Doing some research today at the office has given me a reason for this new post. So the preaching will now begin:
Oh you silly, silly city. Your performing arts building hasn’t the money to make the misguided dream of a new facility possible. Where are the investors you were hoping for? Isn’t Jim Ukrop going to help pay for it? Or is he too busy investing his money in the worst idea ever in Richmond’s history!!! Tell him to stop putting his money in the new Baseball Diamond! We don’t want or need it. Maybe if we had a great team, or if we didn’t already have one built. The Diamond seems perfectly fine to me. And guess what, I don’t ever want to go there. I see no need to. Not unless someone offers me free tickets to a baseball game. I don’t really like baseball. Do they think we are big enough city to have a real Major League Team? Do you think the hard working people in Carver, Church Hill, Jackson Ward want their taxes to go to a baseball stadium when they need more police on the streets, and still have downed trees from the Isabelle??? I have a better idea. Let’s gather up all the people wandering around on grace St. Students and homeless who both need food, and bus them over to Jim’s house and show him all of our shrunk waistline.
BTW
Has anyone else noticed the lack of youth on the boards of decision makers in Richmond?
Arts Council of Richmond
Virginia Commission for the Arts
Virginia Performing Arts (whole lot of old people) and only one person I trust on the board: Jean Patterson Boone Advertising Director Richmond Free Press
At least one did a study on Young People But notice how the focus is on the people with money coming to Richmond. Not the artists, musicians, performers, crafters, or anyone else who might make this city actually interesting.
So go forth and tell your boards of culture what you think should happen in the city. Tell them to start asking the young who will be the ones to suffer the Tax Raises, and the destroyed resources of downtown covered in sweaty gum chewin’ ball players. Tell them that we are going to have to start apologizing for saying “I live in Richmond.” And it is not as far away as we think.