners see big things down the road.

“I just think this is wonderful, not only for all of us local people ... but it’ll be a great tourist draw,” said Linda Williams, owner of the Old Bridge Inn at the corner of Pearl and Chestnut streets, where pedestrians will enter the city from the Big Four Bridge ramp. “Tourism, especially heritage tourism — Jeffersonville just fits into that so well for the bed and breakfast [and] for the shop keepers here. We need new sidewalks, that’s improvement number one ... having bike lanes, that’s another thing for people that like to take their bikes when they travel.”

But at least we're coming around to beginning to consider a conjecturing of the approximate theoretical concept of a sidewalk, without so much as touching on the streets themselves. That's the NA experience in a nutshell.

Pedestrian safety a concern in New Albany, by Daniel Suddeath (N & T)

John Rosenbarger, director of public facilities projects for the city, said New Albany last commissioned a sidewalks analysis in 1991.

“It hasn’t been updated comprehensively since then,” he said.