Humpday Happenings...

Welcome to our wonderful mid-week crisis know as Wednesday.
Looks to be a nice day ahead, too. Got the sun shining outside this morning.
The rest of our Hoosierland weather will have us seeing temps reaching into the mid-SIXTIES today, but we will have clouds moving in during the afternoon hours. That could spell some rain coming through after that.
So, let's get that morning beverage parked alongside as we take this show on the road.
*** First out of the cereal bowl is our WHO SAID THAT? quote of the week:
"All violence consists in some people forcing others, under threat of suffering or death, to do what they do not want to do."
Now, in the wake of recent events out in Baltimore, I thought this was on the mark.
So WHO said this anyway?
The answer will be at the top of tomorrow's post.
Meanwhile, back in the Caucasus...
*** It's also time for our "What the hell happens today, Bob?" feature:
April 29 - 
---Today is GREENERY DAY.

Is this like a a poor man's St. Patty thing?
---It's also NATIONAL SHRIMP SCAMPI DAY.

For me, that "could" be most ANY day...love that stuff. Guess you develop a taste when working in an Italian restaurant (ages ago in Philly).
*** Next up, the 9th homicide (I mentioned yesterday) as confirmed, and here's the story link:
http://wane.com/2015/04/27/police-investigate-death-in-northeast-allen-co/

Yeah, the woman who was found dead had died of GUNSHOT wounds.
Her name was Quineta Ann Bright, 25, (of Fort Wayne). Any bets on the ETHNICITY of the woman?
And anyone wondering if she "knew" the shooter?
I think you know MY answers to both questions.
Moving on...
*** Okay, so we NEED a $250K "study" for a chunk of road between West Washington Center Rd and Coliseum Blvd along Coldwater Rd?

Apparently so, and here's the link:
http://wane.com/2015/04/29/council-oks-major-road-projects/
This will cost somewhere around 6 MIL, but City Council wants some more details (before they go ahead and "rubber-stamp" it).
I guess that stretch of DECATUR RD (between Paulding and Lower Huntington Rd) that feels like you're driving on a damn WASHBOARD (when you're trying to avoid the poorly filled potholes) gets the shit end of the stick...like most OTHER areas down here?
But, you know OUR city...it's not about taking a bad area and making it better...rather take a good area and make THAT much better.
*** And speaking of making areas better, there's THIS little "gem":
http://wane.com/2015/04/28/city-will-give-away-land-to-entice-sit-down-restaurant-to-southtown/
Seems our reigning "monarch", Mayor (King) Henry wants to GIVE AWAY LAND to some large sit-down restaurant in the area of the former Southtown mall that has been vacant since the mall was torn down in 2004.
And so far...NO TAKERS. Well;, there was ONE, but they couldn't make it happen...gee, I wonder why?
Could it be...(wait for it)...the CRIME in the area?
Isn't that what I said inhibits retail and service business growth?
Sure looks that way.
You can't keep pointing to a MENARDS, WALMART, and  WENDY'S and call it a success...NOT with ALL the land that still lies fallow all around the area. And this is ASIDE from the strip mall that the old K-MART used to be in...AND the parcel where the old TARGET used to be (along with Cap'N Cork)

Target - GONE

You have TOO much empty space, TOO little interest and TOO much crime. Helluva combination.
Add this all up, and a BLIND PERSON could see WHY businesses refrain from coming down here.
But, since the city and the black community STILL live in a state of DENIAL (which is not just a river in Egypt, BTW), nothing will get done.
I've tried to chronicle ALL the businesses that have LEFT the area since I started this blog, and after around 150+ separate business entities...I lost bloody COUNT, but we have to be close to 200 by now. That's just from  when I moved here in 1997.

Lambro's - GONE

The numbers aren't increasing AS fast now...because we don't have that many businesses left to bug out.
What few businesses DO come here are cell phone joints, convenient stores, nail salons...petty crap that serves too few and too infrequently.
We DO have MORE liquor stores AND gas stations (per sq. mile) that ANY other quadrant. Big frigging whoop.
The "King" mentions that he wants to see a SIT-DOWN restaurant...you mean like LAMBROS (along Lower Huntington Rd) used to be???
That closed down a year or so ago...LACK of business, and THAT place (which was nice inside with good food) is a spit and a slide FROM the aforementioned Southtown area.
Used to have a Casa D'Angelo's as well...ate there a couple times...very nice.
We lost THAT too.
Go figure, right?

Atz's - GONE

Hell, ATZ'S Ice Cream parlor even closed, and they were just up the road FROM Lambro's restaurant.
Henry doesn't LIVE down here...doesn't SEE what's been happening over the years, and certainly isn't as INVOLVED as he SHOULD be, if he TRULY wants to improve this part of the city, and thereby make it REVENUE-POSITIVE for the city coffers once again.
Common sense would dictate that having a positive revenue flow FROM the SE of Fort Wayne is much MORE desirable that the current state of affairs...BUT, you have to get a handle on the CRIME and those causing it, and we can't do that, because the blacks, Latinos, and white trash are "oppressed" and don't have that "privilege" we hear tell about (that doesn't exist).
Such a case CAN be made for returning businesses TO the southeast...and that will cause decent people to move into the area...and it WILL thrive once again, but you have GOT to chase the welfare queens and bad-ass thugs OUT of the area FIRST.
Thing is, since the Helmke days...this area of the city has been marvelously IGNORED by City Hall...and it certainly SHOWS.
(in that, they managed to excel)
*** Last back to the pulpit...we are a nation of people, and although that sounds too obvious, it is, in fact  true.
People make the laws (some break them), people create the businesses (others rob them), people build, maintain, and protect the cities and towns we live in (or outright ignore parts of those towns and cities), so you can see there's no getting around people.
It's when people should KNOW BETTER...and do worse, that we have a problem
And whatever we permit people to do...well, that's what they'll continue to do, unless other people say otherwise.
That covers both sides of life's road...the good AND the bad.
Thing is, too often, resources are poured into areas of society with the hope that a positive result will be created.
Many times, this continuance of resources nets nothing at all, but more of what the original problems was.
A better management of funds or other resources works well in normal households. In fact, it's a prerequisite to keeping one's head above society's waters.
Do less, and you can easily drown.
So, WHY can't a city see to ALL it's problems with a more equal dispersal of those resources, rather than concentrating them in specific areas that are ALREADY successful, or, at the other end of the spectrum, result in less , or NO bang for any buck tossed at a problem?

If they managed resources (especially money) like a regular household, the net result SHOULD be similar...just on a larger scale.
When an ENTIRE city prospers, ALL of it's PEOPLE prosper. Pretty simple logic there.
When only a PART of that city prospers, the same amount of PEOPLE are the ones prospering.
And those parts that do not prosper are left to whatever devices can be found (which usually are too few to matter).
This is a problem OUR city suffers from, and the remedy would seem easy enough to acquire...IF City Hall took the time to LOOK for it, instead of touting minor "accomplishments" that serve too few and ignore too many.

Be well, make a difference to someone, and...
Stay SAFE out there, America.