[RP TownTalk] TownTalk Digest, Vol 3, Issue 11

[Jack R. Jones]

Jack R. Jones here.

My thoughts on messages below. There is no threat in David's remark, 
the reality is if it ain't here and you want it you have to go 
elsewhere. And Rob, "So here is some oil for troubled waters, or 
perhaps gasoline on a spark?" High Class, yes people need to learn to 
relax and appreciate heterogeneity.

No Riverdale Coffee Depot; I make my own or go to College Perk 
(similar feel to the place). There are also many more places to go 
have coffee. I think there are Class issues and Economic issues and 
they are different. I appreciate someone who is educated enough to 
throw an insult at me with Shakespearean, Greek, Roman, Celtic Myth 
overtones but just to say I am stupid, is just low class. Telling me 
I am monosynaptic, that is High Class. On the economic side I shop at 
Glut because they consider Giant their competition, where as MOM's is 
selling to a niche organic market and I go into cardiac arrest when I 
see their prices. I will go where ever I can to get what I want at a 
cost we can afford (one income family) and yes I figure membership 
fees and the drive distance, and the time as well as the price.

I think the Dutch Football School method of teaching soccer is the 
best all round approach. I spent 4-5 years trying to persuade 
Riverdale Boys and Girls Club to actively support it and to establish 
separate sports and a general budget. They fired me from the RBGC 
Board, no problem...Hyattsville/Mount Rainier/Brentwood Boys and 
Girls Club invited me to come and train there young parents and 
children in the Dutch Football School (DFS) method and help run their 
4v4 league.

My DFS Homeschool Soccer Program was not allowed to continue in the 
Riverdale Community Building by Mayor Tiberio/Council and Mayor 
Archer/Council, no problem...I have an invite to go to New 
Carrollton, but I am checking Hyattsville and College Park for a 
closer facility, mean while I am using a MNCPPC park.

I have been advocating a revenue neutral tax switch from the current 
building/land tax to a straight land tax through four different 
mayors and councils and to the community in general. While the switch 
at present would raise my taxes there are 500-600 residents and 
businesses that would pay less plus the switch would cause the an 
improvement to the local economy as it has done where ever it has 
been adopted. Were any nearby town adopt it I would certainly be part 
of their economic improvement, because Riverdale Parks economy would 
fall behind even more than it is now.

Finally, all of the towns inside the beltway are to small to be 
economically efficient because of the high marginal costs of 
providing public service. Were Brentwood, Mount Rainier, Hyattsville, 
University Park, College Park, Edmonston, Riverdale Park (Route 1 
Corridor towns) to merge into one city that has a population of 
75,000 to 150,000 then the population would be in the range required 
to achieve optimum efficiency. This is the area I opperate in, there 
is no way Riverdale Park can compete and be the ideal town. 
Cooperation is the only way to advance. If I am provincial, then it 
is for this area, not Riverdale Park which needs to be considered as 
part of the whole.

Cooperation is the only way to advance. This was a major lesson I 
learned in the community of 250 in Weems, Virginia. It really did not 
matter whether you liked a person or hated them, you both would not 
be better off unless you cooperated.

Maintain your cool,
Jack R. Jones





>
>Message: 1
>Date: Tue, 18 Oct 2005 12:59:35 -0400
>From: "stephanie blue" <defbanana at hotmail.com>
>Subject: Re: [RP TownTalk] Not a class issue
>To: hilesd at mindspring.com, TownTalk at riverdale-park.org
>Message-ID: <BAY106-F25F953062487E85A5D60BDAB710 at phx.gbl>
>Content-Type: text/plain; format=flowed
>
>Don't you think that your remark opened the door for others to reply?  It
>was so vague and ambiguous as to appear innocuous on the surface but
>honestly, it struck me as threat of sorts.  It struck me as implying that
>you have the resources and are prepared to take your money elsewhere leaving
>the rest of us here to sort it out.
>
>I can't believe that you would post a comment that to me, was clearly
>intended to send a very clear message in order to elicit a visceral response
>from the reader and then retaliate with a suggestion that the response
>crossed the line.
>
>Stephanie
>
>
>Message: 2
>Date: Tue, 18 Oct 2005 14:09:15 -0400
>From: Rob Oppenheim <oppenheim at email.com>
>Subject: Re: [RP TownTalk] Not a class issue
>To: <TownTalk at riverdale-park.org>
>Message-ID: <2005101814915.532970 at Rob2>
>Content-Type: text/plain; charset="us-ascii"
>
>Wow, we almost have our first flame war starting here!
>
>So here is some oil for troubled waters, or perhaps gasoline on a spark?
>
>David and Jared and other commenters are good people. Really.
>They have different sensitivities. And emails are an easy place to ruffle
>feathers without meaning to. And that can escalate big time.
>
>David was not intending to inject class snobbery and Jarad did not mean
>to be disrespectful. Both succeeded in upsetting others. Stuff like that
>happens. A good measure of our email community is how we respond now.
>Can we set the hurt aside? Not easy to do.
>
>We live in a wonderfully diverse neighborhood. Its good to think about
>attracting diversity, which can include higher income people. I especially
>like that they pay higher taxes, so I can pay less (grin).
>
>I appreciate Jarad's watchful eye for that thin grey edge which is so easy
>to write past.
>
>So thanks to both you guys and gals and please keep the ideas coming.
>
>Rob
>
>


-- 
"We have met the enemy, and he is us!" Pogo Possum
http://theriverdaleobserver.blogspot.com
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