Do I Hate Everyone - No, But I Do Dislike A Few

This post deals with one person who posted on one of the other local blogs asking if I hated everyone. So in fairness, I have decided to address the issue.

No, I do not hate everyone. In fact I think many of our elected officials have done some pretty good things. However, it does not give them a free pass to do wrong. There are things that are legally wrong and then there are things that are morally wrong. To which I will hold people accountable.

I use this blog as a place to exercise my right to freedom of speech. I, unlike several other local blogs, do not stop others from exercising their freedom of speech of offering their opinions that do not agree with mine. Discussing issues in the open may not result in agreement, but a better understanding of reasoning.

In today's world so many people believe in the idea, if something goes their way then how it was achieved means nothing. I would rather loose on an issue, based on full disclosure, then win by hiding facts that do not support my stand. I think when we where young children our parents called it cheating!

What I do believe in is honestly and being straight with the people. That you propose ideas, lay all the facts out, debate the issue, vote on an issue, and then move on. If you break the process link anywhere, then everything that follows is under quest suspicion. Hence, moving on gets much more difficult.

Regarding Harrison Square

I did not oppose the Harrison Square Project with the baseball park. I could not think of one single attraction that could be built downtown that would draw 300,000 people for the dollar investment. The hotel issues where not a real issue at first. The parking garage raised some questions in my mind because of exists and so forth. In summary, the concept of the plan was acceptable.

You will not find any post here or comments on any other blog stating I thought the project was illegal. You will not find where I ever stated the purchase of the property was illegal (but I do agree those that have raise some valid points that should have been honestly answered).

You will find me posting and commenting on the Embassy/Indiana Hotel walkway. I oppose it as being part of the Harrison Square Project costs, because it is not. I am not going to rehash the points I have made about it here and now.

You will find me posting and commenting on certain people being in appointed positions that voted on parts of Harrison Square. The people, who have vested interests in seeing this project carried through should have resigned or recused themselves from the discussions and voting. What they did was wrong.

You will find me posting and commenting about elected officials who provide special considerations for a few. I disagreed with the latest smoking ban as to telling bar and private clubs what they must do. Nevertheless I could live with that law. However, to put language in the ordinance to provide special consideration for the hospitals is not right. To give the hospitals a 100 foot no smoking zone past their property lines is wrong. To do so violated other property owners the right to control the use their property. It also extended public rightaway usage that was not afforded to others.

You will find me posting about the pending OmniSource property purchase. You won't find that I oppose any of the discussions on the final usage of the property so far. My problem is with the environmental status of the property and why would Fort Wayne pay nearly top dollar for the property.

You will find me posting about the rivers in Fort Wayne. I am an avid fisherman. I do fish the St. Joe from the dam at the Coliseum Blvd. and north. I have fished the mouth of the Spy Run Creek. I have fished the St. Mary's back in the 60's. I have fished parts of the Maumee. I also know their dangers they pose today. Be it the consumption of fish caught or environmental issues with the water itself.

You will find me posting about the sign ordinance as it stands, it will be struck down in any federal court challenge. The Mayor and council knew it would be but it did not serve their need. They could have asked one constitutional lawyer and the lawyer would have told them it would not pass a court review.

You will find me posting about apparent conflicts of interest. The issue comes even more troublesome when you find the Indiana Board of Accounts has demanded for the last two years that conflicts of interest forms be completed by people within local government. This year's (2006) audit the state noted that certain conflict of interests forms that they had demanded the previous year (2005) had not be delivered. Plus they had made no effort to start doing it. They thumbed their nose at the State Board of Accounts!

You will find me posting about people who seem to have their hand in the cookie jar.

You will find me posting about people who try to operate in the shadows, but may be using others as their puppets.

You will find me posting about "no property taxes will be used!" Well, you can call it whatever tax you want but when it comes out of my pocket it is a tax!

You will find me posting about "the taxes are coming from one area of the city," Well, that is B.S. because to afford those people the same level of services I have, then some of my tax dollars will be spent to provide it for them. Hence, it is still a tax and is coming out of my pocket.

Mayor Richard should have received a standing ovation from the citizens of Fort Wayne when he left office this coming December 31st. This would have been for his six sigma program that has given Fort Wayne a much more efficient delivery of basis services. Sadly, it will downed out by the cat calls and whistles of his handling of Southtown, Harrison Square, and soon North River projects.

So, if you say I hate everyone then that is your right. However I prefer to consider it calling people out. They put themselves in a position to have their real motives questioned by their own actions.

I leave you with this to ponder.

Carson-Boxberger law firm has undertaken legal work for the City of Fort Wayne. The Mayor's office has not published how much the city has spent with them for the last eight years. So the number could be a few thousand, to maybe in the millions of dollars.

Councilman Tim Pape, a partner, has a vested interest in the financial profits of the firm. Since law work is not "bid out," the Mayor could change law firms any time he desires. To continue that business income Pape could be under pressure to vote for certain issues, in support of the Mayor's position, regardless of what was best for the public.

This issue has been kicked around for several months. Pape has refused to address it in public. The Mayor has refused to release to the public an accounting of how much money has been spent with his law firm. This question would be mute if Pape was not a councilman or worked for a law firm the city maintained a business relationship with.

As for me using the words "rubber stamp" regarding the city council I will continue to use it. When you don't ask the hard questions, not demanding public answers to posed questions by council, and just go along with the flow, then you are little more then a "rubber stamp." Until I see some backbone out of the elected council members they will remain a "rubber stamp!"

When the smoking ban was discussed it was presented to council that bars would loose business. Council asked bar owners how much would they loose. The bar owners did not have any hard numbers, but could only sight what happened in other cities, which had already adopted the smoking ban.

Council members hung their hat on the fact the bar owners had no hard numbers. Yet, Mr. Crawford had no numbers to prove that the smoking ban that the bar business would remain the same or improve.

The local board of realtors desired a waiver from the sign ordnance. Mr. Crawford stated how he had researched the law and stated to provide them such would lead to the federal courts striking down the law. What Mr. Crawford failed to disclose was the fact a government cannot be selective in allowing commercial or political freedom of speech. Yet, the new law contains a provision that government will be doing such.

So I don't hate anyone. I do dislike some people for what they have done. You also have not found me asking about people from one party.