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Post by concerned on Jan 12, 2009 10:34:53 GMT -5
Well it is now looking like it is going to be a positive addition to that area. It is just so depressing to travel up James from MVCC and have to see all the decay and ruins and filth that James street has become. Back in the 50's to 60's it was fantastic. Oh James Street oh James Street what has become of you. Your once fantastic area housed people who cared.
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Post by frankcor on Jan 12, 2009 17:42:54 GMT -5
I'm curious -- has it made a positive impact on the neighborhood? Is there less crime now?
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Post by dgriffin on Jan 12, 2009 23:28:28 GMT -5
The prediction was that crime would move a few blocks away.
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Post by Ralph on Jan 13, 2009 0:57:47 GMT -5
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Post by frankcor on Jan 13, 2009 1:04:02 GMT -5
I'll take that as a no.
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Post by dgriffin on Jan 13, 2009 8:25:33 GMT -5
I've just been reading of the Petraeus model of counterinsurgency that was lately successful in Iraq and which he intends to deploy in Afghanistan. In a nutshell, the troops' main job is to protect the citizenry more so than destroy the enemy. Make friends, not enemies. More risk to our soldiers, of course, and it will take a lot more of our personnel on the ground, but ultimately safer for everyone, according to the General. Makes sense, I guess. So, if done right (and I'm not sure what that means), putting troops on the ground in Cornhill could be successful. Does anyone know if the "troops" are black?
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Post by concerned on Jan 13, 2009 9:04:26 GMT -5
There is less people standing around near the bar. And who was that guy looking up at the corner feeling himself.
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Post by frankcor on Jan 13, 2009 10:51:04 GMT -5
Sorry, concerned. I thought I was being more descrete.
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Post by Clipper on Jan 13, 2009 11:29:02 GMT -5
I don't know if the "troops are black", but they should be paired and balanced with white, black, or whatever ethnicity or race is indigenous to the area being patrolled. I think the idea of putting two cops in a car is a necessity in the inner city. Not only for the safety of the officers, but for the purpose of preventing any insinuations of racial or ethnic prejudice in handling victims or suspects. The cameras also will go a long way to short circuiting some of the incidents and allegations made against the officers. The officers will have a camera looking over their shoulders to insure that they act within the law, and also will be witness to any acts by the perpetrators or suspects and can be used in court to prosecute them.
What has happened to James St is what has happened all over the city. "The people who cared" moved on, and moved to the suburbs. That left all the properties to the slumlords, who in turn rent it to those less fortunate or less wealthy. Those slum lords and those tenants with less money, simply don't maintain the property, and the neighborhood decays and declines. "Lower class property", attracts or lends itself to "lower class people". People like Ralph are left to suffer when their homesteads and neighborhoods decline and fall down around them. It is a sad fact of life in the inner city. Utica is not alone. Urban decay unfortunately spreads because nobody wants to live in, or near such a neighborhood, so the farther the decay spreads, the farther out from the inner city the people that don't want to live near it move.
I blame a lot of the problem on slumlords. They buy the houses at a premium, they do nothing to them to maintain them, and they rent them cheap. If they had maintained the houses, and reinvested in them, and demanded a much higher rent, they would attract a more affluent tenant. Simple. Rent that is higher than welfare will pay, and you have a tenant that has to work for a living to pay his rent. Duhhh!
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Post by bobbbiez on Jan 13, 2009 12:35:37 GMT -5
 I'll vote for having a sub-station in W.Utica if it moves the undesirables two blocks away.  That'll put them in Yorkville. ;D
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Post by Clipper on Jan 13, 2009 12:54:07 GMT -5
Oops, shit happens! LOL!   |
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Post by tanouryjr on Jan 21, 2009 15:00:05 GMT -5
I think the substation was a great idea. Cornhill has been calling for one since the early 80's. I have to give credit to them for making it happen. It is far behind schedule but at least it looks like they're doing it right. That building was about to fall down and now looks really good. The city already owned it and recieved grants to repair it. Whether it works or not, only time will tell I guess. But, in my humble opinion, it's worth a shot. I just hope they use it for the right purpose.
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Post by dgriffin on Jan 21, 2009 18:11:57 GMT -5
Larry, where is the building again?
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Post by concerned on Jan 22, 2009 11:07:34 GMT -5
The building is really coming along fine now. I noticed that the city put up two more signs on that block, one in front of the bar and the other in front of the liquor store. They are hard to read when passing by on the bus, because they face toward the two establishments I think it says something about no loitering. I have no intention of getting off the bus to read them, lol. I hope they put some nice landscaping on the side of the sub-station, although not sure how long they would last.
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Post by dgriffin on Jan 22, 2009 21:28:04 GMT -5
Where exactly is the building? On what street, between which two streets? North side of street or south side, etc.?
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I'll vote for having a sub-station in W.Utica if it moves the undesirables two blocks away. 
