I officially give up. I can no longer summon the will nor the passion to sensibly debate issues surrounding the waterfront, the inner harbor, the outer harbor, the Skyway, Route 5, boulevards, or highways along said waterfront.
I am officially ceding all future development to people with access to Google Sketchup and a dream.
Frankly, I no longer care if anything ever gets built on the outer harbor nor do I carry much concern for the development of the inner harbor either. Why? Because all we discuss/debate/argue are pie in the sky, silver bullet plans with little likelihood of ever being built. If a plan is ever selected, it will then be debated/argued/litigated until we move on to the next compromise plan.
You want a mockup of a wet dream inner harbor featuring randomly placed canals and streets put together 10 minutes before a press conference? It’s all yours! You want a six lane boulevard on the outer harbor? You got it. You want a mule path instead of the I-190? Do whatever you want. Would you like to pretend that we have similar economic development possibilities as Toronto, Chicago, Seattle, Portland, and Boston? Super, help yourself!
Clearly, I do not belong in the debate as my sensible questions and pragmatic point of view are but an inconvenience. The fundamental disconnect between the reality of life in Buffalo and Western New York and many vocal denizens of Buffalo FARL (Forest to Allen, Linwood to Richmond) is shocking and illogical to engage.
I’ll instead focus on issues that, ya know, actually matter. The root causes of our urban shrinkage and decline…not the symptoms or the effects. Like the moribound local economy, exceedingly high tax burden, ineffective and intransigent government, urban blight, house flipping, shrinking city, suburban sprawl, crumbling (non-waterfront) infrastructure, failing school system, political corruption, unionistas, crime, and all the other reasons that make these waterfront discussions utterly pointless. I’ll continue discussing these issues, promoting solutions, and looking to effectuate change in the political and economic arenas as I have always done.
I just can’t fathom ever getting involved in another lengthy discussion regarding the waterfront. So, I join the 99% of people in Western New York who have completely given up on ever seeing progress on the waterfront.
Ya know what? It feels good.
7 Comments
I was just reading the thread at Buffalorising that surely inspired this post. I’m always entertained by the effort you and Pundit put into trying to explain market dynamics and reality only to be confronted by complete disillusionmnet. This comment by “dixiechick” is perfect:
Evuidently, it is our sad poopy pants attitude that holds us back! Not opressive taxes or a dying city!
So, we are all deluded about reality? We can just wish and will ourselves to a sustainable economy through huge silver bullet plans?
So, getting your hands dirty means sitting in an office and photoshopping up a dream? OK. I guess running for office, actively engaging the political class, or running nonprofits like the people over here is just “bitching and moaning”
Buffalorising is the worst thing to happen to this city in the past five years. It’s made people ignore the real problems and instead focus on silver bullet theories of Buffalo’s future. Which, ironically enough, was one thing that the editors of that magazine/site were so opposed to at the start.
Welcome to the club Mr.Pundit. Buffalo Rising is far from the worst thing that has happened to Buffalo, don’t be dramatic.
That would be Mr.Geek not Mr Pundit. :o(
Excuse me, but I (Mr. Geek), did not say anything about BuffaloRising in my article. The comment you are addressing is from someone else.
Geek — I don’t mean to “toot” my own horn “so to speak,” (Dear BRO commentators: Quit emphasizing common expressions) but I previously commented about this elsewhere somewhere in these WNYmedia parts.
Why is there funding to develop a non-existant waterfront but there’s no funding to restore Humboldt Parkway in a large currently existing neighborhood that needs help?
Honestly I don’t fully understand all the isssues and I could be missing the big picture but while the East Side has been cut off and is dying the City only wants to play with its waterfront toy.
Takin Proud - It’s like the kid down the street with an old Cavalier sedan. Won’t put the money into repairs, but will spend big bucks on a killer sound system for it.
Wow, your care-o-meter has Pi on it. Is that for when things just go round and round and round and round and round?
BBD