Plunging Towards Gomorrah
Sarasota
Uncreative Writing
Apr 30th
Some questions are better left unanswered
One of my favorite blogs is Creative Loafing’s the941. There’s no better source about what’s going on in the culture of Sarasota, if you could call it “culture.” The contributors lean left, but that’s not really surprising. Once there was a time when counter culture magazines were counter culture. Now it’s more like reading the script for Avatar. Hey, not everyone is perfect. No one reads Creative Loafing for political advice (I hope).
The most obnoxious column in the magazine is a weekly one called “Don’t Panic! Your war questions answered.” It’s written by Andisheh Nouraee who has his own blog and twitter if you like. There’s nothing really interesting about Nouraee’s column. It hits on all the bases that most progressives hit on… Bash Bush or anything that might be conservative, throw in some recycled derogatory rhetoric, and cite Media Matters as much as possible as a credible source for news. More >
Bayview Burger Bar
Mar 8th
There are plenty of reasons to love the United States. We live in a mostly free and open society. Our key principles of life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness have led to unequaled economic prosperity. However, when you boil it all down the United States is really exceptional for just one thing: hamburgers. It’s with this in mind that I went to the Ritz Carlton in Sarasota to check out the Bayview Burger Bar. Yes, I went to the Ritz Carlton to eat a hamburger. Thanks to an article in Creative Loafing I learned about this hidden-in-plain-view spot in Sarasota.
The All American Burger
The Burger Bar is only open Friday-Sunday, but it sits on the backside of the building facing the beautiful Sarasota Bay. The burgers start at a very reasonable six dollars. I got the All American Single (doubled) with Bacon. That cost me $10 and it was worth every penny. The shiny plastic silverwear looks like real silver at first. The Ritz Carlton spares no plastic expense. The burger itself isn’t enormous, but is cooked to perfection. For some reason the bartender didn’t ask anyone in our group how they wanted it cooked. That was a bit puzzling and visions of e coli danced in my head.
There are also hand-dipped milkshakes for dessert, but it was to too windy and cold for us to try them out (“cold” being defined in Sarasota as anything under 70 degrees F). Be warned, the prices are reasonable but any domestic beer is more than $5 and cocktails are around $12. One other helpful hint is to remember to get your valet parking ticket verified at the bar.
merry christmas from the herald tribune
Dec 28th
Today outside of the Sarasota Herald Tribune building I saw a man carrying a sign. It’s kind of odd to see a man picketing in downtown Sarasota. It’s a dead week here anyway. It’s a ghost town. A lot of people are on vacation vegging out in front of the TV or shopping. The only reason I bring this poor gentleman up is that I know that the Herald Tribune will not be covering the story. What’s the story? I don’t even know.
The Herald Tribune probably had good reason to fire this guy on Christmas Eve. I’m sure if some other company fired an employee on Christmas Eve and said employee decided to picket the former employer the Herald Tribune would be all over it. I contacted Creative Loafing about the gentlemen but he was gone before they got there. That’s too bad because I’m sure he must have some kind of compelling story.
sarasota bookstore succumbs to smart growth
Aug 20th
The big news in downtown Sarasota this week is the announcement that Sarasota News & Books (SN&B) will be closing at the end of the month. A few days ago Club Soda gave a tongue in cheek description of the hipster dufus, and as you can imagine the local hipster dufus community is outraged about the bookstore closing. I love bookstores; the Main Street bookstore closed a year ago and I’m still sad about it. Unfortunately these are the casualties of a difficult market, stiff competition, and community organization gone horribly wrong.
The saddest thing about these closings is that it could be avoided in most cases. What’s happening in Sarasota is a microcosm of America. In Sarasota many well intentioned “concerned citizens” worried about too much growth. In their infinite wisdom they decided to make growth more difficult. What happens when you have an increasing population in an area with growth restrictions? Property values skyrocket. Take Houston and San Francisco for example: both city’s populations have grown at a similar rate over the last thirty years, but San Francisco’s property values have skyrocketed compared to Houston. What’s the difference between these two cities? San Francisco has implemented “smart growth” laws the over past thirty years and Houston has not.
What I find most annoying about this situation is that no one is educating the public about what’s happening. The United States isn’t running out of available real estate. Around 90% of the available land in the United States is undeveloped. Local governments are creating this problems with their dumb policies. What does an outraged hipster dufus think about the local bookstore closing? Let’s take a look at a comment left by hastalavictor… at the Sarasota Herald Tribune.
It’s also time for the public to go after the greedy landlord in a grassroots sort of way. The unreasonably wealthy landlord paid $6M cash for the property. Surely he can reach a compromise with Sarasota News and Books, especially in this market. No tenant that he can find will make a significant difference for this fat cat.
Mr. or Ms. Community Organizer, I know you’re out there.
When the bookstore closes it’s the greedy landlord’s fault. This type of thinking is difficult to combat because it’s just so shallow. It’s easier to be upset with the landlord than the well intentioned “community organizers” who set this in motion two decades ago. What we don’t need is more “grassroots” idiots dictating policy. That’s what created the problem.
If cities across the United States do not start to figure out the root of the problem there will be two types of cities. There will be cities like Detroit where no one wants to live and cities like Sarasota and San Francisco which are quickly becoming rich people theme parks. The only people who can afford to live here will be super wealthy people. Maybe that’s what they’re trying to accomplish.
subsidized stadium projects
Jul 30th
Last summer I covered proposed move of the Boston Red Sox spring training facility to Sarasota. Ultimately the Red Sox were able to squeeze more money out of the city of Fort Myers. The Cincinnati Reds played their final season in Florida earlier this year so Sarasota was looking at having no spring training team in 2010. Last week the city of Sarasota, the county, and the Baltimore Orioles agreed on terms to move the Orioles from Fort Lauderdale.
The elected leadership of Sarasota County and the city of Sarasota is patting themselves on the back for a job well down. Meanwhile the taxpayers have to subsidize a $30 million project. In today’s Sarasota Herald Tribune Kevin Reichard, publisher of Ballpark Digest says he believes the Ed Smith stadium renovation will cost $40 million. This is hardly shocking to anyone who is knowledgeable about these kind of subsidized projects. The Heartland Institute has an article about a recent study by the National Taxpayers Union Foundation. It turns out these projects always cost more than initially believed.
A 2007 study by the National Taxpayers Union Foundation found heavily subsidized stadium projects were significantly more expensive on average than largely privately funded projects. The study found stadiums where taxpayers bore a majority of the cost were $65 million more expensive on average than those for which private entities paid the bulk of the tab.
While private financiers have every reason to scrutinize costs closely, “Government bureaucrats … are often more concerned with reelection prospects and PR plaudits than with cost containment,” the study notes.
In addition, the study found the average taxpayer subsidy per stadium is on the rise and shows no signs of slowing. The amount taxpayers paid for each facility rose 41 percent in just the eight years leading up to 2004.
The main argument for the agreement with the Orioles was the fact that it was going to be paid for in part by a tourist tax. Who pays for the shortfall? Here’s a hint; it won’t be the Baltimore Orioles.
just another friday night in sarasota
Apr 26th
A couple of nights ago I was trying to go asleep but the sound of a helicopter kept me awake. There’s nothing like a spotlight shining down on your residence to make sure the doors are locked. The next day I found out the rest of the story. This all took place just right down the street from where I live.
According to police and eyewitness reports:
Michael J. Mitchell, 18, a student at the Sarasota Military Academy, was with a group of friends when Dan A. Azeff, also 18 and a student at Sarasota High School and Sarasota County Technical Institute, walked by with another group. Azeff wore a hat with the Confederate symbol and carried a Confederate flag measuring about 5 feet by 3 feet.
Mitchell and a friend questioned Azeff about the hat and flag, asking if he was a racist. Azeff told them no, he was just exercising free speech. The fight escalated and the groups exchanged racial slurs. Mitchell reportedly pulled out a handgun and shot Azeff once in the chest, then ran off.
Right off the set of Jerry Springer and onto the street of Sarasota. A white kid from Pennsylvania sporting a Confederate Flag gets shot by a black kid illegally carrying a handgun. The only thing missing was Geraldo Rivera. The article is kind of funny as the journalist spent more time trying to figure out why the kid is carrying a flag around than asking why an 18 year old is shooting people. Obviously it’s pretty stupid to be carrying around a Confederate battle flag that many people find offensive. It’s even worse when the person is ignorant about the history; however, should Cuban American’s be allowed to shoot every idiot wearing a Che Guevara shirt? This is a story about attempted murder not ignorant teenagers.
sarasota finally elects commissioners
Apr 14th
It took a while but the city of Sarasota has finally settled on electing two new commissioners. I guess I’m not surprised that the two worst choices are on their way to wrecking havoc on the city. There will not be any change coming from pedestrian utopianist Suzaane Atwell or the closet Democrat Terry Turner. This election just goes to show that the gears of bureaucracy are firmly entrenched in Sarasota. If you get endorsed by the Seirra Club, talk about Smart Growth, and promises to support diversity (whatever that means) there’s a good chance you can get elected.
The city of Sarasota will be looking for new ways to gouge the citizens. Atwell says she doesn’t want to raise taxes or fees, but it’s time to install parking meters.
There are “missed opportunities” happening right under our noses. Parking meters are the first and easiest thing that comes to mind for me. This is a way to create additional revenue by placing them in high traffic zones in the city. They won’t curb downtown’s appeal and the funds raised from the meters, could be utilized toward downtown improvements.
The only “missed opportunity” is the fact that Sarasota won’t see real change. I guess in Atwell’s version of the world parking meters take pototo chips. The ones I’ve seen take coins. I live downtown and that would mean “increased fees” for me. Instead of finding ways of reducing costs Atwell will try to raise more money for the band of idiot commissioners to waste. One way to free up more money would be to quit authorizing costly feasibility studies.
Then there’s Terry Turner. As we all know Turner is a closet democrat. His first act as commissioner should be to fix his voter registration. Of course Turner was endorsed by most of the established city commissioners.
He [Turner] was also endorsed by Clapp and received a campaign contribution from Kirschner. Both Clapp and Kirschner were elected on slow growth platforms and voted against two recent developments: Whitaker Bayou and the Proscenium, just north of downtown.
Ah, endorsed by Tweedledum and Tweedledee. Is it any wonder Turner was elected? I’ve received numerous items in the mail defending Turner from “unfair attacks.” Pointing out facts about a person is considered unfair in Sarasota. Turner says it is unfair to portray him as being opposed to all growth. I guess every man has his price. I haven’t talked to one person the past six months that’s happy with the direction of the city. The waste and incompetence of these people is staggering; however, until the city limits change the same idiots with different names will be calling the shots. All over the country these slow growth politicians are sucking the citizens dry under the flag of smart growth. Propaganda works.
sarasota turns its back on baseball
Apr 4th
On Thursday April 2 I had the opportunity to watch the Cincinnati Reds play their last spring training game in Sarasota. The stadium was about half full. Most feasibility studies fail to account for days like that. A half full stadium is a great reminder of why it’s insane for cities to subsidize sports clubs. I love baseball, but it’s not the draw it used to be, especially for spring training. Sure it cool to see major league players. I loved watching the Braves play the Pirates in Bradenton this year, but I don’t remember anything from the game (Chipper hit a home run). The games are rather pointless.
There are only a few teams available who can consistently sell out spring training games and the cost to bring those teams it is too expensive. Before the game a few city council members took the field to pat themselves on the back for “trying” to keep the Reds in town. It was the usual suspects of incompetent city planners. Everything was going well until faux mayor Lou Ann Palmer grabbed the mic.
Sarasota mayor Lou Ann Palmer was on hand to address spectators prior to the game. But she was interupted by repeated booing. “I’m glad so many of you are angry,” said Palmer, wearing a red shirt and red hoop earrings, “because I’m angry that the Reds are leaving, too. “We feel exactly the same way.” But it was evident that many in the crowd did not think the City of Sarasota did enough to make sure the team would not leave.
The mayor was angry and eventually ended up in tears. Someone in the crowd yelled “shut up” a few times. That’s got to be a real confident boost for the council. The city commissioners presented the Reds with a key to the city. I wonder how many feasibility studies had to be commissioned to figure out if that was a good idea. The only reason these people keep their jobs is because the city boundaries are drawn to protect the status quo. The city commissioners got booed for a good ten minutes. The pointless rotating mayor tried to calm the crowd, but she only made things worse. The mob was angry and they have a right to be… these commissioners are a joke.
Why Rail Transit Doesn’t Work
Mar 15th
Ten years ago I visited New York City for the first time. The first thing that impressed me was the transit system. The subway system in New York is great. There’s practically no place in the city that’s far from a subway stop. It’s not surprising then that many people believe commuter rail should be used everywhere. I used to think the way to reduce congestion was mass transit by rail. Unfortunately it is not the case. New York is the exception to the rule. The idea that you can’t “build your way out of congestion” isn’t true. Adding lanes to highways reduces congestion. The problem is planning. There’s too much of it.
For example, here is Sarasota there’s been a great deal of debate about what to do with the Bayfront Connectivity. The city council has authorized a series of studies at great taxpayer expense to analyze what to do to make the Bayfront more accessible for pedestrians. Unfortunately for the commissioners the city of Sarasota doesn’t have control of US Highway 41. The state decides what happens to the road. This hasn’t stopped the city council from making fools out of themselves. So while the city wasted money on a study, and the state funded their own study. No solution to congestion has been made but local governments have spent a lot of money.
Infrastructure projects are already underfunded. The fact there are so many useless studies are part of the reason there’s no money available. You don’t have to do a study to realize more lanes equal less congestion. Far too many city planners carry outdated and ignorant beliefs about transportation. One of the biggest frauds is rail.
Randal O’Toole’s book The Best-Laid Plans has a ton of examples of why rail isn’t a good alternative to automobile transportation. Thanks to planners; however, there are a lot of rosy studies out there that justify rail projects that don’t deliver.
A group of Danish researchers led by Bent Flyvbjerg found that U.S. rail transit projects cost an average 41 percent more and attracted fewer than half the riders than originally projected. In contrast, U.S. road projects went only 8 percent over budget and actually underestimated use. Rail cost “underestimation cannot be explained by error,” says Flyvbjerg, “and is best explained by strategic misrepresentation, that is, lying.”
For many city planners the ends justify the means. Simply believing that rail transit is better for society is enough to misrepresent the facts. Toole who lives in the Portland area has a great story about how city planners cover up their tracks to deceive the public.
Transit agencies routinely deceive people about these estimates, often claiming that rail projects whose costs far exceeded the original estimates were finished “under budget.” For example, Portland’s Westside light-rail line was initially projected to cost $175 million ($350 million in constant dollars). Its final cost turned out to be $944 million, or 170 percent over the projected cost. Yet Portland claims that it came in under budget.
Who can blame citizens for not noticing these kind of discrepancies? We’re told that these expensive projects are being built to reduce congestion. However, the evidence is clear, simply building more lanes is more cost effective and it works better. Plus, rail transit riders are down in cities that have already sank money into building the infrastructure.
The sad part of this tragedy is that the rail transit lines were built largely to serve relatively wealthy suburban commuters who already have lots of mobility, while the reductions in bus serve mainly harmed low-income inner-city residents, many of who did not own automobiles. As Brookings Institution economist Clifford Winston observes, the average incomes of rail transit riders are more than 25 greater than bus riders.
City planners could care less about those poor people who can’t afford to ride the Utopian rail. “Huh, those poor people can’t afford to shop at Whole Foods either, don’t they know Walmart is evil?” Planners seem to know so much that isn’t true. They certainly think they know more than everyone else. This kind of elite thinking is precisely why there are so many urban areas in such a disarray.
The simple fact is that rail is too expensive for poor. What about Europe? Isn’t it a rail utopia over there? Not really, according to Toole automobile travel has increased over the past two decades and rail passenger travel has fallen from 21 percent to 16 percent. Unless cars are banned there’s no reason to think that people are going to abandon them anytime soon. Cars are becoming more fuel efficient, less harmful to the environment, and safer. City planners may hate cars, but as long as they ignore the fact that the here to stay expect more congestion and more money wasted on rail.
landlord troubles
Mar 11th
The Sarasota Herald Tribune has an article in today’s paper about landlords and the trouble they’re having in the housing market. The culprit is high taxes. Local governments spent too much money (no, really) during the economic expansion and now people who can’t afford homes are the ones paying the price.
Taxes on Rutkowski’s four-unit rental property on Eighth Street in Sarasota, for example, went up from $1,537 a year in 1998 to $13,373 in 2006 — a 770 percent increase.
That means Rutkowski now has to collect about $250 per month in rent from each of the four units on the property to pay taxes compared with $33 per month 10 years ago.
A 770% increase in property taxes! What did the local governments do with all of the money? They squandered on stupid pet projects and other various nonsense. Now the poor are paying the price for the government’s lack of foresight. How anyone believes that any kind of government intervention is going to solve the nation’s problems is beyond me.
