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March 11, 2008
Tacoma Does Deserve Economic Development
Because Natasha is wrong. And I'll tell you why.
Essentially Natasha has composed a piece telling us all that we don't deserve economic development downtown because we don't appreciate what already exists. We don't shop in the stores that already exist, we don't ride the LINK rail, and we fail to provide appropriate feedback to the business owners when unhappy with their current practices.
To start with, she specifically targets bloggers, and I'd like to start by adressing that issue.
To quote the article:
I notice people who are blogging all day long, talking crap about the businesses in Tacoma without ever trying a place out, or without providing feedback on poor experiences directly to the restaurant manager, opting to talk s*** online instead. I think all of the above is weak.
Where exactly are these blog posts with people bitching about about various local businesses that they have never patronized? Let alone people who are posting them "all day long"? I can't even find the terrible experiences that would require someone to talk to a restaurant manager or business owner. Can someone direct me?
What I have found are several posts of local bloggers organizing and meeting up to support local businesses. In fact, there was even concern that local bloggers had overrun one restaurant during their grand opening (it turned out that the restaurant was expecting the lunch rush and was very happy with the extra business).
As a local blogger, and as someone who hangs out with local bloggers, I can guarantee that we definitely eat and shop at local businesses. As my husband noted in the first comment on your post, in the last few days me and my blogger friends have spent time (and money) at local businesses the Red Hot, Herban Cafe, The Helm, Satellite Coffee, PSP, Hello Cupcake, Comic Book Ink, Sushi Revolution, BKB, Next to Nature and that's just to name a few. Not all of these are downtown, but we like to spread our dollars around. Along the way we either spent time with or ran into In-Tacoma, Tacomachickadee, jcbetty, Tacomamama, Cassioposa, Kevin Freitas, Izenmania, and Tacoma Urbanist.
Those Tacoma bloggers. Stuck in their homes, glued to their computers.
Ms. Gorbachev also points out that people need to use the public transportation systems we have in order to have them "improve[d] or extended". I'm all for extending the Link rail system, considering the fact that it travels something like 12 - 15 blocks and unless you're in a hurry walking makes far more sense. I don't mean to seem ungrateful, but lets get a workable system that doesn't just ferry homeless people around all day long. I don't think I should have to ride a relativelessly useless public transportation system in order to get a useful one.
I know Erik of Tacoma Urbanist has pointed out that he prefers to walk for exercise, and can walk across most Tacoma in 10 or 15 minutes. Walking is even better for the environment and people's bodies than public transportation. If people want to walk, I say more power to them. Sorry if that fucks up the economic development plans.
Lastly, there is the issue of crime that was discussed in the article.
I recently attended the Go Local or Die event downtown (Sorry Natasha, I did not see you in attendance). It was a fascinating speaker panel that also allowed much of the audience to talk about what they would like to do to build up their neighborhoods and community as well. One of the ideas that came out of those conversations was taking back Frost Park from drug dealers as it is scheduled to potentially have a fence put up to keep undesirables out.
Shortly after the Go Local or Die event, a takeover of Frost Park was organized online at Feed Tacoma. After putting the event off for a week due to scheduling issues, more than 30 people met up for lunch at noon in Frost Park last Friday. About one-third of those involved were bloggers. Proof that information posted on Feed Tacoma (and blogs) is not only reaching other bloggers, but community members as well.
This Friday we'll be meeting at Frost Park again at noon to take back the park. It's bring your own lunch. Pink cookies to be provided by Gretchen of Herban Cafe. After a month of meeting in Frost Park the plan is to move onto Fireman's Park, then onto another location. Everyone is invited!
My point is - people are ready for economic development now. They are working on all the areas Natasha took us to task for in her article. We're shopping and eating in downtown businesses. We're frustrated at the crappy public transportation (and we've written a lot about it as well as joined groups in order to change things). And we're working to make the crime situation better, and it's getting there. I don't believe it's unreasonable to expect the city to put plans in place right now for future development.
Don't just knock bloggers for writing about the situation. We're community members who are working in other ways too.
Posted by Ensie at March 11, 2008 12:01 AM
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Comments
Well said. I understand there's a bit of a "chicken and the egg" about which comes first: consumers or developers. However, there are some seriously fierce folks in town that are all about going local whenever they can -- and a healthy crop of them are bloggers and/or read blogs. Overall the Volcano piece is just a rant designed to generate buzz. Understood.
I'm definitely proud of everyone (including those damned lazy bloggers -- sheesh!) who're able to get out and walk downtown or in their neighborhood and support local business and restaurants. It can't always happen but this sort of movement starts from the ground up not the paper down.
Posted by: K to the F at March 11, 2008 05:51 AM
Yeah I need to stop reacting to that Volcano article. Went over there and had my fit, now I'm done.
What bothers me the most about it is that it's "generating buzz" at our expense, with a portion of Tacoma that does not read blogs and now thinks we're a bunch of whiners.
Posted by: Jenyum at March 11, 2008 06:51 AM
Hence my above post. Maybe I'll just copy and paste the whole thing into the comments.
Posted by: ensie at March 11, 2008 11:19 AM
well, hell. I guess, as a blogger, my recent hot dogs (with other bloggers) at red hot don't count, nor do the other meals/beverages I've consumed in various places about the town mean anything. Certainly, the local boutique clothes (and shoes!) I wear aren't, in any way, supporting the "localness' of things, and CERTAINLY the piddly-ass candles, soaps, cleaning items, papers, books, and various and sundry other et-ceteras that I've spent my money recently on are... like, um, invisible. Or something.
Or else, by "bloggers" she means... um... some other people?
Forking fork, dude. this kind of devisiveness does nothing to help build communities, OR columnist credibility. All it does is smack them in their own faces with their own sop boxes...
Posted by: jane doe at March 11, 2008 07:56 PM
Essentially Natasha has composed a piece telling us all that we don't deserve economic development downtown because we don't appreciate what already exists. We don't shop in the stores that already exist, we don't ride the LINK rail, and we fail to provide appropriate feedback to the business owners when unhappy with their current practices.
I saw that article too. The best I can guess is Natasha liked the forum but got caught up in a bit and decided to inadvertently bash bloggers.
Considering that she is one and knows that people who blog are the most "go local" people there are the article makes little sense.
What bothers me the most about it is that it's "generating buzz" at our expense, with a portion of Tacoma that does not read blogs and now thinks we're a bunch of whiners.
With the rise of the Tacoma Blogosphere, it is becoming a target like anything else and as it gets larger will get more fractioned which is happening more and more.
Posted by: Erik B. at March 11, 2008 10:37 PM
Good blog man! I just added this article to my Google Bookmarks account. Keep it up!
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