In the past weeks I have recieved a few emails accusing me of not helping the 400 Block plan get implemented, and accusing me of not liking the design or that I wanted to put a stop to it. Well, the thing is, the people who emailed me sort of got this wrong. They have made the assumption that my asking questions, posting ideas, is somehow the same as driving a wedge between consensus and successs.
Let me be 100% clear.
1. For the most part, I like the design.
2. The fountain, is dumb.
3. The design will allow less people to attend the concerts on the square which are the center piece of community downtown right nown.
4. The elevated walls are literally a target for skateboarders.
Let me also be clear about this: My problem is the process with which this has happened. I believe that this has been less than transparent. I believe that this has not been rational in the elevating costs of the project. I believe that people have lied in communicating the desired outcome. I believe that we have deviated so far from any sort of downtown plan that nothing should be done if it included this sort of public money.
I also want to say, I support the changing of the 400 block. I support just about any change that people want to do to it. Save for a fountain that takes away seating areas, and elevated walls.
I think that my resistance to this is more about the resistance to the forces that seek to move this plan forward. I think that they have been less than direct in these plans, and this has led to many people being resistant.
What do I suggest…well
1. An open community meeting. Let us go to the room where we have those debates at NTC, and let us have a public discussion of the plan as it is right now. Let us assume that this plan is the plan. Done. Let those that want to enact this change sell the public on it, in a public forum.
If you want me to support you, then stand in public and tell me why. Do not secretly email me from your anonymous email address and tell me this or that. Stand up, and show me. Show the world. You have not done that. You have had meetings in the city council chamber that have been mentioned on the impossible city of wausau website.
And as a result, people do not know why you want to do this.
The position that it is fine, but it could be better, well that does not work at all for me. Why does this design work better? Tell me about the pieces of the design and why you want them. Make an argument based on the evidence, that which you want to be real. Tell me why the fountain is important, why the permanent stage is important, why the raised wall is important.
Tell me something. Do not just assume that anyone who would deign to question you is trying to block your plan.
Well, I do not know your plan. You know why I do not know, because you never told me.
Mayor Tipple said that transparency is a core value. Well, be transparent.
