What Should We Call It

Hypocrisy or something nicer?

I am not going to call it hypocrisy. That word carries a connotation of malevolent intent and effectively snuffs out conversation about an issue. If you want to really get someone's back up just accuse them of this fault. There are other words though. One may call it being disingenuous, one may call it a lack of understanding or just simply being unwilling to look at issues with an eye to the causes and effects of some action. I suppose one could sometimes call it selfishness but that is getting pretty close to hypocrisy.

I have been paying pretty close attention to the Centrepointe development in downtown Lexington that the Webb Brothers have been trying to take somewhere for quite a few years now. It seems to me that they knowingly misled the city administration and cajoled them into allowing the destruction of a historically and architecturally significant block of buildings just to create a bare space that would somehow encourage the city to eagerly accept anything to fill up the spot. They said they had financing in place for an expansive project and it was only after the destruction of those properties that they admitted the financing had evaporated. To be sure, the Great Recession intervened but there are a lot of questions of intent that have never been answered. Now they are asking the city to issue $30 million in bonds to underwrite the construction of a three story parking garage under the development. First the city asked the state to issue the bonds but it declined. Now, the city is looking at hooking itself for the bond issue and the developers wait with bated breath assuring everyone that the project will continue even if the bond issue is not approved. Hmmmm!

But, I do not come here to talk about Lexington's downtown project but it serves as a fine example of something that quite a few people are beginning to talk about. Something that we, here in Somerset-Pulaski County, have had some experience with and could experience more in the future. What I am referring to is the creation of special taxing districts that would procure Tax Increment Financing for projects using the taxes generated by the project to pay the costs.

All that to get here. I read Mike Whitaker's letter in the newspaper the other day and I have to say that I agree with his point. We should do all that we can to present our community in the best possible light when it comes to making an attractive place for people to do business. I would not limit that effort to just being presentable to our visitors but also to other businesses that might locate here. The city has done a pretty good job of that but a lot of the local business district is still served by county government. I wrote a column a couple of weeks ago about perhaps planting medians with native wildflowers but that may not work as well along US 27 in the business district. In addition to mowing and not impeding traffic with construction we could also give more attention to better code enforcement and planning and zoning. There are stretches of US 27 that are now beginning to look like someone may have given some thought to development and it has only taken fifty years to get here. Things like that show that there are governmental structures in place that not only care what the area looks like but are sensitive to property values and advancements that would enhance commerce. One of the things that could indicate a progressive community is a public wi-fi system that would offer speeds only dreamed of with the current providers. The internet has now invaded every aspect of business and should be considered a utility rather than just entertainment. If private enterprise is unwilling to take on the task then governmental entities should shoulder the load.

One of the critical issues in this years County Judge Executive race is how the county will usher in an attitude that we are a community that wants businesses to locate here. This is not simply the old saw of getting out of the way and letting business do what it will. It also includes various intangible benefits that offer the employees of those businesses reason to believe they are not looking at an artistic and entertainment desert. Government must present itself as capable and knowledgeable and not just a pushover. Preparation of the population to supply the needs of modern industry has to be developed and made visible. Since tourism is a major industry here there should be attractions that offer plenty to do while not on the lake. Public/private partnerships can be useful here.

Both the city and the county have development districts that have the power to offer tax abatements to induce business to locate here and have done that quite a few times, some with success and some not. We must be diligent to insure that the taxpayer is receiving good benefit from the forgiveness of taxes. Here is where the TIF financing comes in. There is a certain logic for the use of tax increment financing but those who argue that it has no cost to the taxpayer are just wrong. They argue that the financing is paid for from taxes that would not have been generated otherwise and to a degree that is true. But not totally. If a government is expected to provide services then there must be revenues to support it and that has to come from somewhere. I would like to see a summary of how tax forgiveness has paid off for our area. It seems that we have been able to attract low wage jobs that are gone soon after the period of abatement is done. That only results in empty factories that present a poor picture to new business. What we must NOT do is be seen as a provincial town and county that does not want anything to change and we have been guilty of that in the past.

But if we are going to do that then government will have to be part of the solution. When we do that will there be howls of “SOCIALISM” or does that just apply when government tries to help citizens rather than businesses? Is it OK to provide benefits to businesses to the exclusion of helping the men and women in the trenches? That's not hypocrisy is it?

My Take? Let's make the candidates talk about specifics.

What Should We Call It

Debtor's Prisons in Ferguson

In Ferguson, Court Fines And Fees Fuel Anger : NPR



We are oh so modern when we say that we don't put people in jail for owing money like we and other countries did in the past.  Debtor's prisons used to hold the poor until some means would gain release for them but we abandoned that practice as barbaric.  We just don't do that any more.



Well, think again.  And now the largest prosecutor of such infringements are the people's own governments.  Those governments prey on the poorest members of their society in order to avoid asking the taxpayers to fund the kind of law enforcement they demand.  A thoroughly dishonest and deceptive practice.



A person is cited to court for a minor non-violent infraction such as speeding or failure to maintain insurance and then, when they can't pay, is assessed fees upon fees to be part of a payment plan while those who are better off just pay the fine or buy a lawyer to get off.  And heaven forbid that a payment can't be made or a person misses the appointment in court.  Such a dreadful infraction will result in an arrest warrant and additional fees thereby increasing the amount that must be paid and the time required to pay it.  Such measures make payday lenders look like charities.



It is a sad day when the governments of citizens become practitioners of the very kinds of behavior they are supposed to eliminate.  It is nothing less that racial and economic discrimination the result of which can be imprisonment and harassment by one's own government.



Of course, these people don't vote in the same numbers that the more well to do folks do so it is to the benefit of those seeking office to find ways to fund this despicable behavior that appears to be tough on crime at no expense to the taxpayer.



Just another of the ways that our society is becoming more stratified along economic lines.  We must speak out.

A Festival of High Notes

By any quantifiable means of measurement it seems that this year's Master Musician's Festival was a resounding success. Attendance was up and there were more and better vendors, some of which were local wineries Cedar Creek and Sinking Valley. Overall I would have to say there was not a weak spot in the entire artist lineup.

The festival was kicked off by Kelly Rae Burton, a local artist who writes most of her own stuff and performs it with panache. I have had the pleasure of watching this woman grow from a girl into a gifted artist never forsaking her dream. The performance I witnessed on Friday night impressed me with how Kelly has matured both musically and in performance. The group that followed her, The Little Ship, was also good. They are still quite young but very capably covered songs by several titans in the music world. The Seas are a hard rock band from London and are also very good.

I don't want to get into a critique of each performer but there are a few that stood out to me. Willie Watson, formerly of Old Crow Medicine Show, was a one man act. Watson left a successful group to focus on folk music. It has to be a love of the genre for someone to do that because you just don't hear of very many pure folkies these days. He also covered some old delta blues classics that are more recognizable from their covers in rock 'n' roll. Fifth on the Floor came out with some straight ahead Southern Rock with a heavy emphasis on country. I think of them as having licks like Skynyrd and vocals like Waylon. Darned good. The Apache Relay were very good musically but I likened them to The Lumineers or The Decemberists. Now, both of those bands have huge followings but I am not part of them. Just because it isn't my cup of tea doesn't mean they aren't good. I have found a few folks that disagree with me. Imagine that! St. Paul and the Broken Bones came flying in at the last minute having been caught in traffic on the interstate somewhere. They flew about changing clothes and hit the stage running. Great musicians every one but Paul Janeway knows how to pull off a soul song. Being a long time aficionado of soul music I loved every note and knew most of the songs. Janeway is an energy bomb with the look of a Baptist minister, one of whom just coincidentally happens to be his Dad. Counting Crows was the headline act and their performance showed the professionalism their status requires. They haven't been at the top of the charts for a while but that does not mean that they don't have fans that will drive a couple hundred miles to see them. I met a few from Nashville who were just ecstatic at being able to get that close to the stage. Adam Duritz and Company performed their hits and a fair amount of new material and, judging from the response of the crowd, did not disappoint.

While I love the music my real joy at this festival is wandering through the crowd, seeing old friends and meeting some new ones. I will recall those earlier days and marvel at how things have changed. One of the things I look for each year is something that will surprise me and there were a few. The crowd had changed from last year and the year before that. It was much younger and I didn't see many of the older folks that had been present in years past. Truthfully, the lineup wasn't very appealing for the older or more sedate set. There weren't any bluegrass, Celtic or Appalachian music acts unless you count Willie Watson or Stoll Vaughn. Tyler Childers might qualify.

As a matter of fact just this characteristic of this year's festival is what has caused me to be this long in writing my appraisal. As I studied the crowd noting the different makeup and attendance it gave me reason to consider whether the changes were good or a step in the wrong direction. I have spoken to quite a few folks, some of whom did not like the changes and some that thought they were stupendous. I think it is simply the perspective one takes. Being of the Boomer generation I have the quality and burden of eternal coolness so I try to approach decisions of this importance with soberness and I mean in all respects.

My Take? Times change and you can either change with them or be left on the porch. I'm not ready for that just yet although I do appreciate my time occupied in that pastime. There are new generations and, no matter what we think, they will demand their time in the sun. We Boomers have certainly had our time. Now, don't think I am going to just meekly walk off the stage. I have been accused of not being willing to cede power to the younger folks and there may be some truth to that. I will step aside sometimes and other times I will have to be kicked aside. Having said that, I think the festival was pretty darned good. It has grown up and attracts music lovers from far and wide who are hungry for events that are entertaining and family friendly and our festival is certainly that. Plus, it won't break you up. But what about the foundational criteria that Gabrielle and the others articulated those twenty one years ago? The qualities of celebrating Appalachian culture, the breaking down of gender and racial barriers and the educational benefits that music can bring to any event? Is it possible for an event such as this to be more than a party and actually strive for a nobler purpose? I think it can.

Don't get me wrong. The very first requirement is for the festival to be financially solvent so that it can continue and that has been admirably achieved. This festival is a premier event for our area and is just one of those things that sets the Somerset-Pulaski County Area apart from other communities. Tiffany Bourne and the Board of Directors deserve our thanks for that and a hearty “well done.” But those other things that were left behind this year are worthy goals and deserving of their spot on the stage.

Twenty One years and the Master Musician's Festival is successful. I remember when there was talk of closing it down. Aren't we glad it did not go that way. We now have a very active entertainment community and performance venues. We have more than our share of local talent so I have to ask this question. Do you think we could support another music and arts festival?

The Conundrum in Racing

More Questions Than Answers In Deadly Tony Stewart Crash : The Two-Way : NPR



It is crazy to think that Tony Stewart killed Kevin Ward with any malevolent intent.  It is also crazy the think that a sport that exists on the edge such as racing could go extended periods without costing someone his or her life.  Tony is well known for racing whenever given the chance and he loves returning to his roots to race sprints.  If you are not familiar with sprints you need to watch a race before making any judgements.  Of all the different categories of automotive racing it is probably the most exciting and out of control segment.



Tony has raced in sprints, open wheel and NASCAR where he is widely recognized as being one of, if not the, most talented drivers of his time.  Fact of the matter is, racing is dangerous.  It is beyond belief that many types have become as safe as they have.  Since the death of Dale Earnhart there have been many advances in driver protection technology but the fact is that racing can never be safe because of the constant search for the limits of car and driver.



It is tragic, the death of Kevin Ward, but not improbable.  His best chance for safety was to stay in the car until the racers were under caution.  Had he remained in his car instead of running out on the track to confront Tony he would be alive today.



There will be some acknowledgements, not the least of which will be that racing is inherently dangerous.  Maybe some rule changes but it also has to be recognized that rules can't exist to cover every contingency.  Stewart is disconsolate but alive, Kevin Ward is dead and will be soon forgotten.  However, Stewart will carry this onus for the rest of his life.  Temperamental though Stewart may be he does possess a heart capable of sorrow and concern.



We will grieve and then line up next Saturday night or Sunday and race.

Obama authorizes airstrikes in Iraq - The Washington Post

Obama authorizes airstrikes in Iraq - The Washington Post







will we never be rid of this millstone?  It is one gaffe after another.

Emigrant or Immigrant?

There is a difference between these two words.  Immigrant/Emigrant.  They seem to be sometimes used improperly and the difference reflects on how we view the migration of populations to this country along with other countries.  Perhaps we need to know the language a bit better before we complain about people not speaking English.

em·i·grant

ˈemigrənt/

noun

noun: emigrant; plural noun: emigrants

1. 1.
   a person who leaves their own country in order to settle permanently in another.
   "the first emigrants to America"
   

adjective

adjective: emigrant

1. 1.
   used by emigrants.
   "an emigrant shi
   

im·mi·grant

ˈimigrənt/

noun

noun: immigrant; plural noun: immigrants

1. a person who comes to live permanently in a foreign country.

   synonyms:

   newcomer, settler, migrant, emigrant; More nonnative, foreigner, alien, outsider; expatriate; informalexpat "they will convene to discuss the civil liberties of immigrants"

   antonyms:

   native

   • Biology
     an animal or plant living or growing in a region to which it has migrated.
     

Origin

R.I.P. Eubank High School

As a member of the graduating class of 1965 at Eubank High School these announcements of the drawn out death of our alma mater are painful.  In 1965 I couldn't wait to be rid of the place but now, 50 years later, I realize that so much of my formative years had its place there.  

I began school at Eubank

photo by Terry Vaught

 in 1952 at an old building on the other side of Stanford Street (US 27) that parted Eubank right down the middle.  It was a bustling place then and school facilities were not as antiseptic as they now are.  After two years at the new elementary school I returned to this campus for Seventh Grade and stayed there for the next six years.  I paid little attention to the school and what became of it for the next 30 years but then became reacquainted with many of my former classmates and my attention returned.  We knew that students would never return to this high school but the old building stood there like a tombstone to remind us of the days we spent there.  Then the arsonist landed the death blow in 2011 when this building was consumed in a blaze.  After that it was just a hull that brought sadness.  Even now, with its final destruction, there is a twinge of sadness and a flood of memory.  All things pass but some are so dear to our hearts that they form a ephemeral connection between us and all those other people.

Now it will become a cemetery.  It seems fitting in a way that our memories will be laid to rest in that space after our demise.  I hope that a small monument or a brass plaque will be placed on the site to call succeeding generations to the memory.  But, all things pass.

Maybe one day there will be a need for another high school at Eubank.  I hope so and I hope that the memory of this one passed will be a part of it.

 What follows is a piece from the August 3, 2014 edition of the Somerset Commonwealth-Journal.

The landmark carries with it such fond memories that when a fire destroyed much of the building in 2011, Eubank’s citizens collectively mourned

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FILE

What remains of the old Eubank High School towers over the Eubank Cemetery, located near the intersection of Ky. 1247 and Ky. 70. The school’s cafeteria section underwent a controlled burn on Thursday to help make way for an expansion of the Eubank Cemetery onto the property. The school — held close to the hearts of Eubank residents — was destroyed in a series of fires in 2011, and the rest of the property will eventually be cleared to help beautify the property.

EUBANK: Last remnants of high school are now gone

the loss of the school.

Eubank Fire Chief Norman Rutheford, himself a 1975 graduate of Eubank High School, said Thursday’s controlled didn’t carry with it the heartbreak that the 2011 fires did.

“You sort of hate to see it all go,” said Rutheford. “But it hurt me worse when we had to sit and watch it burn (in 2011).

“It’s better now than it was then,” added Rutheford.

The Eubank Cemetery Board bought the property and the building, much of which has already been burned, late last year at a county auction hoping to one day expand the cemetery into the land or at least clean it.

The old Eubank School property sits just off Ky. 1247 — just a “stone’s throw away” from the cemetery, which is at the corner of Ky. 1247 and Ky. 70, according to Rutheford.

“At one time, that was the center of town,” said Rutheford.

The Eubank Baptist Church once sat at the corner as well, but the church has since moved to a location on North U.S. 27. The cemetery is also called the Eubank Baptist Church Cemetery, but many know it simply as the Eubank Cemetery.

Step one in the clean-up process was incinerating much of the rubble left behind when the Eubank Fire Department put out the original fires in 2011, according to cemetery board member Vickie Begley.

“Nothing was salvageable in the building,” Begley said. “(Right now) our intent is to just clean up the (high school site) because it’s such an eyesore.”

The land is the only area left in which the cemetery could expand, Begley said, which is largely why the cemetery board bought the land when it went up for auction— even if graves won’t go on that property for some time.

Rutheford said a portion of the old school remains, but he said they will tear that down as well.

“We’ll be getting rid of all the burned up buildings and making it pretty for the cemetery,” said Rutheford. “It’s going to make it nice for Eubank.”

And former high school students may even have the option of being laid to rest on the old campus.

“There’s lots of old Bulldogs (the school’s mascot) that would like to be buried there,” Begley said.

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