Why We Can't Have Nice Things

[Metro Jacksonville]

Why We Can't Have Nice Things



Metro Jacksonville's Bob Mann illustrates how a walk of only 600 feet through two local parks writes the book on why Jacksonville doesn't have nice things.

Read More: http://www.metrojacksonville.com/article/2014-feb-why-we-cant-have-nice-things

[Noone]

On 2/11/14 after approval of 2014-22 we will be spending a million bucks on Exchange Club Island Park. So relax. Metropolitan Park is an official Mayor Brown kayak launch location. That is positive.

[IrvAdams]

A very powerful piece. The article is a real motivator, and points out the fact that if you're not part of the solution, then you are part of the problem. Any of us can stop and pick up a piece of trash. Any of us can write emails, go to city council meetings, spread word to our friends, etc.

As an aside, regarding parks, I think Hogan's Creek and it's associated green acreage has huge possibilities. I think I'll go down there and pick up some trash sometime soon.

Thanks for the motivation.

[duvaldude08]

Wait, what happened to all the money that alloted to fix metro park? Has it not happened yet? But the sad thing is, in order to get the city to act, you pretty have to put something like this on the news and embarass city hall, then all of a sudden its cleaned. Otherwise, they ignore it. Why have all these parks if we are not going to maintain them. Pull up the park signs and just let them be jungles.

[coredumped]

There's so much Jax needs to do in order to improve these types of conditions.

You need people to care - that starts with our youth, they need good parenting and good education. Then they might care about their surroundings and get out and vote for change (good change, not the obama kind ) in leadership.

It's a whole host of problems contributing to our issues, and it's not going to fix itself overnight. Even if we can vote someone who looks like he/she is going to do good for the city, we need people to care enough to hold them accountable.

[toi]

Mr. Mann - you should know that the garden that you photographed at Krestul Park is maintained by an older person who does so out of a desire to plant flowers and other native plants that attract butterflies.  The City specifically does not mow or weed whack that area.  It is not an arboretum or state garden with budgets and staffs, and yes, wildflowers can be that (wild).  Similarly, wildflowers are seasonal -- much of the time they can look weedy.  The butterflies don't know that, though.  But for the volunteer's ten plus years of work in that garden it would just be grassed and mowed.   It is also winter - sometimes it is best to just let plants be.   I live in the area and am grateful for her service. 

[civil42806]

You can probably find that in any city, pretty lame photo presentation

[DeadGirlsDontDance]

We can't have nice things in general thanks to the charming  mix of apathy, greed and stupidity that characterizes our local government. Nobody cares about the problems unless they see an opportunity to line their pockets. Then greed kicks in, and they don't really care about Project Whatever except in terms of how to squeeze the most money out of it. After the decision to do something has been made, Our Fearless Leaders seem strangely reluctant to listen to potential solutions from anybody except folks who stand to make big bucks if the city follows their advice. Which is stupid. I give up. (There's yer apathy.)

We specifically can't have nice PARKS because functioning bathrooms, working water fountains, and comfortable seating may attract Scary Poor People. God forbid the Scary Poors should stop pooping on the sidewalks, that might deprive Upstanding Citizens of a pefectly good excuse to hate them.

[Ocklawaha]

Mr. Mann - you should know that the garden that you photographed at Krestul Park is maintained by an older person who does so out of a desire to plant flowers and other native plants that attract butterflies.  The City specifically does not mow or weed whack that area.  It is not an arboretum or state garden with budgets and staffs, and yes, wildflowers can be that (wild).  Similarly, wildflowers are seasonal -- much of the time they can look weedy.  The butterflies don't know that, though.  But for the volunteer's ten plus years of work in that garden it would just be grassed and mowed.   It is also winter - sometimes it is best to just let plants be.   I live in the area and am grateful for her service.

I have absolutely no problem with volunteerism or the volunteers themselves. My argument is about the general state and condition of our city (or lack thereof).

My response to a volunteer butterfly garden would be to hold it to a standard. These projects should be public-private partnerships that needn't cost much more then is currently spent. A good example would be to identify it as a 'butterfly garden'. Have the city's maintenance people keep the benches and paths trimmed so people can actually enjoy the work in the various flower beds. It doesn't take much to trim around a few botanical signs, and maybe an extra 20 minutes to trim up around a place that appears weedy.

Our city is drifting into a comatose state, and none of our politicians or citizens with the mindset of 'Civil' (comment above) are going to provide the life support needed to revive our once held vibrance and dominance. While Civil is correct that you can indeed find such conditions in any city, the fact is, in Jacksonville and once upon a time in OKC, the conditions find you. Everywhere.

[jcjohnpaint]

Great article Ock. 
Thanks for this! 

[Jaxson]

We can't have nice things in general thanks to the charming  mix of apathy, greed and stupidity that characterizes our local government. Nobody cares about the problems unless they see an opportunity to line their pockets. Then greed kicks in, and they don't really care about Project Whatever except in terms of how to squeeze the most money out of it. After the decision to do something has been made, Our Fearless Leaders seem strangely reluctant to listen to potential solutions from anybody except folks who stand to make big bucks if the city follows their advice. Which is stupid. I give up. (There's yer apathy.)

We specifically can't have nice PARKS because functioning bathrooms, working water fountains, and comfortable seating may attract Scary Poor People. God forbid the Scary Poors should stop pooping on the sidewalks, that might deprive Upstanding Citizens of a pefectly good excuse to hate them.

I have noticed the same thing about the lack of restroom facilities in many city parks and other public areas.  I recall that they removed the restrooms from Hemming Park/Plaza because of a few people behaving badly.  The title of this thread is very fitting considering that we are willing to remove amenities and further the downward spiral of what should be points of pride for our city.

[Know Growth]

Depressing outlook? We can do better..........

What if Jacksonville is simply reflective of huge swaths of the United states, world?
What if even the "Edge Cities",their very creation driven by Central Core Flights,have succumbed to this certain malaise?

Things "Nice" begs introspection. Social construction.

Some feel they can no longer even enjoy a "Nice" Shoppes of Avondale. For others,the "Transformation" is cheered,held in awe

(by the way- this in the Parks , Recreation section....we could reflect on Jacksonville's "Green Hedge"; Northeast Florida Timberlands Project,public lands complex. Not all bad there.Here.)

[mtraininjax]

Wow, a picture of one of the 330+ parks in Jacksonville, the largest PARK SYSTEM IN THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA and all of a sudden, we need streetcars to them all, so that we can maintain them appropriately?

Wow!

Only so much money to go around in the giant Alvin Brown tax pool, pick what you keep, what goes. Easy to complain, harder to govern. Step up and make a difference, run for city council and make a difference.

[ChriswUfGator]

Wow, a picture of one of the 330+ parks in Jacksonville, the largest PARK SYSTEM IN THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA and all of a sudden, we need streetcars to them all, so that we can maintain them appropriately?

Wow!

Only so much money to go around in the giant Alvin Brown tax pool, pick what you keep, what goes. Easy to complain, harder to govern. Step up and make a difference, run for city council and make a difference.

I doubt we're anything close to the largest public park system in the country, mtrain. Where did you get that statistic? Our biggest public park is what, metro park at 32 acres? Central Park in New York is, by itself, 843 acres. In fact I'd venture to guess that all of our parks would probably fit within single parks in several other cities, like fairmount in Philadelphia.

[Ocklawaha]

Wow, a picture of one of the 330+ parks in Jacksonville, the largest PARK SYSTEM IN THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA and all of a sudden, we need streetcars to them all, so that we can maintain them appropriately?

Wow!

Only so much money to go around in the giant Alvin Brown tax pool, pick what you keep, what goes. Easy to complain, harder to govern. Step up and make a difference, run for city council and make a difference.

No, we need streetcars downtown and in the historic streetcar neighborhoods of Riverside-Avondale-Fairfax and in Springfield-Brentwood. The resulting development (around a 3 to 1 ROI nationally) will bolster the tax base and allow us to maintain our parks and give our police, fire and teachers, proper equipment, pay and retirement.

While we're at it, how about EVERYONE pick up and deposit at least one piece of litter today! GIVE A DAMN JAX!