When my husband and I bought a house in Ohio City in 1994, we were very confused about our place in the community. After perhaps my tenth block club meeting of listening to neighbors voicing their hostility toward developers, gentrifiers, outsiders who tampered with their community or failed to give back, I finally asked someone: "Are you talking about me? Would the neighborhood be better if I hadn't bought my house?"
All these years later, having raised my kids here, I'm still not sure of the answer to that question. What are the actual requirements for citizenship in this community, and how does one earn the office of speaking for the silent majority?
That's an interesting point, FlatsUprising. The 2012 legislation that rolled the tax rate back for places like the Beachland exempted venues holding 150 or fewer. I wonder what Canopy's capacity is.
This would have been a better story if the "woman in the back" had a name. The same could be said of Ben's blog post: it lacks details and sources. The more strongly you word your criticism, the more evidence you ought to produce in support of it, if you'd like to bring about change and not just scream on the sidelines.
In discussions about how Ohio City development displaces poor residents, we tend to hear their stories and opinions filtered through advocates. But the woman in the back is making a very interesting point that partly contradicts the view of those advocates, and we can't catch her name.
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All these years later, having raised my kids here, I'm still not sure of the answer to that question. What are the actual requirements for citizenship in this community, and how does one earn the office of speaking for the silent majority?
In discussions about how Ohio City development displaces poor residents, we tend to hear their stories and opinions filtered through advocates. But the woman in the back is making a very interesting point that partly contradicts the view of those advocates, and we can't catch her name.