so, (lol) it is going to be built this week, and there is an actual set of plans that can actually be utilized? looking ahead, however, will it pass next week w/ a continued green light? how is that for sarcasm. seriously, most would be lost as a goose in a hail storm at midnight, if they were trying to keep up w/ the project, the plans, the area, etc. finaly, when a working set of plans was decided upon, i was pleasantly surprised. i thought they were the nicest that had ever been shown.
one or 6 comments about the information in the article, nevertheless. it is disappointing to know that students were lost, due to the lack of professionals being able to put the community and these students ahead of what, seemingly, was a really insignificant detail in the over all scheme of things. we talk about wanting to attract this class of people and that class, etc., yet we seem to have no civic leaders who are able to step in and give direction, prodding, encouragement, and a little arm twisting. i realize other schools for these programs are available in memphis; however, it just seems as if this problem could have been anticipated and hashed out, prior to the loss and delay in the project. beale street, same thing. a beautiful project, i'm glad it was not hacked to death, before it was realized as drawn; however, nearly 6 years to get it done. using rising steel prices as one of the primary reasons for cost over runs, councilmen unwilling to accept plans, thus continued redraws and expense, and 6 million dollars for cobblestone work? really? i just think that is where professionals should be consulted and the price tag seriously questioned.
in the end, w/ these and other projects, there seems to be a pattern of not being able to work together, to get things done in a timely manner, to have no anticipation for things in the future, and it undermines the public's confidence in local government. these students didn't have to be lost to construction delays, but some will be, mckesson didn't have to move part of its facilities to olive branch, however, they did because local officials couldn't jump through their own hoops and realize that businesses that are run well consider time management to be critical. the same is true about the recent dressing down that memphis-shelby leadership got about the airport city headqts, the investment made by one of the investors, and his disappointment about the lack of getting things done. again, local leaders. good ideas, perhaps, but no follow through.
the mpo and the aerotropolis vision exist on the internet as they did, after the first mpo meeting. another problem regarding our city---much of the information by IT is outdated, poorly presented, and has little edge to it, by and large. the loss of two more conventions (one of them a music gathering) walks out to other cities, because we don't have enough room for them. these, by and large, are not new problems for memphis. people won't wait, corporations, businesses, and other organizations won't either. we have these opportunities and many of them pass through our fingers, held up by councilmen, a few who think about their best interest, instead of that of the community.
still, i love this city and i want to see it and the region to prosper. so many of our resources are under utilized. the airport seems to be controlled by another city, instead of by our leaders. growth happens in other cities, even though slowed down, but that is no excuse for memphis to sit back and say jet fuel is the problem here. memphis doesn't need to allow everyone in the state of tn or anywhere else to pigeon hole us as to what we need to be or what we are relative to other cities, this state and the world. there comes a time when the phrase "we're on the cuff" about great things gets little credible attention. the payment of consultant groups to do a job, and then failure of the local government officials to follow the recommendations is a bit half-witted and foolish, particularly, when it is applied to the main street mall recommendations.
large amounts of money were spent for recommendations about increasing downtown traffic years ago. the very first thing in the recommendations, if nothing else could be done, traffic on main should immediately revert to two way traffic. what happened. according to the mayor, the city could not afford to spend the 1.5 million that was estimated to put up signal lights and street signage. so, another example of poor listening, poor government, and a failure to correct a problem that everyone knows exists. the same thing is about to happen concerning traffic in south memphis. we all know that it is busy and a mess, but why pay 2.5 million to have that studied over the next two years, just because the federal government is going to pay1.5 million of the study cost, the city will cough up the remaining 1 million. again, a pattern.
if we really knew how much business this area has lost, due to getting up, getting things done, working for the betterment of the community, and cut some of these silly phrases and provide the progress, work, and evidence of productivity, we would be a truly great city.