best friend will sell you out too
tommyNot content with having county commissioners in the pocket, some developers are finding friends in the Neighborhood Associations. They correctly figure that if money can get government officials to assist in paving over the entire county, regular joe will roll over for the bucks too. And regular joe doesn’t cost as much. The following true story is happening right now to a good friend of mine:
A businessman is buying a house at the only entrance of a small neighborhood in Pinellas County. They want to open a day care there. The 30 or so homes behind that entrance would obviously be affected by traffic, if not kids running around. The homeowner adjacent to the property was among the most passionate against the day care. Some of the neighbors met and agreed to have this well-spoken guy represent them. When he met with the lawyers for the business, he accepted an offer of 10 feet of property, and told neighbors that resistance was futile.
Of course, the rest of the neighborhood isn’t happy about this, and it remains to be seen what will happen next, but this one guy is willing to sell out his neighborhood for 10 stinkin’ feet of property.
And this is just one small business interest. Because they stand to gain much, developers have much more to give away. And don’t think your next door neighbor won’t worry about only himself.
It seems that no one - NO ONE - thinks about community any more. You are more concerned with “what’s in it for me.” So we count on government to help offset this attitude, and even if government isn’t corrupted by the same greed, don’t you think that same government has trouble doing anything right?
It’s all a mess.
Tags: government, neighborhood, politics
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June 25th, 2007 at 4:29 pm
This is exactly what has gone on in Tampa. These ‘new people’ jump in here and form HOA’s and then proceed to show the long-term Tampa residents the door.
I attribute this activity to Pam Iorio whose administration erected the signs which began to divide our fair city into neighborhoods and then created an unhealthy mien for competition among these HOA’s.
And the statement was made: You can’t get anything done through the city without going through a HOA (block kaptain in most cases) And others raced to form HOA’s. But, in most cases it was skinky, treacherous folks who ran them or somehow finagled their way to the top. Or were ‘well-spoken’.
In my boyfriend’s case in South Tampa, a Coldwell Banker Realtor had a listing for a house in his neighborhood and suddenly there was a HOA formed (by the realtor and others she was associated with in that neighborhood) and many problems resulted. All in selling out the city. Those voices overshout the others; the older (seniority not age) residents have no chance and are screwed. Purposely> This was NOT an accident it was a PLAN. (thanks pam and crew)
There’s a guardian up there to prevent this and her name is Pam Iorio, but, instead she is initialing the contracts. hmmmmmmm.
I would guarantee that EVERY EVERY EVERY house in Tampa save the Mayor’s and a few hundred others have sold within the last five years. More than once. Many of these people were forced out, just as they are trying to do to myself and others. Gambling is not a ‘public’ good so they can’t eminent domain us out. They must PAY us. And they will. Especially after all of this. Mayhem.
Then they send a crew out to safeguard Bayshore. Sorry guys. Steve Otto called this one long back. Bayshore is not a promenade anymore. It’s one ugly overbuilt home after another. And the high-rises are each more ugly than the one before. The grandeur of yesteryear was in the interesting architecture and stately turn-of-the-century mansions. Bayshore is long past help. Sold out. Institutionalized.
Whenever I drive down Bayshore I am “proud” to point out that my X built three of the uglier new homes along there. But, at least that was on vacant lots. Oh, and Andy, you still owe me 37,000 !! These other people destroyed beauty and replaced it with …… something else.
And then brag about it.
And then they want to come to my neighborhood and kick MY ass, too. They want EVERYTHING.
And so the birth of Tampas Back Door. Because they’re not the only ones who can kick ass.
My boyfriend said this:
Don’t mourn. Organize.
Don’t mourn. Organize.
(mother jones)
That’s what they did to us, yknow. They came in an organized effort to steal the best for themselves.
And, now they are revealed as stalkers.
Suddenly I’m looking less imaginative.
Sorry if my comments are long today.
I am inspired by this — because it’s all the same conversation. Me against them. The wetlands against them.
EpC against them.
The county and city employees have a union and wages is not what they debate.
June 25th, 2007 at 4:45 pm
Ye are many, they are few…