Whats with all the Springfield bashing

[Dan B]

We arent attacking anyone, just good old fashion Forum ADD. We are reliving some of the higher moments of our experiance here on MetroJax.

So to get back on track...

Jacksonville in general, and Springfield specifically, have a serious case of low self-esteem. I think if we keep on doing what we are doing, and stop worrying about the crap thats said about us, we will be much better off. Think about it, everyone that is here is here, regardless of the negativity. Springfield isnt for everyone, and those that it is for, generally speaking, love it here. Lets enjoy what we have, work to make it better, and give a great big old bird to the rest of the city. Let them worry about their own low self-esteem.

[samiam]

What I don't get is we have positive press in a national magazine and the local paper gives us negative press

[samiam]

Its almost as if the locals are saying we cant let that old ghetto look better than the rest of us

[cindi]

what you have to ask is - what/who prompted the story in the FTU?  usually they don't give springfield a second look unless they need to blame someone for something.  

[uptowngirl]

The days of locking up the poor in one area and pretending they do not exist until Sunday are over! Look around Jacksonville.... higher crime rates in neighborshoods that do not start with "Spring"! Vacant homes, condos, and even apartments in the suburbs are filling up quickly with section 8 renters. Hey Suburban Jacksonville, take a look at Regency/Arlington area.... there is a new breed of people out here now, they do not quite fit the old "gentrification" mold (yes there are some-see the " Springfield Ready for a Car Wash on Main Street", but we out number those folks. We celebrate a mix of socioeconomic and ethnic backgrounds. Most understand the true meaning of green, honor our (and your!) past, and look to a better future for everyone.  We argue about the right things, saturation, viable vibrant businesses, crossovers for walkers and businesses on Main St. Its not perfect, certainly not for everyone, and doesn't just "happen" on Sunday afternoon, but hey it is the coolest thing going right now!

[samiam]

OK FTU you bashed us now print a positive article about springfield like about the drop in crime or is that just not good news print.

[sheclown]

We have problems in this neighborhood and to pretend as if they don't exist does no one any good.  Let's deal with this ridiculous political mess we have here so we can move on, otherwise, for crying out loud, what sort of press will a federal law suit bring to the neighborhood?

Lake is right.  Gentrification and revitalization are not the same thing, we have gentrification problems that need to be dealt with. 

[fsu813]

"FSU, so I guess you two guys never got to meet for lunch, dinner or have drinks after a heavy day of debating?"

- as you well know, he lives in some kind of alternate reality where he calls me the 10 names, then frets over name calling. perhaps they don't eat lunch, dinner, or have drinks in that reality? meeting to play water polo amongst the unicorn children may be a more appealing invitation.

[north miami]

During the late 80's I was employed at 25th & Main.Albritton Marine.

Current Springfield conditions are one reason I am inclined to eventually bail out of Jacksonville.Same trends I witnessed in my native North Miami.
I share this not in the spirit of bashing,but rather,sadness.
Regional growth has been driven by a militant anti Duval theme.

Stephen- note my email items sent to metrojacksonville.com/Nocatee this am.

[alta]

Current Springfield conditions?

Regional growth has been driven by a militant anti Duval theme?

Can you please elaborate?

[mtraininjax]

Polls on MJ about Springfield are rediculous since many posters live there and have a sense of pride of the neighborhood, and rightly so. However, if the TU ran a poll of where people wanted to live and shop in Duval County, would Springfield, realistically, make the top 10, or top 20?

[zoo]

What I don't get is we have positive press in a national magazine and the local paper gives us negative press

As I stated in another thread, I think it's actually positive press if "businesses that litter the community, visually and literally, without concern or attention to it by their ownership, and those that continue to enable criminal behaviors by their owners or customers" get the impression they shouldn't bother trying to open in Springfield.

And conversely, if businesses that want to operate in an environment that is unfriendly to "businesses that litter the community, visually and literally, without concern or attention to it by their ownership, and those that continue to enable criminal behaviors by their owners or customers," get the impression that Springfield is now a viable option, this is good news all the way around!

But I do agree Mr. Hannan and the FTU printed it front page, and attempted a negative slant (no doubt with prodding from the information providers), hoping for a more sensational, "righteous indignation" response. Much juicier than the now-common, "Let's all be proud of the change that is happening in Springfield, and check out how much different it is," positive stories that get buried in deeper sections.

I'm guessing story location really depends on other news (the slow news day issue) with a dash of the personal biases of whoever oversees layout/editing on that particular day thrown in...

[Omarvelous09]

During the late 80's I was employed at 25th & Main.Albritton Marine.

Current Springfield conditions are one reason I am inclined to eventually bail out of Jacksonville.Same trends I witnessed in my native North Miami.
I share this not in the spirit of bashing,but rather,sadness.
Regional growth has been driven by a militant anti Duval theme.

Stephen- note my email items sent to metrojacksonville.com/Nocatee this am.

/quote]

Hmm, really?... MJ isn't the kind of place where you can post such a strong statement like ^ and not include an explanation. Fuel to the fire man...

[strider]

Zoo, I guess this is the new strategy?  Make business you do not like fell unwelcome and so that will convince businesses you like that they are welcomed?  What book did that one come from?

Also, "businesses that litter the community, visually and literally, without concern or attention to it by their ownership, and those that continue to enable criminal behaviors by their owners or customers," can be applied to every single business in Springfield. Or perhaps even all of Jacksonville.  From personal experience, if you and those in Springfield of like thought and belief, decide you don't like a business, then nothing they do will be good enough.

Every business sells something that could become litter, for instance.  Therefore, if you don’t like businesses that litter, and; as businesses themselves can’t litter, then it must be their customers, we can see that potentially, you do not like any business that might result in it's customers littering.  So, potentially, you might decide you don't like Three Layers as, heaven forbid, someone might throw their empty coffee cup on the ground.  As to the visual littering, I take that to mean if you don’t like the color the owner chooses to paint his building, then you don’t think the business should be in Springfield.  You don’t think he washes his windows often enough, the business should not be in Springfield. Or perhaps, you might decide you don’t like the flag he flies.  As you can see, it becomes very arbitrary.

Criminal behaviors of the owners and customers?  Some of the examples I have read on the forums are people upset because they themselves were no more in the right than the shop owners.  Also, the shop owners can not always control the behavior of the customer, certainly if the bad behavior does not happen within the area the shop owner has control of.  This, I will agree, is a gray area, but one that is made larger than it really is by fear and misunderstanding what the laws involved really are and the proper course of action legally required.

Overall, the so-called Springfield bashing is not about the bashing of Springfield.  Rather it is about the bashing of some businesses and people within the community by a few who feel they have the right to make the choices of what businesses are here and which ones should not be allowed to be here.  Thankfully, Zoo and Company does not have the right to make those choices themselves.  It is made by the laws, the codes and the entire community, including those groups of people not liked by Zoo and Company.

[nvrenuf]

No Strider, the bashing I believe samiam is referring to IS about Springfield. It is the FTU commentators, some of who post on here as well, and how they bash Springfield regardless of the article being a positive or negative. "Springfield Parade" - comment: make sure to wear your body armor. "Man Shot in Springfield" - comment: well what do you expect, that place has been a hellhole for 50 years and will never change, I wouldn't drive thru that part of town if you paid me. THAT is the bashing of Springfield by people from almost every part of Duval County. I agree with Dan B on this one, if you don't like my neighborhood that's fine, I probably don't like yours either. But what is the benefit or point of such open hostility? Does it make them feel better about themselves? If so, that's really so sad of a statement about who they are. Pathetic really.