Saturday, June 14, 2008

And Now a Message from the Office of Tourism

I would just like to know where its written that people cannot be honest about the place that they live? What cosmic law states that everyone MUST be an "ambassador" for their town?
Why is it verboten to discuss this city honestly, warts and all?
This is the 5th largest city is the US. We have the 3rd largest port in the nation. There are loads of opportunities. The economy of this area is 'boss'. The shopping, as you know, is phenomenal and I think even that might be an understatement.
There is TONS of stuff to do; beach, rainforest, aquarium, water parks, IMAX, historic battlegrounds, funerary museum, NASA, indoor rock climbing, ballooning, hang gliding, hockey, curling (yep), and now Quidditch. We have world class concerts; rock, classical, alternative.
We get international traveling museum shows. Heck, where else can you stumble onto a performance of Polynesian dancers in a gas station parking lot when on you way to Lowes?
Our avante-garde ninja knitters "Knitta Please" even made it to the May issue of the UK mag KNITTING. I mean, how cool is that?
Now for a reality check.
First there's the gangs. All kinds of gangs. And with the gangs comes the drive-by shootings, drive-up executions(even in fast-food drive-thrus), running gun battles on the hiways, flesh peddling(even minors/sex slaves), drug running, gun running, terrorist training.
We have 'Coyote' "holding houses" where the human smugglers hold their cargo as prisoners for more money.
We have home invasions where the invaders are wearing body armor.
We have cop killers and killer cops.
We have city employees embezzling from the public budget and corporations embezzling from their employees. And ISDs competing on who can build the most ostentatious 'sports complexes' with public money.
Our house appraisals are out of control which means the school taxes are astronomical. And the city council pats themselves on the back for a "1/2 cent tax cut".
On top of that, the city has pulled an interesting coup. Most of the county falls under the city ETJ(extraterritorial jurisdiction). This means that any decision the council and mayor make, effects all those areas, but the mayor and council are only elected by those living INSIDE the city limits...not the ETJ. This amounts to taxation without representation.
Hello? Does anyone remember 1776?
ur public transit is a joke and a mayor that thinks he's solved the public transit problem. We have a central business district that the busses serve and business districts all over town that the city ignores.
So why can't people just be up front about the reality of living large? Why is it necessary to bury their heads in the sand? Are these the same people that believe America has no enemies or that we should just talk to our enemies and they will stop hating us?
I can understand denial as a coping mechanism-used it myself plenty. But people! Denial about the reality of this city can get you killed! Funny thing is...I bet not one of these deniers leaves their house or car unlocked.
And if this is Disneyworld with traffic, why are 'gated communities' so popular?
I'm so befuddled..I'm going to go take a nap now.

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