Baton Rouge Bond Proposal :: Please vote with your head, not your heart
I’ve spoken publicly (see:facebook) about the fact that today, I am voting ‘NO’ for the bond proposal on the ballot for East Baton Rouge parish voters. All I hope that you take a little time to do is look at this objectively.
In much of the promotion, all I continue to hear is that ‘this will make Baton Rouge the next great American city.’ As much as I want Baton Rouge to be a great American city, I disagree that this is the way we get there.
We don’t get there by taking a chance that another arts/entertainment venue will help spark a downtown revival, we get there by adding competitive jobs, industry and careers for our residents inside of our city/parish. I’ve often heard the argument that ‘we need arts/entertainment before industry will come here’ and I agree to that statement, but where I disagree is that arts come first. Industry has to be drawn and fostered first then lets compliment it where I can get a glass of wine and an art gallery.
I would still be inclined to vote for the proposal sans ‘Alive’ – we do need the infrastructure improvements and that is an investment we can afford. It is a crying shame that this has to be a package deal, even if it would shave years off the bond payback, according to projections.
I am not wholeheartedly against taxes and completely understand the idea that we need to take ownership in our future, I get that. What I will not take sitting down is what I consider a bad proposal, coupled with bad assumptions and unattainable projections that has a fancy catch phrase and an endorsement from every name and organization ‘in the know.’
You know where I stand, and I don’t expect to change your mind. I only hope I have provided a dissenting opinion that makes sense, unlike some of the other dissent I’ve heard.
GEAUX BATON ROUGE!
Disclaimers::
-I do like Kip Holden as mayor, think he’s done a great job. I just happen to disagree w/him on this one issue.
-Baton Rouge is a great capitol city and college(s) city, one of the best. However, we’ve become a commuter city because of it. Only industry and career-jobs place enough permanence in our area to maintain. Our economy does not need to be based on tourism, instead a willing commitment to reward those who live and work (therefore contributing) here.
My Veterans Day Thank You
Today (like most days) I continued to live my life on my terms, where my choices and responsibilites are my own – now that is freedom and that is why today I am continually thankful for our veterans of past, present and future – GEAUX USA! Thank you for your service to our country – hope you enjoyed the day!
Google placing value in dashboard
Just in case we have not caught up in some time, I switched jobs about a year ago this month. I joined a much larger, worldwide organization in their business intelligence unit. Since then, most of my work has been generating reporting templates and publishing dashboards. Which is why this article caught my eye.
http://lifehacker.com/5397713/google-dashboard-provides-a-top+down-look-at-your-google-use
Sure, we can get into theory about visual intelligence, summation strategies and usability, but this isn’t really the place. I’ll admit – not too many places would be ‘the place’ for that discussion.
Whats important is two things. The first is that google is adapting in the world of quick and consolidated information, meaning business intelligence will continue to be a driving force of business since Google is an ‘opinion leader’ for both business standards and technology adaptation. The second is that now you can see what google knows about you – and you are allowed to be frightened by that!
http://www.google.com/dashboard
-d-
I Used to Blog
I’ve had this website for some time now (roughly under a year) and I continue to neglect driving it in the direction I would like to take it eventually.
Thinking to the future reminded me of the past. I kept up a blog called ‘The Heisman Run’ for about two years (05-07) and took a couple minutes to enjoy some of the things I’ve written in the past. I’m glad to share, if you’d like to listen.
I used to blog…
about my obsessive hatred for ‘buzzword nasty’ writing
http://heismanrun.blogspot.com/2006/02/thinking-outside-of-loosing-my-mind.html
about my initial discovery of my psoriatic arthritis
http://heismanrun.blogspot.com/2006/01/this-time-its-personal.html
about the first time I tried to adjust to contacts (so far, attempt #2 has been more successful)
http://heismanrun.blogspot.com/2005/07/contact-lenses-vision-update-i-dont.html
about great concerts I had attended at that point
http://heismanrun.blogspot.com/2006/03/groovin-my-time-away.html
about my reflections on the first time I heard Mitch Hedberg
http://heismanrun.blogspot.com/2005/07/contact-lenses-vision-update-i-dont.html
about my utter disgust with Brittany Spears’ lack of financial support for South Louisiana after Hurricane Katrina
http://heismanrun.blogspot.com/2005/09/namin-names.html
Here’s hoping there will be a successful return to blogging -
-d-