Memorandum
To: Mary Ann Baldwin/Raleigh City Council
From: Wake Community Network
Re: Wade in the Water
First, let's get some definitions resolved.
Gateway: any passage by or point at which a region may be entered
Your recent comments that:
"It's one of our gateways into the city. It's almost an embarrassment to me that that's one of the first things they see when they're coming into our downtown," Baldwin said.
You, along with most every other member of the Raleigh City Council, seem to have this misguided perception that Raleigh begins and ends somehow with the geographical boundaries of the Livable Streets initiative.
How about a nifty concept called a "Livable City."
Also the geographical entrance/"gateway" to Raleigh is not where Peace Street intersects Capital Boulevard. It's several miles further north up Capital Boulevard.
Of course, when you live across the street from where the project is planned and your property values might substantially benefit, it certainly suggests an economic interest in the project. Baldwin should refrain from any future votes concerning the project. There's a lot more to Raleigh than just downtown.
So what about North Raleigh, road repairs, and oh ..... PUBLIC SAFETY?
Let me them eat cake?
What's embarrassing is that several nights ago, just a stone's throw from Raleigh's latest multi-million dollar public venture you support, we had yet another purported "gang-related" fight break out.
Yet we have no bold pronouncements of concern, no statement of ramping up the investment in public safety dollars for Raleigh. Instead Raleigh's finest had to show up in force to plead with Raleigh's City Council for more funding to stop the ongoing departure of officers to other venues.
No, we have Raleigh dumping a mint into The Mint so downtown intellectuals can discuss how great Raleigh is away from the unwashed and crime ridden areas of downtown Raleigh.
Nothing like the level of crazed enthusiasm for spending millions on a riverwalk by you and Mitchell Silver:
"Our goal is to really establish Raleigh as an emerging, 21st-century city. We want those special landmarks, those special icons that define this city," Raleigh Planning Director Mitchell Silver said.
Mitchell, I can tell you what is defining Raleigh. It made the Drudge Report.
I just love this special landmark on Capital Boulevard just down the street. It's quite "special."
Maybe in the future the gangs will adjourn to the riverwalk to fight and fire guns instead of at the Sprint Store on Capital Boulevard.
It's all a question of priorities and what makes Raleigh great.
PS Mary-Ann/Raleigh City Council: You can't brag about Bragg Street. Where's the enthusiasm for curing the crime problems down there? It's downtown. I bet the good folks down there would love to have a "livable street" as well.
