Until the City starts recognizing and valuing the residents and neighborhoods and includes them in their plans (not by giving them programs or welfare, but making them aware of business opportunities and benefits) then the craziness will continue.. I LIVE on 4th and Turner, literally blocks from the prison, City Hall, and all things positive and negative. I refuse to say that A-town is the WORST place in the world to live but it is certainly far from the best. The "powers that be" are announcing/celebrating the naming rights on an arena that no one knows any TRUE information about, and a man is shot to death, literally, a few blocks away. People are yelling and screaming about meeting with the project owners about giving "something" to the community and, in reality, they don't owe us anything. When will we pull up our sleeves and stop asking for hand outs and just start going into the communities and finding answers one neighborhood at a time? Because buildings don't change crime or perception, the people do...
Alfonso Todd
www.votealfonsotodd.com
2 comments:
I mostly agree with you, but I do think that the developers owe something to the community as it is being financed at our expense. I agree that jobs and opportunity would be better than a window dressing of community grants. This arena is financed by us and so we are stakeholders.
Agreed, Bill, but the reality is if they decide to do nothing, what could we do to force them? Boycott? If they can be convinced to give us a portion, then that will be all well and good. But the true value will be the information they hold.
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