Back in Indiana, on a morning that lets us all know fall is here…
Some ruminations.
Random thought #1. I talked to folks in Cleveland about what happened to the “Flats,” an old warehouse area that had been revitalized with restaurants and entertainment venues a couple of decades ago. The area is now pretty desolate; their explanation was that crime had increased–folks were mugged and beaten–and people had stopped patronizing those establishments. That made me think about the current problems in Indianapolis, where police presence has dropped significantly and the city has allowed important amenities like the canal to deteriorate. If we don’t want to emulate Cleveland–and we don’t–we need to send a message to City Hall.
Random thought #2. I see where Governor Daniels had a pretty bad weekend. Somehow, he’s blown through all that money he got from selling off–er, leasing–the Toll Road. So the portion of I69 between Bloomington and Indy evidently won’t get built, at least not without a lot of extra tax dollars. (That’s the problem with funding government by selling off state assets–when the money’s gone, so’s the ability of the asset to generate added income.) While the national unemployment rate dropped below 8%, Indiana’s rate increased to 8.3%. And legislators are beginning a real push-back on Daniels’ love affair with coal gasification and his plan to dump lots of state money into a coal gasification plant in southern Indiana, raising questions that should have been asked before this. But better late than never. But never fear–the Governor isn’t going to let these pesky problems distract him from important duties like shilling for the online “education” provided through WGU. (How’s that Purdue presidency coming along, Mitch?)
Random thought #3. Over the weekend, the Star somehow managed to avoid setting off the irony meter, in an editorial decrying the performance of Indiana’s public schools. The editorial writer wondered why a state that has managed its fiscal affairs so well (i.e., we have a surplus) hasn’t been able to improve education. Um…guys? Where do you think that money came from? Think that might have something to do with the problem?
Happy Indiana Autumn …
My family is from the St. Louis area and we would go downtown to shop at Styx and Famous and Bar. The built this wonderful shopping mall called the St. Louis Center that was connected to both stores. It was wonderful to go shopping in the city, especially at Christmas time. Then crime and gangs settled in and the downtown died. It has been slowly coming back to life especially along Washington Street; but if they don’t keep crime down it too will fall quickly into disarray. I love St.L; but I always told my husband if I lived there we would own a gun. The crime has been horrible in that city for too many years.
I went to school over there and at night it was okay to slow down look both ways at a red light and continue on. A friend had a contract w/ the city to work on lights etc…and it was not uncommon for their trucks to be stolen in broad day light.
Low crime and good schools are two elements that will bring people to your city.