Friday's Odds And Ends

Wow...I didn't KNOW this stuff came in a BOTTLE? What WILL they think of next, hmm?

Latest Low-Income Housing Meets resistance -
An $8 million apartment complex just outside of Fort Wayne along Maysville Road is getting the big NIMBY treatment...and who can blame these neighbors? Residents there cite flooding and traffic as their worst fears. But let's be politically INcorrect here...they fear the CRIME that will (most likely) result from these apartments. Of course the developer states "there's a real need in this area". What, we don't have enough crime...we have to spread it around? What about ALL the several HUNDRED HOUSES on the southeast and southwest sides that are sitting VACANT (in some cases for YEARS)? Where is the impetus to move ANY of these renters out from being a "tenant" into the realm of homeOWNER? There's a lot more here than meets the eye!

Financing Fort Wayne's "Hostage" situation -
FWCS's Yellow Ribbon Task Force is setting about to figure out HOW THE HELL they plan to finance this HUGE honking repair bill for the system's 53 school buildings...and it's not going to be easy (for once). The "task force" wants to recind or significantly modify the state's "circuit breaker" legislation (which caps property tax increases at 2%)...I'm sure that will go over with the taxpayers like a pregnant pole-vaulter! They go on to say that: "steps should be taken to reconstitute the interaction between the Capital Profects Fund and the Racial balance Fund to discontinue the practice of reducing the CPF property tax levy by the amount of the RBF, but no action should be taken to jeopardize the RBF levy, as this plays a crucial role in maintaining the district's desegregation plan". (And where I live, that "plan" has failed miserably over the years). The 2% circuit breaker means the maximum amount a taxpayer would pay on every $100K of assessed value comes to $2K. And this will result in budget restrictions by FWCS as well as all other local units of government (and those 30+ private sector entities such as the FWIA). But the circuit breaker will result in property tax CREDITS not normally targeted for specified property owners (yay for the homeowners...sorta). So those living in $1mil+ MANSIONS will benefit the MOST, with us moderate schleps getting little if ANY "real relief" (as usual). I'll bet FWCS is doing the "shoulda-woulda-coulda" dance right now.
This could get real nasty...real fast.

Indy Workplace Shooting Injures Four -
Jason Burnam was charged with 4 counts of attempted murder and 1 count of carrying a handgun without a license was arrested without incident in the lunchroom of Crossroads Indusrial Services. This shootings were "about respect" (yeah, who needs courage to walk away and be a man, when you have a GUN?), and apparently Mr. Burnam had issues with coworkers. Funny thing is, this guy has NO criminal history (no small accomplishment for his people). But he IS taking antidepressants (who wouldn't living in Indy these days?) due to bipolar disorder. His mother told him to ignore the "teasing" he said was going on at work (I guess mother STILL knows best). The company is a division of Easter Seals Crossroads, and 85% of the production workers have phyiscal or developmental disabilities. I guess it IS easier for people with mental problems to get guns (they're NOT supposed to have them in the first place for JUST this reason) ...that would explain a LOT about the shootings and firearms violations in MY part of town. Must be all those DRUGS killing off all those brain cells......

There's some food for thought, and unlike the south side of Fort Wayne (where starvation is measured NOT by how few FOOD STAMPS you got from your "uncle" this month, but rather by how little these people care about anything or anyone thanks to a lack of CIVILITY), we like to share our intellectual and educational bounty with anyone and everyone.

Just take your elbows off the table and chew your food....LOL!